I don't know about this review. I'll admit I did only try the BETA, but after my severe interest in TSW pre-release since I loved the idea of a Lovecraftian game, the BETA didn't just disappoint me but actually annoyed me out right. I felt the combat was tacky, with what was meant to be diabolical creatures were treated like run-of-the-mill monsters to kill by mashing one of six abilities which killed the atmosphere of the game dead. I also felt the writing was terrible, with less of a "okay, time to investigate something secret" feel and more of a "go to X location, pick up quests, kill Y amount of Z creatures" feel. The fact that the police station was how it was (as in, with massive holes in the fences, with zombies just standing outside bored) just killed it. Not to mention, the story of "there JUST SO HAPPENS to be a bee that stings you" is so accidental it's irritating.
The final crunch point was, as said in the review, how the game seems to shove character back-story onto you to full pelt in monologue rather than SHOWING personality, back-story and character. I had spent at least three hours, probably closer to five hours, doing quests and I was still no closer to finding out why things were the way they were, instead with a feeling of being swamped with things that really did not matter. I had been lectured for about five to ten minutes about a police officer's back-story about his father dying in the most apathetic generally happy tone, while there was a zombie apocalypse going on and after I'd only met him about five minutes prior. Why would someone get their priorities so confused? Why is he spilling his guts out in such a happy-go-lucky manner about his father while there's zombies? Even if there's relevance, it should only end up being brought up once shit hits the fan hard and it's revealed things like that have some importance.
I'll admit, this is no Fallen Earth (which is one of the worst major MMORPGs I've ever played personally), but the idea of offering what it does and expecting a subscription is, to me, laughable at best and insulting at worst. I think this is one of those games I don't think I'll see what people see in it, since to me it's just naff. That there's nothing particularly good here (e.g. graphics) and the important parts are either bland (e.g. gameplay) or just down-right terrible (e.g. the writing). I really expected so much more than what it delivered and I feel let down and disappointed I really could not enjoy it.