Funcom's been keeping The Secret World so secret since it was revealed last year that we were beginning to wonder whether the whole game was just one massive leg pull.

However, now some eight months after the MMO was originally confirmed, the studio's started to blow away veil of fog surrounding it.

In an interview with the UK's PC Zone magazine, it reveals that classic Japanese horror movie The Ring is a major inspiration for the project.

"The setting for The Secret World is actually our own world... But there is something out there, another world beyond our own," product manager Erling Ellingson has explained.

"In this world there are monsters and there are some very, very dark conspiracies. There are also many myths and legends from our own world, that may play a part in all of this."

Reading between the lines, we get the impression that Funcom is aiming to stick H.P. Lovecraft-style horror in the game, however it's being very cagey at the moment.

One thing it will say though at this stage in development is that the setting is what's, er, setting The Secret World apart from other MMOs.

"We're putting a lot of effort into making huge, believable environments," revealed Ellingson, "you will actually be exploring vast cities such as London and New York. This creates some really exciting opportunities for us as a developer, to actually set a massive online game in real-world cities."

He added, "As I said, the game takes place in what is close to our own present time, but [players] will be battling creatures of darkness across the world and throughout time!"

The Secret World is in development for PC and Xbox 360. There's no release date as yet.

Courtesy of CVG

Jan 29, 2008