The Secret World delivers an MMO experience that's distinctly different from its competitors, and it's likely going to remain the standard for future games in the horror/supernatural genre.

A game that shines, but needs to be quickly polished for Funcom to establish it as one of the great games of the genre. Its atmosphere, story, character progression system and mission design have captivated us, but we fear that the lack of content and the errors it has can cut its potential. If Funcom can achieve a good pace of updates, with new content and enhancements, this secret world can live for years.

I am really looking forward to the next mission, the next dialog, the next puzzle. As in a solo role-playing game flat. And this is not an error but a boon.

An MMO that doesn't cuddle the player, The Secret World can be a great experience for veteran fans of the genre. Unfortunately, its dark and beautifully crafted world isn't enough to cover the numerous flaws completely.

The vainglorious plot and meticulous landscapes of cliché will draw you in place of base compulsions to hit a level cap or maximize a "gearscore." If you can stomach the horrors of the night, as well as rote combat and occasionally glitched gameplay, you might just be the perfect pledge for this secret society.

To ask so much of gamers here in 2012, especially when there's such great competition out there, means that they should be delivering a game that's exciting to play, easy to get into, deep when people get to the endgame, and well-rounded in nearly all aspects - and I can't say that they've done that. This game is damn good in concept but it falters in the execution.

Less ambitious MMOs break less dramatically. But The Secret World breaks differently, crushingly, almost tragically. There are various explanations and workarounds and excuses, and it mostly comes down to the simple fact that making games is hard and making MMOs is even harder. Funcom is simply unable to make the game they designed.