Changes

Subtle is perhaps a strange word to use in referring to Kingsmouth, with its zombie hordes and ancient evils rising from beneath the waves, but it is understated in comparison to what comes next.

The Savage Coast doesn't waste any time when it comes to setting the new tone. After a brief skirmish with more zombies you're confronted with a literal hellscape that wouldn't look out of place in DOOM, complete with floating portals reminiscent of the demonic invasions of Neverwinter. It's a far more fantastical vision of the supernatural, and I was initially struck by how out of place it felt after Kingsmouth.

The culture shock is intentional. Messages from 'head office' off-handedly acknowledge that Hell is actually a real place so deal with it. The zombies are still a presence, but there's more to deal with now than just them.

Demons. Insectoid swarms. Chainsaw wielding scarecrows. The Savage Coast offers a lot of new targets for my dual pistols, so it's time for the revamped combat of Secret World Legends to come into its own.

Right?

It's been at least five years – and probably longer – since I played the original game, and I didn't play it for very long. I didn't play it for very long in part because the combat wasn't very good – I recall it as slow and unintuitive, and everything took too long to kill. By that measure the combat of Secret World Legends is an improvement.

Enemies die a lot faster. Arguably too fast in Kingsmouth, where I died a total of four times, and every time it was due to running into an area I was severely under-levelled for. In areas I was meant to be in I rarely felt challenged or in danger, and that is a bit of a problem for a horror game.

The enemies in the new zone are somewhat more resilient, and between them and a couple of boss fights in the first 3-man dungeon, The Polaris* I'm starting to get a feel for what combat is intended to be like.

*Attempted solo, because soloing group content in any MMO is something I can't say no to.

The interface is very reminiscent of Neverwinter, to the point that I'm using essentially the same keybinds as I do for that game. It's nowhere near as dynamic though, and the additional effects that have been added to the weapon types feel – so far – distracting and superfluous. They are also, by far, the worst looking elements of the UI.

Combat also lacks impact, literally in that the first time I died I didn't even realise I was taking damage until I fell over. All too often there's little in the way of cues to indicate a hit, or even what an attack actually is, and even the more defined attacks sometimes don't feel like they're actually connecting with anything.

I can say all this and still conclude that the combat in Secret World Legends is an improvement on the original. It is better, but better isn't the same as good.