Should I get Guild Wars 2 or The Secret World? Other Suggestions?

I just got a $30 gift card to Gamestop for Christmas, and have always been a little interested in these games.

I haven't played many MMOs before, and as most of you probably know, The Secret World no longer has subscription fees (like Guild Wars 2). I was wondering what you guys think is better between those MMOs. I feel like I am leaning toward Guild Wars 2 a little more, but I am still not sure.

Or do you guys think that I should skip an MMO all together and get a different game? The only other ones I have been kind of thinking of are Mass Effect 3 ($30), Mirrors Edge ($15), and Batman: Arkham Asylum ($15).

Thank you in advance for the suggestions.

I got GW2 about 3 month ago and it's my first mmo that I ever played.

I highly recommended, it's my favorite game this year.

It's a beautiful world they created, and there's so much stuff to do and see.

I also just picked up The Secret world but not tried it yet.

I was always interested in this game but was waiting for a sale.

You can get it from Greenmangaming for $21 dollars using the 30% off coupon code found at their site.

Or do you guys think that I should skip an MMO all together and get a different game? The only other ones I have been kind of thinking of are Mass Effect 3 ($30), Mirrors Edge ($15), and Batman: Arkham Asylum ($15).

CBN16

[QUOTE="CBN16"]

Or do you guys think that I should skip an MMO all together and get a different game? The only other ones I have been kind of thinking of are Mass Effect 3 ($30), Mirrors Edge ($15), and Batman: Arkham Asylum ($15).

cybernatra

I pre-ordered GW2 and have been playing since the betas. Definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys mmo's.

If a sub doesnt bother you, I just recently returned to Rift and am enjoying it very much. There is so much to do, its crazy.

Now if the sub turns you off I would recommend GW2 of the 2 choices you said. It has decent to good PVE, but the real attraction is PVP, even then I found myself bored of GW2 after 2 months

. If you dont care about PVP and are more interested in a deeper PVE experience, I would recommend TSW. TSW is a darker game though, based of Lovecraft type of a world.

Guild Wars 2 TSW is more generic. But if you're FelipeInside, you'll like just about any MMO no matter how generic it is.Jebus213

How is TSW generic? It's the only MMO to come out in years that completely stands out from the crowd of MMOs. The art design, the atmosphere, the setting, the storytelling, the characters, even combat, skill system, of this kind has never been done in an MMO before, and you call it generic? Explain how it's like other MMOs that you've played before, that's if you even played it..

It's one thing if you just hit the reply button and said the game sucked. I would be like, yeah ok. That's your opinion and that's fine. But to call it generic, when TSW is a unique MMO, and you don't back it up. That's trolling.

even combatElann2008

if you want a traditional shin kicking good time WoW and tera are probably the best it will get but both have monthly fee's

if you want to try something a little less plain GW2 is basically standing alone

Very different games with very different settings. Like Elann said, give TSW a go first since it's Free 2 Play.FelipeInside

It's not free to play, you still have to buy the game just like Guild Wars 2.

Better mechanics and more content? Go with Guild Wars 2.
More potential, more promising future and content whose quality is nearly unrivalled in the mmo industry? Go with The Secret World.

Okay. So here's my take on both Guild Wars 2 and The Secret World:

1)System Requirements

Guild Wars 2 did a great job at being accessible to many different hardware configurations. The Secret World requires a bit more power especially if you would live to play on higher settings.

2)Graphics, Environment, and Setting

As you know both games are completely different from each other as far as the settings goes. The Secret World does an excellent job of creating a horror-MMORPG and recreating the world that we see today. I find that some people might find the realism(or what's in it) lacking any creativity. Reality is you're not fighting on Mars or some Tolkien-esqued world. There's even a "dungeon" where you take on a creature in NYC's Time Square; with that said it's done well. If you love HP Lovecraft, you'll fit right in. Guild Wars 2 setting isn't high-fantasy but it has it's own style of approaching things. You will find some vistas to be a bit more generic than others but the game world is very colorful. The art style of GW2 is also a big plus in creating it's atmosphere. But I do find The Secret World more immersive; and the visuals do a good job of that. Animation and character models in Guild Wars 2 are also a big plus over The Secret World. For me, when I watch TSW cutscenes every once in awhile I laugh simply because the facial animations can be horrible or elderly women look like men with a heavy jaw.

3)Questing and Storytelling

Talk about streamlining your adventure even more; Guild Wars 2 literally keeps the paced up with the way quests are delivered. You don't have really talk to an NPC or make deliveries. As long as you're in a questing area, you'll be thrown right into the thick of it. If you leave and jump to something else the player can always return; and finished what he/she started. The Secret World follows more traditional questing but just like GW2, once you receive a quest you do not have to return to the NPC to receive your reward. Both games have your typical MMORPG quest but The Secret World has something a bit more interesting. Investigation missions in TSW make you become Sherlock Holmes and challenge you with some intriguing puzzles that can actually become difficult to solve. This is probably one of the more interesting parts of The Secret World, and they are so rewarding. You are even offered a in-game web browser to help you solve your mysterious(and it's recommended to use). I also give storytelling in TSW a win over Guild Wars 2. For me, the adventure in both games aren't bad but The Secret World's story is way more interesting.

4)Combat, Classes, and Skills

Both games encourage players to play the way they want. Even though certain combinations of weapons and skills are more effiecent than others; both GW2 and TSW are by far more forgiving to players who rolled a character they might feel isn't complete incomparison to other MMORPGs(at least on the PvE side of things). Guild Wars 2 combat feels so good in your hands and it looks fantastic! And if you love two-handed weaponry and always wanted to swing a greatsword like Cloud Strife then you'll get your chance. And if you like wielding firearms The Secret World has plenty! Guild Wars 2 uses different classes without the holy-trinity(tanks, support, healer, etc) and The Secret World is classless with players building characters to support the holy-trinity system. Both provide plenty of different playing styles but Guild Wars 2 allows players to be a bit more versatile from the get-go. As with the Secret World you can eventually train one character to have every available skill. In both games you are limited to a certain amount of abilities to use in combat. That's all dependent on the two(or one) weapons you've selected to use and the abilities you've unlocked. And both games provides some interesting attacks and combinations. As far as challenge goes both Guild Wars 2 and The Secret World stay on equal footing in the beginning, but if you're looking for more difficulty later on I suggest The Secret World. Much of Guild Wars 2 true challenge is provided in the dungeons and it's definitely a different type of experience(a good one) in comparison to some other MMOs.

5)Community

Guild Wars 2 has a higher population than The Secret World; and the way quest are designed you're always playing with other people. I like that since I hate playing MMORPGs by myself. But even with TSW smaller community(and the influx of players) it is still easy to play with one another. If you're a roleplayer The Secret World definitely wins in that regard. There are enough players in both games to play with and you'll see them everywhere.

6)Loot and Cash Shop

Let's clear this up! Both game's cash shops do not follow the Pay-To-Win concept. Many of the items in the shop are more cosmetic or provide a temporary boost. Loot however is way more abundant in Guild Wars 2 and useful. There is tons of armor and weapons in GW2 and it's more easy to obtain what you want. Guild Wars 2 armor is also not just cosmetic. In The Secret World talismans provide defense and other stats for your character; but the clothing is purely for show. But unlike Guild Wars 2 you'll see more unqiue looking players in TSW. A positive for Guild Wars 2 is that you can change the color of your armor on the fly by acquiring dyes!

7)PvP vs PvE

No explaination. Guild Wars 2 hands down has the better PvP. In my opinion much still needs to be done with The Secret World's PvP. Even though I had fun with the PvE in Guild Wars 2, you'll be a bit more intimate with what's going on in The Secret World. For me it was just a much more immersive experience. I will admit that both games do create a living world with many things to interact with. But Guild Wars 2 does it a whole lot better since you'll be doing(and completing) multiple objectives at any given time.

8)Crafting

I do not like the way items are crafted in The Secret World; in fact I find it to be more cumbersome than previous games. It's all about dissembling and assembling material; and you're always wondering if you have enough of whatever to create what you want. And earlier in the game it's pretty much useless to the average TSW player simply because of the available auction house. But crafting in Guild Wars 2 is so fun, accessible, and useful. You can only use two crafting professions at a time. Plus there's a spot in your bank where you can collect and save material for future use!!!!!

There are some other things that I didn't talk about. Choosing one is all going to be about preference. I do think that Guild Wars 2 is a more complete game than The Secret World. But I enjoy the atmosphere, the investigation missions, the character progression, the story, and PvE that The Secret World has to offer. It's also a more challenging and rewarding game. Both games are very accessible but more so Guild Wars 2. It's easier to get from point A to point B, combat is a bit more reponsive, crafting is fun, and the PvP is just a huge plus. If you like to run through your enemies and complete multiple quest quickly Guild Wars 2 won't waste your time.

Guild Wars 2 TSW is more generic. But if you're FelipeInside, you'll like just about any MMO no matter how generic it is.Jebus213

Goes to show you have probably not played either. (or maybe 10-20 min of TSW)

TSW does many things differently from other MMOs, it's probably the least generic MMO out there at the moment.

But again, don't talk without knowing.

Not sure about the rest but I must say I do not like Guild Wars 2.. It has the exact same problem as the original Guild Wars.. That is a complete lack of feeling of progression.. Throughout the entire game your going to be using the same set of skills and spamming them.. Gear feels ultra generic and your appearance literally looks like a level 1 person for like the first 40 levels.. And I don't think the action out weighs the lack of these things, to me it became very repetitive.. This is just my opinion on the matter, not going to say its a awful game.. I just never could get into it.. sSubZerOo

[QUOTE="Elann2008"] even combatJebus213

Well, that's fine. Perhaps, you do not enjoy MMO's. I find that I have slowly drifted away from the MMO scene. The most fun that i had in an MMO was World of Warcraft (vanilla+TBC). After WoW, most MMO's have felt very flat aside from TSW which at least tries to do something different.

What I was trying to say about the combat was that, at least they tried to do something different with it. Ability skill wheel, and not the traditional healing you see in a holy trinity MMO. But you're right, the combat is a bit of a "hell no" because it's probably its weakest element.

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"]Not sure about the rest but I must say I do not like Guild Wars 2.. It has the exact same problem as the original Guild Wars.. That is a complete lack of feeling of progression.. Throughout the entire game your going to be using the same set of skills and spamming them.. Gear feels ultra generic and your appearance literally looks like a level 1 person for like the first 40 levels.. And I don't think the action out weighs the lack of these things, to me it became very repetitive.. This is just my opinion on the matter, not going to say its a awful game.. I just never could get into it.. FelipeInside

On my part, I must admit that it was my fault I tried to get into Guild Wars 2 so much. The game isn't about progression. It doesn't even have a progression system. That was my mistake, but I HAD to try it. I really enjoyed GW1 even if it is much different from GW2, and several years old.

I've learned that I want progression and endgame in my MMO's. That's just how it is with me, but I don't want to play World of Warcraft because I've been there done that. In conclusion, it's better that I stick to single-player video games, multiplayer, or co-op games.

I disagree with the storytelling in GW2. It's awful, cringe-worthy. And the stories towards the end of your story missions don't get any better. It's just as bad as Edge of Destiny the book.

Not sure about the rest but I must say I do not like Guild Wars 2.. It has the exact same problem as the original Guild Wars.. That is a complete lack of feeling of progression.. Throughout the entire game your going to be using the same set of skills and spamming them.. Gear feels ultra generic and your appearance literally looks like a level 1 person for like the first 40 levels.. And I don't think the action out weighs the lack of these things, to me it became very repetitive.. This is just my opinion on the matter, not going to say its a awful game.. I just never could get into it.. sSubZerOo

This is exactly how i feel about GW2. I was waiting for it for a long time, but it got boring way too fast as i played. No sense of accomplishment and progression. Gear is not aesthetically pleasing with each upgrade. It kind of lacks every reason to play an MMO, which is progession. Rift btw, Great game.

Guild Wars 1

Speaking of progression.

I thought The Secret World handled that much better. Most of your progression would be horizontal as opposed to vertical, as the game improved your character with new toys as opposed to bigger numbers. Stats did not inflate like crazy either like they do in Guild Wars 2.

Edit: I totally agree with Elann about the story. From what snippets I have seen when I was helping others and what I saw before the launch. The story was offensively bad. Which is a darn shame since I liked the later parts of Winds of Change quite a bit. Not to mention, I keep having a good 1/18th of my UI taken by a constant reminder of the storyline.

Thanks for all of the help, guys. Even though you're saying there is a lack of progression, I ended up getting Guild Wars 2. From what you guys have said, Guild Wars 2 just sounded more like my type of game. I do think that I will eventually get The Secret World as well because I like the unique setting, characters, and enemies, but Guild Wars 2 seems like the type of game I will play for a long time. I also like that Guild Wars 2 has real time combat.

Now, any suggestions on races and classes? :)

I have yet to try TSW. As for GW2, I don't know why I keep coming back for more despite the lack of progression. You'll experience a lack of progression in the way of skills and traits once you hit a certain level, and it's no secret that weapon skills are easily accessed and unlocked (it's encouraged that you try weapons out in the beginning).

There are no real surprises besides, perhaps, the occassional upgrade in stats or gear. It's a good thing that the PvE component is not grind-centric, but I wouldn't say that the quality of it sits on the shoulders of story quests either; you'll find yourself bored with some of the story quests, which are soloed, and begin to yearn for PvP.

And that's when player skill becomes the only thing worth "progressing" (and believe me, there is a lot of room for getting better at PvP). I like the PvP, and I suspect it's a combination of that and the awesome combat and polished moment-to-moment gameplay that make me return to the game. Dunno if it'll last very long for you, but I've gotten my $60 worth from a game that does not pressure me to advance and does not require loads of time or dedication. For what it's worth, you have little to worry about when "doing well" in the game besides how well you know your profession, skills, and fight tactics. (Gear is always easy to obtain.)

TSW did a good job on atmosphere but what I didn't like about it is the combat.. generic.

I'd recommend GW2 if you want something different that is done in a good manner. If you want generic MMO that has good atmosphere get TSW

TSW did a good job on atmosphere but what I didn't like about it is the combat.. generic.

I'd recommend GW2 if you want something different that is done in a good manner. If you want generic MMO that has good atmosphere get TSW

_VenomX

Now, any suggestions on races and classes? :)

CBN16

Suggestion: Decide what you think you want to play the most and what you think you want to play the least. Try out what you want to play, and when you don't like it, try out the class you don't want to play.

Suggestion: Decide what you think you want to play the most and what you think you want to play the least. Try out what you want to play, and when you don't like it, try out the class you don't want to play.

Grimlim

Since a lot of GW2 is cosmetic as well, I would suggest also picking a race/class that you think looks the best based on character model and armor type available.

Other, stay away from mmo's...go out and be around people and have a real life.

Other, stay away from mmo's...go out and be around people and have a real life.

--Anna--

Might as well stay away from video games in general then

[QUOTE="--Anna--"]

Other, stay away from mmo's...go out and be around people and have a real life.

lostrib

Might as well stay away from video games in general then

[QUOTE="lostrib"]

[QUOTE="--Anna--"]

Other, stay away from mmo's...go out and be around people and have a real life.

--Anna--

Might as well stay away from video games in general then

Yeah! It must just be me. Cheers

I want to get back into GW2 but I need a new PC first. Its so pretty I want to be able to play it with full graphics.FelipeInside

let me explain before u b!tch. i have two friends with the identical problem. they cant max it out have well below 50fps and both sport solid quad cores (one a core i5 gen 2 neahelm the other an athlon II x4) with more than adequate system ram but both have pre fermi 2.0 gpu's (ont a gtx 285 one a gtx 550ti).

im not calling it as fact im stating that im witnessing a reccurring trend. does anyone happen to have a 9800 series or a gtx 465 they would like to add to the pot for this trending graph. atm pre-fermi 2.0 cards are only 2 for 5 (the only cases ive seen of working ones have been gtx 460's)

[QUOTE="FelipeInside"]I want to get back into GW2 but I need a new PC first. Its so pretty I want to be able to play it with full graphics.ionusX

let me explain before u b!tch. i have two friends with the identical problem. they cant max it out have well below 50fps and both sport solid quad cores (one a core i5 gen 2 neahelm the other an athlon II x4) with more than adequate system ram but both have pre fermi 2.0 gpu's (ont a gtx 285 one a gtx 550ti).

im not calling it as fact im stating that im witnessing a reccurring trend. does anyone happen to have a 9800 series or a gtx 465 they would like to add to the pot for this trending graph. atm pre-fermi 2.0 cards are only 2 for 5 (the only cases ive seen of working ones have been gtx 460's)

[QUOTE="FelipeInside"]I want to get back into GW2 but I need a new PC first. Its so pretty I want to be able to play it with full graphics.ionusX

let me explain before u b!tch. i have two friends with the identical problem. they cant max it out have well below 50fps and both sport solid quad cores (one a core i5 gen 2 neahelm the other an athlon II x4) with more than adequate system ram but both have pre fermi 2.0 gpu's (ont a gtx 285 one a gtx 550ti).

im not calling it as fact im stating that im witnessing a reccurring trend. does anyone happen to have a 9800 series or a gtx 465 they would like to add to the pot for this trending graph. atm pre-fermi 2.0 cards are only 2 for 5 (the only cases ive seen of working ones have been gtx 460's)

Like it or not, this game is demanding as **** on the CPU side of things. And it's rather unfortunate that my most intense and thrilling moments rear a hard FPS hit.

I've actually been playing GW2 on a mix between low-medium settings on occassions (ie. Dungeons and WvW). I've permanently switched off the games' post-processing permanently. The last time I had it on was when I was doing some of the awesome jump puzzles Anet added recently.

I've played both extensively and here's my opinion:

Theyre both absolutely awesome (as in awe-inspiring and fun).

That said, I honestly don't understand how The Secret World is surviving. Its main appeal will be to fans of H.P. Lovecraft, but how many people even know who he is? Also, the character development system is extremely overwhelming to new players. There are no classes, just tons and tons of skills to unlock so you can create any kind of character you want. And then there's the more realistic setting/character design aesthetic they went for, which leads to comments like "its generic." When people are used to big brutes with glowing 2h swords and scantily clad mage chicks in their mmos.

So basically, if you're younger and don't know who Lovecraft is, I'd def go with GW2.

You might also wanna keep in mind that The Secret World is only 18 bucks from Amazon.

You should also consider Tera Online, as its only 5 bucks at Amazon (includes one month sub). The combat is absolutely amazing. No more tab targeting nonsense. You swing your axe, if it hits someone, it hits them. You have to actually aim your spells. Has a way more visceral feel than games like WoW. I just started playing a week ago, so it may not be as much fun at higher levels, but for 5 bucks, thats fine with me.

I'm playing TSW right now and they have gotten significantly more players since they went buy2play. The no subscription means you can take breaks without the fear of paying for something you don't use. The problem I have with GW2 is the uniqueness of players (which is the same problem I had with GW1). They rely too much on "armor dying" and such to differentiate players/classes. It makes everything look extremely generic. Don't get me wrong though, the art style is gorgeous and I love the combat too. But the aforementioned issue really bugs me, so I stopped playing.



TSW is the exact opposite of GW2 in terms of player unique-ness, and that might be why I love it so much. I still have not seen two players who look alike (unless they are wearing a "deck" uniform which is basically a class uniform). Yes, there are "classes", just not your usual pick-and-go. You have "decks" that you can use as an outline for abilities. It basically tells you which abilities to get and which ones to use. After you unlock all of them, you get the "deck's" outfit. Every faction has different decks and outfits. And there are tons to unlock. Add all of this with the fact that the story is super awesome and the ability system is a nice new take unlike most cut/paste MMOs and you have something super special. Oh, and no subscription!

I say go with TSW.

I just got GW2 from my kids for Christmas.

I am loving the hell out of the game, really enjoying it.

I had over 1000 hrs invested into GW1, expecting more of the same, but very surprised...GW2 is quite different.

[QUOTE="FelipeInside"]I want to get back into GW2 but I need a new PC first. Its so pretty I want to be able to play it with full graphics.ionusX

let me explain before u b!tch. i have two friends with the identical problem. they cant max it out have well below 50fps and both sport solid quad cores (one a core i5 gen 2 neahelm the other an athlon II x4) with more than adequate system ram but both have pre fermi 2.0 gpu's (ont a gtx 285 one a gtx 550ti).

im not calling it as fact im stating that im witnessing a reccurring trend. does anyone happen to have a 9800 series or a gtx 465 they would like to add to the pot for this trending graph. atm pre-fermi 2.0 cards are only 2 for 5 (the only cases ive seen of working ones have been gtx 460's)

^ It's not you or the CPU. The game is a hit or miss when it comes to certain systems. But the overall consensus points to the fact that it isn't well-optimized enough to run well on majority of systems. I'm just using an example, World of Warcraft even in its time ran extremely well, before graphics started to take a huge leap. Guild Wars 2 isn't optimized to its full potential yet. All I can say is, give it time.

Supersampling is a system hog. I've tried it myself. My GTX 580 is a little slower than your GTX 460 sli. Perhaps the game doesn't scale that well on those cards. I'm not sure. All I can say is, results will vary from system to system. People really need to understand that. Video drivers, and all.