New World: Aeternum – Settling In

Amazon Games' New World has stirred the gaming community, transporting players to the mystical island of Aeternum, a land promising adventure, danger, and riches beyond imagination. Since its release, New World has experienced its share of ups and downs, with intense initial popularity followed by challenges typical for any new mmoexp. However, New World shines in many respects, and its setting in Aeternum provides a refreshing take on survival, combat, and exploration. This review will dive into the details of Aeternum's allure and the game's ability to keep players invested in the experience of "settling in."

Setting and Lore: Aeternum's Mystical Allure

Aeternum, the fictional island in New World, is steeped in mystery. Inspired by a blend of historical mythology and fantasy, the island draws explorers with the promise of "Azoth," a powerful resource that supposedly grants eternal life and abilities beyond mortal limits. This mix of mythos creates an engaging backdrop for the game's events, enveloping players in a world where lore is found in forgotten ruins, mysterious flora, and echoes of ancient empires.

The island's charm isn't just in its backstory but also in its design. The world of Aeternum is divided into various biomes—lush forests, ominous marshlands, eerie ruins, and frozen mountain ranges—each with distinct flora, fauna, and challenges. Players feel a sense of wonder as they venture into uncharted territories, discovering new enemies and resources that serve the core survival experience.

The lore of New World Coins is woven through quests, environmental storytelling, and documents scattered across Aeternum. Although some players may find the lore delivery a bit scattered, those who dive into it will discover a history rich with tension, from ancient civilizations to cursed forces struggling for dominance over Azoth. This background narrative lends a sense of purpose to the player's journey, making each area exploration more meaningful.

Visuals and Atmosphere: Aeternum's Beauty and Dread

Amazon's Lumberyard engine delivers a visually stunning game, especially for an mmoexp. Aeternum is richly detailed, with realistic lighting, stunning landscapes, and meticulously crafted structures that add a layer of immersion. Forests sway in the wind, rivers reflect the sky, and the change in time of day impacts how environments feel—sunset over a mountain ridge can be breathtaking, while nighttime in a foggy marsh can feel menacing.

Enemies in Aeternum are also beautifully (and sometimes terrifyingly) designed. The Corrupted—one of the island's main antagonistic forces—are human-like but twisted, representing an evil spread by Azoth. Whether it's a giant lumbering through the woods or an ancient skeleton guarding ruins, each enemy feels appropriately creepy, adding to the island's mysterious atmosphere. However, while the aesthetic quality of Aeternum is generally outstanding, some players have noted occasional graphical glitches and pop-ins that can disrupt the immersion.

Combat: An Action-Packed Experience

One of New World's defining features is its action-oriented combat system. Instead of the typical mmoexp fare of tab-targeting and auto-attacks, New World relies on a more dynamic approach. Players engage in real-time combat where they must manually aim their weapons, block, dodge, and manage stamina. This system combines elements from popular action RPGs with mmoexp strategy, demanding that players stay actively engaged, whether fighting wolves in the wild or taking down corrupted behemoths.

The weapon system is flexible, allowing players to wield different weapon types such as swords, hammers, bows, and magic staffs. Instead of classes, New World lets players build their character based on weapon choice and attributes. This freedom is a double-edged sword: it allows for creativity and experimentation but can also leave players feeling lost about the optimal choices.

PvP and PvE aspects intertwine seamlessly in New World. The game's "Faction Wars" encourage PvP interactions, allowing factions to claim territories and impose taxes on settlements. This territorial warfare adds a social and competitive dimension to the combat, where players not only improve their characters but also represent their faction in meaningful ways. While PvP players may enjoy this aspect, PvE players may sometimes feel sidelined, as faction control impacts their gameplay in terms of taxes and resource accessibility.

Crafting and Resource Gathering: Aeternum's Economy

One of New World's most innovative and addictive features is its crafting and gathering system. Almost every aspect of New World requires players to gather resources, from the gear they wear to the homes they build. The island of Aeternum is littered with harvestable resources: trees, ores, herbs, fish, and more. Each resource is meticulously placed, making gathering not only rewarding but also scenic.

Crafting is central to the economy and survival in New World. Players can specialize in crafting disciplines, like armor-smithing, weapon-smithing, or alchemy, giving each trade a unique role in the game's economy. Resources are tiered, and higher-quality materials yield stronger items, incentivizing players to progress their gathering and crafting skills. This resource grind can be overwhelming for some but satisfying for those who enjoy a slower, more methodical progression path.

The player-driven economy is one of Aeternum's most engaging features. Towns have trading posts where players can buy and sell items, and because there are no fixed auction houses, the economy varies by region, with local prices influenced by supply, demand, and factional control. Players often band together to specialize, trade, and even work within towns to build a more prosperous settlement.

Settlements and Player Housing: Building a Home in Aeternum

A unique aspect of New World is its settlement and player housing system. As players progress, they can buy houses in different settlements, offering a place to store items, decorate, and even get stat bonuses based on their home decor. Each house is customizable, allowing players to craft furniture, hang trophies, and make the home feel like their own. Housing isn't just decorative; it serves practical purposes, too, such as fast-travel points and a slight respite from the dangers of the wild.

Settlements themselves are essential in New World. These player-driven hubs function as the game's cities, where factions can take control, impacting taxes, crafting stations, and fortifications. This dynamic adds another layer of interactivity and social gameplay, as players work together to maintain and upgrade their settlement. The downside to this system is the reliance on faction control, which can be frustrating for players who feel "stuck" with poor leadership or hostile factions governing their towns.

Endgame Content: Expeditions, Invasions, and Wars

While leveling and exploring Aeternum is satisfying, the endgame content keeps players invested in the long run. Expeditions, New World's equivalent of dungeons, offer challenging PvE content for groups of players. They feature unique mechanics, lore-based puzzles, and difficult enemies that push teams to cooperate and strategize. However, some players have critiqued the lack of expedition variety and content as limited in scope compared to other mmoexp.

Invasions add another layer to the endgame, where players band together to defend settlements from waves of corrupted enemies. These PvE battles feel epic, requiring dozens of players to work together to defend their territory from overwhelming forces. Similarly, New World's "Wars" are massive PvP battles, where factions fight for control over settlements. This faction warfare is intense and strategic, demanding team coordination and effective leadership to win.

Challenges and Drawbacks: Bugs, Exploits, and Grind

As ambitious as New World is, it has faced its share of issues. Bugs and exploits plagued the game early on, including problems with the trading system, faction imbalances, and even item duplication exploits. Amazon Games has worked on patches and updates, yet some bugs persist, impacting the player experience.

The grind-heavy nature of buy New World Gold is also a double-edged sword. While some players enjoy the grind for resources and crafting, others find it repetitive, especially without a wide variety of high-level content. There's an ongoing discussion in the community about whether the grind is balanced or if the game needs more streamlined progression.

Final Verdict: Settling Into Aeternum

New World is a unique mmoexp that combines elements of survival, crafting, and faction-based PvP in a visually stunning world. Aeternum feels alive and mysterious, with enough lore to keep players intrigued and an ecosystem that encourages both combat and cooperation. For players who enjoy resource gathering, crafting, and exploring, New World offers a deeply satisfying experience in a gorgeous setting.

However, the game's reliance on grinding, its occasional bugs, and limited high-level content may detract from its appeal for some players. Those willing to embrace its slow-burn nature will find a game that rewards commitment and creativity, especially as Amazon Games continues to release updates and fixes.

In the end, New World shines as an experiment in player-driven systems and exploration. While it may not be perfect, it has carved out a special place in the mmoexp landscape. Aeternum is a world that feels rich with potential, one that beckons players to settle in, stake their claim, and uncover its secrets. For those who love adventure and the challenge of the unknown, New World's Aeternum is a compelling, if imperfect, world worth exploring.