TechRadar Verdict
Engaging and approachable, New World: Aeternum mostly nails the modern MMORPG experience with its refined and cohesive game world and intuitive combat system. Crafting and gathering remain a highlight here but all types of players will find this game worthy of its upfront price of admission. That said, those looking for a wide range of high-end raiding content will be better served elsewhere and the game also suffers from an unfocused and muddled art style.
Extremely approachable
Competent and varied content throughout
Superlative gathering, crafting, and profession system
Muddled and generic art style
Fewer high-end PvE raids than well-known competitors
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Platform reviewed:PCAvailable on:PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|SRelease date:October 14, 2024
You’ve seenNew Worldbefore, sure, but have you seenNew World: Aeternum?This soft relaunch ofAmazonGame Studio’s flagging 2021 MMORPG is what the company is calling a ‘spiritual sequel’ to the original. In layman’s terms, that means next-gen console support, new story campaign cinematics, and a refined controller-friendly combat system that doubles down on the game’s action RPG setup.
This is, spoiler alert, mostly the same game as before - butNew World: Aeternumalready had a solid foundation and the inclusion of console players could potentially breathe fresh life into this game.
Some of thebest MMORPGshave been years in the making and Amazon’s stubborn dedication to improving its first big MMORPG title is commendable. With a vast game world and diverse array of player versus player (PvP) and player versus environment (PvE) content, there’s certainly a lot thatNew World: Aeternumoffers - especially for a fresh player.
Getting it right the second time
New World: Aeternumis in some ways an MMO that’s stronger than the sum of its parts. It is, in a nutshell, an extremely competent and refined effort that skates close to excellence in so many areas yet doesn’t always stand out.
It’s a rework that’s a culmination of three years of tweaks and painfully learned lessons from Amazon. It isn’t, however, a radical departure from what was offered before - you’ve got the same weapons, the same art style, and the same world - with a few exceptions like new cutscenes. In some ways, it’s a little awkward reviewing this title as a new player in 2024.
So, ifNew Worlddoesn’t stand out - then why is it just so damn fun to pick up and play? There is an intangible sense of fun toNew Worldthat makes it both an approachable and incredibly cohesive MMORPG experience. There’s nothing new here, but there’s something about this game that just works.
For example, there’s an intuitiveness to the open world inNew World: Aeternumthat makes sense right away. The game’s core gameplay loops of questing, PvP, and gathering all integrate seamlessly into a game world that just begs you to get out and explore. The world of Aeternum is full of trees, plants, and ores ready to harvest and if you don’t find yourself wandering off in search of hemp, herbs, or lumber, then you’re simply missing out on one of this game’s strongest aspects.
Even without the superb gathering and crafting, there’s no doubt thatNew Worldis one of the most pick-up-and-play MMOs I’ve played in a long time when it comes to the overall experience. There’s a little bit of something for everyone here - dungeons, player-owned housing, and excellent crafting all wrapped up in a well-thought-out and refreshingly simple manner.
Your favorite MMO, now with cutscenes
One of the biggest additions toNew World: Aeternumis the inclusion of a more cohesive main quest storyline - one that’s now complete with cutscenes, improved world-building, and a streamlined questing experience.
I played through the entire main story quest line for this review and my thoughts are that it’s pretty good but not outstanding. The story isn’t anything mind-blowing but there are decent characters, compelling boss fights with actual mechanics, and a modern quest design that breaks away from the usual MMO tropes of killing ten skeletons and such.
Exploring the world of Aeternum is constantly entertaining. You’ll be questing, fighting enemy players, and gathering any number of players along the way in a vast and interactive game world. Rarely will you be stuck hanging around in camp.
If you really beeline it through the quest, expect it to take you around 30 hours until you hit the final boss fight - which, I have to say, is rather excellent (no spoilers, sorry). It’s an experience you can completely take on solo in the vein of a single-player action RPG but I’d highly recommend taking the time out to engage with the game’s excellent side-quests, crafting, and PvP aspects along the way. You can play solo, sure, butNew World’s strong suit remains the extracurricular activities.
The beauty of Aeternum is in the myriad distractions it offers. Plus, I’d note that while the main quest does introduce you to the vast majority of zones and themes within the game, it doesn’t really deep-dive into PvP, group content, or end-game gearing. You’ll have to work those out for yourself or ask a member fromNew World’s vibrant community of console and PC players.
Jack of all trades
As previously mentioned, there’s a wide range of both PvE and PvP content within this game, ranging all the way from basic dungeons and solo world PvP to 10-man raids and 20 vs 20 player battlegrounds. There is, quite simply,a lotof content inNew World: Aeternumand it’s all underpinned by a refreshed console-friendly combat system.
With the new combat - it’s a mixed bag but mostly good. As previously stated,New Worldhas a relatively stripped-down action RPG system that encourages movement and dodging rather than providing a piano-like array of spells and abilities. You’re essentially going to be switching through two weapons, both of which have just three abilities on the bar at once. There’s nothing wrong with this (in fact, it’s perfect for controller support), but don’t expect an incredibly in-depth set of abilities to use as per the traditional MMORPG experience.
I gave all sixteen ofNew World’s weapons a whirl during my playtime and every single one brings something to the table in regard to class fantasy, mechanics, and abilities. Want to bonk your enemies on the head with a giant hammer? No problem. Conversely, you may want to plink at your enemies at a distance with the musket or bow. All weapons are fine choices and offer a diverse range of builds and play styles. I personally like the musket, although I found hitboxes to be frustratingly inconsistent unless I was using the game’sDark Souls-style lock-on system to track my enemies.
Fans of action-orientated combat will find a lot to like withNew World: Aeternum; especially if you’re the kind of person who likes to try different builds. Not only is changing your character’s attribute points incredibly cheap but you’re never locked into one particular weapon or armor type withNew World. Don’t hesitate to try out the various weapons and find the right one.
In terms of content, this game is chock-full of stuff that’s readily available to both solo and group players. While a chunk of the high-end PvE stuff is locked behind the maximum level of 65, an easy-to-use matchmaking system means it’s easy to get a group without the need to join a guild or clan.New Worldis one of the most solo-friendly MMOs I’ve played for a while - and one that respects your time if you’re looking for something relatively casual.
A bland new world
Earlier in my review I alluded to the fact thatNew Worldis a perfectly competent MMO but it doesn’t particularly stand out in one area. The PvE? Well executed. The PvP? Yep, that’s pretty good too. There’s not one single aspect ofNew Worldthat really knocked me off my seat during my initial 40 hours of gameplay, however.
If there’s one area where I thinkNew Worldfalls down on, it’s that it lacks a solid identity. All the boxes are ticked here to make an incredibly engaging MMO but nothing feels special in the way that, say,World of Warcraftcirca 2004 did.
Take the overall art style and premise, for example.New Worldis loosely set in the age of sail but Amazon deemed it fit to stuff in as many generic fantasy and historical tropes as it could into the world of Aeternum. One minute you’re fighting pirates, the next minute you’re fighting Roman Legionaries, the next minute ghosts. There’s a lot of variety in the game world but it feels like Amazon just threw together generic historicalAssassin’s Creed-like concepts rather than building something with a really cool and unique angle.
There’s no doubt that the development team can design engaging environments and game mechanics but I never really felt that strong sense of class fantasy that you get with some MMOs. The world is a little bland, unfortunately, andNew Worlddoesn’t particularly stand out as either a PvP game par excellence or a PvE powerhouse in the way that modern retailWorld of Warcraftdoes save its superb crafting and gathering system. Still, this is a good game with an intangible sense of fun and one that no doubt has a solid future should Amazon continue to commit to content updates.
Should I play New World: Aeternum?
Play it if…
You want an approachable MMONew World: Aeternumfeatures an extensive array of content that can be enjoyed both as a solo player and as a group. The barrier to entry for most content is relatively low and the world is also intuitively built around an excellent gathering and crafting system.
You particularly enjoy crafting and professionsThere’s something just really, really fun aboutNew World: Aeternum’scrafting system. Exploring the game world for valuable resources, building a camp, and crafting your own gear. There are plenty of professions to explore in New World and they all work together to create a superb in-game economy that’s unaffected by the micro-transactions common in other MMOs.
Don’t play it if…
You want to push high-end PvE contentNew World: Aeternumhas a 10-man raid at max level but it’s not as packed as its competitors when it comes to high-level PvE content. It’s a jack-of-all-trades game that’s suited to players who value variety over one particular end-game content type. Watch this space though, as raids are a relatively new addition to the game and could be expanded upon going forward.
Accessibility
New World: Aeternumhas an extensive list of accessibility features, including text-to-speech, font size scaling, and colorblind modes. It also has some superb aim assist options for both controller and mouse and keyboard setups. All these options are easy to find in the ‘Accessibility’ menu within the games settings menu.
How I reviewed New World: Aeternum
I playedNew World: Aeternumfor 40 hours before writing this review. That was enough time to play through the entire main story quest line, see most of the zones in-game, and test out the game’s PvE and PvP content. While the game is incredibly vast, I made sure to sample most of whatNew Worldhas objectively before making an assessment.
When it comes to reviewing MMORPGs, I draw upon almost two decades of experience to determine how New World: Aeternum stacks up. Just a few of the titles I’ve played includeWorld of Warcraft, Guild Wars 2, Black Desert Online, Lost Ark, Eve Online, ESO, and most recentlyThrone and Liberty.
The peripherals I used during this review include theLogitechG Prowireless gaming mouse, the Logitech Pro Tenkeylessgaming keyboard, and the Logitech G735wireless gaming headset. I also tested the game using the standardXbox Wireless controller (2024). My monitor is the 27-inch LG 27GP850-B, which runs at 1440p/185Hz.
First reviewed October 2024.
Alex is TechRadar’s deals editor, specializing in getting our readers the bang bang for the buck on the tech that we know and love. He’s a dab hand at covering retailer events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day having over seven years of e-commerce experience at Future PLC; including bylines at our sister sites T3 and GamesRadar. Alex’s expertise touches on most areas of TechRadar but he has a particular love for phones, laptops, and cameras, being an avid photographer. Outside of work, you’ll find him indulging his love for street and travel photography, at home working on music, or down at the local climbing gym.
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