Secret World Legends
Secret World Legends drops you into a modern-day conspiracy where monsters, myths, and secret societies are all very real. As an action RPG built around shared-world MMO elements, it focuses heavily on investigation and narrative while letting you craft a character without rigid classes, then take the fight to occult horrors across locations inspired by real-world legends.
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Developer: Funcom Playerbase: Medium Type: Action RPG Release Date: June 23, 2017 Pros: +Reworked combat and progression. +Fresh modern setting for an MMO-style RPG. +Classless, flexible builds. +Strong story and quest writing. Cons: -Visuals show their age in places. -Combat can still feel awkward at times. |
Secret World Legends Overview
Secret World Legends is a relaunch of Funcom’s MMORPG The Secret World, rebuilt with a different approach to combat and character growth. The core pitch remains the same, a contemporary world hiding an endless network of cults, monsters, and conspiracies, but Legends updates the experience with an action RPG combat model, a revamped progression track, and visual improvements compared to the original release.
At the start you align yourself with one of three secret societies, the Illuminati, the Dragon, or the Templars, each offering its own flavor and philosophy as you unravel supernatural crises. From there, the game leans into globe-trotting horror, sending you through varied real-world inspired zones, including a coastal New England area steeped in Lovecraft-style dread, alongside other international locations like Seoul, New York, and Egypt. Moment to moment, you bounce between story missions, investigation-style quests, and combat encounters that emphasize ability use and positioning rather than old-school tab targeting.
One of the biggest draws is build freedom. Instead of traditional classes, you assemble a playstyle by combining weapons and powers, mixing firearms with mystical abilities to match your preferred role and pacing. For players who enjoy narrative-heavy questing and a setting that feels different from standard fantasy worlds, Legends is at its best when you follow the main storyline and dig into side content that expands the game’s mythology.
Secret World Legends Key Features:
- Modern World – visit contemporary locations, from New England to Transylvania, framed through occult horror.
- Action RPG Combat – real-time ability-driven fighting designed to feel closer to modern ARPG pacing.
- No Classes – create your own build without being locked into a fixed class identity.
- Conspiracy’s Abound – a lengthy narrative (over 100 hours) centered on secrets, cults, and hidden wars.
- Extensive Customization – a wide selection of weapons and supernatural powers, including guns and magic.
Secret World Legends Screenshots
Secret World Legends Featured Video
Secret World Legends Review
Secret World Legends stands out most for its tone and storytelling. Rather than leaning on medieval fantasy or sci-fi spectacle, it commits to “our world, but wrong” horror, where familiar places become stages for folklore, urban legends, and cosmic dread. If you value quest writing and atmosphere, it remains one of the more distinctive options in the MMO-adjacent space.
A modern occult setting that does heavy lifting
The strongest feature is the way missions are framed. Many quests are not simply combat checklists, they are structured like episodes of a supernatural thriller, with memorable characters, unsettling locations, and a steady drip of revelations. The investigation-style content in particular is notable, encouraging you to pay attention to dialogue, environmental clues, and puzzle logic rather than sprinting to the next waypoint.
Combat and progression: improved, not flawless
Legends’ reworked action combat is generally more approachable than the original game’s systems, with clearer ability use and a smoother sense of rhythm. That said, it can still feel a bit stiff at times, especially when compared to the snappiest modern action RPGs. Encounters are readable and functional, but the overall feel can occasionally drift toward clunky, particularly in busy fights.
Character building is intentionally open-ended. With no strict classes or levels in the traditional sense, you are encouraged to experiment with weapon combinations and ability setups. This flexibility is great for players who like tinkering and adjusting loadouts for solo play versus group activities, though it can also mean new players may want to follow a basic build direction early on to avoid spreading upgrades too thin.
Content flow and who it fits best
The game is at its best when you treat it as a narrative-driven RPG you can play alongside others, rather than a pure endgame grind. The shared-world elements help the zones feel alive, but the standout moments usually come from the story arcs, zone mysteries, and curated mission chains. If your priority is cutting-edge visuals or ultra-fluid combat, Legends may feel dated in places, but if you want a conspiracy-rich campaign in a rare modern horror MMO setting, it still delivers.
Secret World Legends System Requirements
Minimum Requirements:
Operating System: Windows XP (SP 1) / Vista (SP 1) / Windows 7 (SP 1)
CPU: 2.6 GHZ Intel Core 2 DUO or equivalent AMD CPU
RAM: 2 GB RAM
Video Card: nVidia 8800 series 512 VRAM or better/Radeon HD3850 512MB or better
Hard Disk Space: 30 GB Free Space
Recommended Requirements:
Operating System: Windows 7 64 bit
CPU: Intel Core i5 3.0Ghz or equivalent
RAM: 6 GB GB RAM
Video Card: Nvidia GTX 560 Ti 1Gb
Hard Disk Space: 30 GB Free Space
Secret World Legends Music & Soundtrack
The soundtrack and ambient audio design are a major part of Legends’ identity. Music tends to support the mood rather than overpower it, while environmental sound, eerie stingers, and subtle cues help sell the idea that something is always lurking just out of sight. If you plan to focus on the story and investigation content, playing with good headphones adds a lot to the experience.
Secret World Legends Additional Information
Developer(s): Funcom
Publisher(s): Funcom
Funcom CEO: Rui Casais
Executive Producer: Scott Junior
Game Engine: Dreamworld
Announcement Date: March 29, 2017
Closed Beta: March 29, 2017
Headstart Date: June 23, 2017
Release Date: June 26, 2017
Steam Release Date: Late July
Development History / Background:
Secret World Legends is developed and published by Funcom, the studio behind the 2012 MMORPG The Secret World. Rather than a brand-new sequel, Legends is positioned as a relaunch that modernizes major systems and reframes the experience as a free-to-play title, aiming to be easier to jump into while keeping the original game’s setting and narrative strengths intact. Funcom CEO Rui Casais stated “Secret World Legends uses that foundation to mark a new era for the game, offering a fresh start for newcomers and long-time fans alike, delivering a captivating journey that can be enjoyed entirely on your own or with friends.” Closed Beta began the same day as the announcement, March 29, 2017.