The Secret World Free Trial Launches

Funcom has opened up their modern-day MMO The Secret World to all interested gamers. Neophytes can now try out the game free of charge for a full three days.

During the free trial, you'll have full access to the game. You can create a character from any of the game's secret societies - Templars, the Illuminati and the Dragon - and participate in the war between these factions. You should have enough time to try out many of the quests and also some of the dungeons.

Funcom is giving free trial players a couple goals to pursue. By completing 30 missions, you'll earn two more days of free play-time. Furthermore, you'll get 1200 MS Points (roughly $10 or 10 euros) for the in-game store.

You're also challenged to complete the first dungeon in the game, The Polaris. The Polaris is a wrecked cargo ship off the coast of New England. It's now home to a group of aquatic monsters and zombies. Clearing this dungeon will earn you the Whispering Demon Ring, an item that boosts your stats and gives you an XP bonus for the early stages of the game.

Providing players with in-game incentives to dive into the free trial seems like a clever move. With a lot of MMO free trials, I feel a bit listless because there are so many goals to pursue and not enough time to achieve them. Funcom's giving players clear short term goals to achieve right from the outset. With any luck, these trial members will have fun with the game and keep playing, too.

To play the free trial, head to the game's official website and sign up for an account.