There are many places we intentionally avoid; the boarded-up home or darkly lit alley. The places that when found make the hairs on you neck stand straight. Creating a sense of fear of the unknown and intrigue of what exists is the core of what Funcom’s newest MMO, The Secret World, attempts to invoke.

The Secret World (TSW) offers elements of character customization, skill development and item collection, but breaks a well established rule in the MMORPG realm; there well be no character classes or levels. While acknowledging TSW is in the “hype” stage, creative director Ragnar Tornquist states the game design features “fast, reactive combat” and incorporates puzzle-solving incentivized by new character powers and other unnamed rewards.

Without any real gameplay footage to review, the big picture is still rough around the edges. However, I have high expectations for this very ambitious MMORPG. On a personal note, one of the elements that peaked my interest was the use of occult themes. I always gravitate to horror genre for this reason. Check out the factsheet and some renders after the break.

[Eurgamer Interview via Fidgit]