Gamers with good taste listen up when they hear the name Ragnar Tornquist.  He’s the designer behind one of the finest game stories there is, The Longest Journey.  Having made that magnum opus in the adventure genre thirteen years ago, he’s developed a well-earned cult following, and his next game is going to be the MMO The Secret World.  The game comes out on June 19th, but if you pre-order it now you’re guaranteed a spot in the beta test.

Unlike most MMO’s, The Secret World is set in the present day, not a fantasy land or science fiction setting.  Of course the clever way to make the real world interesting is to give life to every single conspiracy theory that players can think of.  While the game is set in the “Real World”, there is also a hidden world of myth, magic and secret societies lurking just outside the average person’s field of view.

When playing The Secret World, players will be able to join up with one of three different secret societies, the Dragons, the Illuminati, and the Templars.  All of them are based on actual secret societies that (Allegedly) exist in the real world.  After choosing a faction, players will be able to explore this hidden world of adventure, action and horror.

Gamers who pre-order will be able to get a first look at the game well over a month before it launches.  These beta weekends will start on May 11th and not only let players try the game out, but will allow beta testers to keep the characters they create and transfer them over once the game launches, thereby gaining a big head start over the rest of the community.

 

Aside from beta access, there are a few other bonuses for gamers who pre-order The Secret World:

 

  •          Guaranteed access to all Beta Weekends starting May 11, with the ability to carry over their characters to every subsequent event
  •          Guaranteed Early Access to the game, up to four days prior to the game’s official launch
  •          An exclusive in-game item providing an experience boost to progression
  •          An exclusive in-game t-shirt featuring a unique monster design
  •          A powerful pet (Ferocious Wolf, Egyptian Cat or Loyal Hound) to support the player in combat
  •          A head start on character naming before the game launches

 

“The Beta Weekends are a fantastic opportunity for players to familiarize themselves with the game,” says Morten Larssen of the game’s Developer Funcom “With guaranteed access to every single one of these weekends, our pre-order players will have the unique opportunity to truly immerse themselves in the universe that surrounds The Secret World – starting six weeks before launch!”

Players who are hoping to get a look at The Secret World before launch don’t have to pre-order the game, though.  Anyone can register for the beta on the game’s website, but registering isn’t a guarantee.  The only way to be certain you’ll get beta access is through the pre-order offer.

Check back with Explosion.com next month for our hands-on coverage, and our full review after it launches.