Secret World Legends Game Review

Alternate Title: The Secret World
Developer: Funcom
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Type: MMORPG
Model: Free-to-play
Platform: PC
PvP: Battlefields, Fight clubs
PvE: Monster Hunting Quests, Dungeons, Raids, World Bosses

This is long overdue.
People everywhere claim Secret World Legends is dead. That is far from the truth. Everywhere I went I saw players, high and low level. Players were actively out participating in.. well, whatever it is they were doing.
I can’t say. Most the players I saw were significantly faster than I am or floating around on jetpacks.

Additionally, everywhere I looked I saw men flaunting their goods – and more power to them! If they have it, then why not flaunt it, amirite?

So to start the game off, players are given access to one of three very different factions: The Illuminati, Templars, and Dragon, each with their own unique story, NPCs and.. I suppose you could call it, creed?
I chose Dragon, because, well.. Okay, I chose Dragon because it sounded the silliest out of the three. Who would openly call themself “Dragon”? Seriously, “I’m part of the Illuminati.. I’m a Templar.. I’m.. a Dragon? Part of a Dragon?“, I dunno.

You’re actually not given much customizability, sadly. A few face styles, hairstyles, tattoos, makeup styles and.. yeah, that’s about it. I was highly disappointed.

So after around 15 minutes of running around a graveyard, I caught a glimpse of what can only be described as the second most terrifying thing I can imagine after my wife publicly beating me 1v1 in a duel with witnesses present.
Moments later, I’m back home.. juggling fireballs.. having very, very disturbingly concerning Asian men zap me in the head ultimately rendering me unconscious, and.. I.. got a free trip to South Korea? This all left me a little disconcerted.
Fast forward to me being left for dead in an alley.. well I don’t think how or why I’m here specifically was ever actually explained.
So.. I have no idea what the fuck is going on at this point, but hey, I’m being told to follow butterflies, so follow butterflies I shall do!

Then, we’re back in the dream-state, now as a black girl. Because this wasn’t hard enough to follow as it is.
And.. we’re fighting weird alien-symbiote like creatures. Okay, I’m convinced this is all just some weird hallucinogenic nightmare.
Can I wake up now?

Now, back in the real world we see the kind of things we actually get to deal with.. zombies. I think they’re zombies. They’re like, monsters from Silent Hill, where they come in different shapes and sizes.
But, they all thirst for the same thing: You. Not me, I’m good at remaining so still that I am in essence.. invisible.

So there are a lot of puzzles in Secret World Legends that require you use your brain.. something I’m not traditionally used to and therefore fail at utilizing more often than not. There also seem to be major “quest hubs” where you take the bulk of the story quests from, as opposed to the side quests – which are generally spread through out the large open zones.
I learned the hard way that I should be doing side quests as following through with the storyline exclusively left me two levels underlevelled when I hit level 10.. Yeah, that sucked.
Especially considering each side quest nets you 10% XP and takes 10 minutes to complete.
So note to all new, future players.. make sure to do side quests! Save yourself the pain and misery that follows the realization you need to grind for several levels to continue.

The game utilizes a mostly tab-target combat system, where players can highlight the target they want to attack and skills are subsequently used on the target they have selected.
Swapping targets is as easy as hovering over a different target, and most skills unless stated otherwise.. are capable of hitting multiple enemies. At least for the 5 or so weapon types I noticed.

Which brings me to another point, actually. Classes. There are 9 beginner classes in Secret World Legends: Ravager, Assassin, Mercenary, Punisher, Warlock, Gunslinger, Magus, Demolisher, and Trickster.
Each class employs their own unique weapons associated specifically with that class. I went Gunslinger, as an example, and had access to dual pistols and a shutgun.. I had regrets.

Every story quest, and even quite a large selection of side quests were completely voice acted and played out in a cutscene. The voice acting was also pretty high quality considering the quality of dubs these days.

There’s also a fairly sizable skill system in-game for every single weapon tree. Navigating it took a little while as there are just so many options and you have very limited AP and SP – both required to purchase skills.
Admittedly, you were able to purchase both AP and SP through the cash shop.. meaning that you’re capable of maxing every skill if you pay for it – something I find.. a little offputting.

So after around 6 hours, the impression I had of Secret World Legends after my first day was something like.. “Why the fuck am I fighting huge alien heads, why’re there zombies, weird symbiote-creatures, and why is everyone at war with one another?”
I gather that the story is quite prevalent and necessary to explain generally what is transpiring, but I was very confused throughout my playthrough.

The gameplay wasn’t bad, it was a little dated, and the character creator left me disappointed. But the customizability of your character, their skills, weapon types, the sheer amount of story actually present, and detailed world leave a lasting impression.
Just like that Asian chic earlier in the video.

So.. that is the end of that. Hopefully you enjoyed my first day in Secret World Legends. If you want to see what day 2 looks like, let me know in the comments below!