Yes, it’s been a tough launch, but New World is a great game. And, no doubt, the launch issues will be sorted.
What makes New World the premier MMORPG is its return to true massively multiplayer gameplay, meaning a heavy focus on GROUP activity. Single-player games cater to individual fantasies. By definition, you cannot be more than you are in an online game. No matter how good a gamer you are, there is always someone better. New World is no hero game, nor is it meant to be. You are not the chosen one. The game’s core satisfaction lay in collective activity which can be deeply involving and satisfying.
In New World, the gameplay is the focus. Combat is physics-based and feels very good. The crafting system is the most extensive for an MMORPG since Ultima Online. Systems are complex, deep, yet accessible. The game world is rich and the art direction is first-rate. Sound engineering and sound environment are immersive and employ doppler effects. You thus don’t simply hear someone chopping down a tree. You get a sense of where they’re doing it. Ambient sounds are keenly realistic. You have a genuine feel for the environment you’re in.
Combat systems – weapons and skills – are extensive and can encompass myriad play styles and roles. Every choice you make, be it the weapon attributes you gain as your character progresses, your choice of armor type, the approach you take to combat, all involve a fine balance of strengths and weaknesses. There is no ideal build or setup. Rather there are many viable ones that suit a wide variety of players.
If combat isn’t your thing, the crafting system is so extensive you can serve your group by crafting alone. Oddly, even the gathering of resources needed for crafting feels satisfying. The system is so good that PvE is optional, not required. You don’t NEED to farm certain PvE areas to get the gear you need, nor do you need to play the same PvE content over and over. PvE is a choice if that’s what you enjoy.
Where New World truly shines, however, is in its large-scale battles with as many as 100 players (50v50) engaged in an single battle, with objectives and a time limit. Further, battles have consequences. This is not some vast PvP arena with random battles that are ultimately meaningless and seem to go on forever. There are smaller-scale battles too if you choose. Plus there’s plenty of open-world PvP with unpredictable encounters that set up the big fights.
For those who enjoy housing, there is a variety of decorative options that also include housing items that give your character buffs.
Unlike most contemporary online games, New World has a thoughtful social design. Not only does success require collective activity, it offers multiple roles for players of various skill levels. Thus, you not only need to recruit players but you also need to retain them. This creates a more welcoming environment than folks normally associate with online games and video gamers.
Now for the downsides.
New World is not a AAA game, meaning it doesn’t have elaborate character creation. You have two body types – generic male and female – which you cannot make adjustments to. You customize based on set facial types, hair, skin color, skin markings and such. Faces are expressionless. Nonethless you can make your character look distinctive given the significant array of clothing styles, and skins for both clothing and weapons.
There are no towering orchestral music scores or elaborate cut scenes, famed voice actors, or full motion capture animations.
The biggest downside is the server architecture. There is no sole regional megaserver for the game. Rather there are myriad server clusters in many locations around the world. It made today’s launch hell due to the overwhelming response to the game.
This will limit international gameplay or even gameplay across time zones as well. However, this also means that most players can find servers with low ping and good performance.
The game lore is not compelling. Rather it’s more a standard good versus evil affair with no real nuance. There is no attempt at getting players to bond with NPCs in a rich story. New World thus evokes an earlier tradition in MMOs where the narrative is told by the audience, not the developers.
No mounts. There are plenty of fast travel options but you do a lot of walking or running in New World.
Finally, as noted, New World is built around collective action by groups. If you are, at heart, a solo player or if you have the social skills of a snow leopard, this is NOT the game for you.
New World Deluxe Edition - PC [Online Game Code]
3.5 | 6,554 ratings
Price: 49.99
Last update: 09-17-2024
About this item
Explore a beautiful open world as you move through the wilderness and ruins of the island of Aeternum.
Join forces with other players to form powerful companies of craftspeople, soldiers, and strategists.
Claim and control territories to direct the development of settlements.
Fight for survival against enemy raiders, the brutal wilderness, and a growing evil.
Gather materials and craft thousands of items, from magical elixirs and deadly weapons to sprawling fortifications.
Join forces with other players to form powerful companies of craftspeople, soldiers, and strategists.
Claim and control territories to direct the development of settlements.
Fight for survival against enemy raiders, the brutal wilderness, and a growing evil.
Gather materials and craft thousands of items, from magical elixirs and deadly weapons to sprawling fortifications.
Product information
| ASIN | B08NMM44T5 |
|---|---|
| Release date | September 27, 2021 |
| Customer Reviews |
3.5 3.5 out of 5 stars
6,554 ratings
3.5 out of 5 stars |
| Best Sellers Rank | #7,295 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games) #104 in PC-compatible Games |
| Countries | |
| Return Policy | This product is non-returnable and non-refundable. |
| Terms of Use | By placing your order, you agree to our Games and Software Terms of Use. |
| Type of item | Software Download |
| Rated | Teen |
| Manufacturer | Amazon Games |
| Date First Available | October 1, 2020 |
Top reviews from the United States
Jonathan Baron
The Premier MMORPG With a True Multiplayer Focus
Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2021
Doug Ralphs
Multiple Fatal Design Decisions Doom New World, 15 years behind WOW and Final Fantasy
Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2021