Summary
The definitive update to Amazon’s monolithic MMO,New Worldhas been charged withanticipation and speculationfor months, and now that the release is here, many MMO fans, both new and returning players to this title, are excited and gratified to see a slew of changes and improvements to the original game.
For players who are still on the fence about picking up this title, or for those who might have been burned by a less than stellar launch for the game a few years ago, here are some improvements upon the original game that have taken this MMO andits many archetypesto the pantheon of high-quality massively multiplayer titles.
5Greater Emphasis On Solo Play
Aeternum Promises To Be One Of The Best Solo Experiences Among MMOs
New Worldwas always a game that strived to appeal to a variety of players and playstyles that typically call the MMO scene their home. Whether that meant hardcore dungeon delving, overworld exploration in group or solo contexts, crafting enthusiasts, or PVP maestros, everyone had something that appealed to them or attempted to appeal to them in this title.Aeternumbrings many changes to the gameplay and style of the game that only further emphasizes how accessible this MMO is to solo players.
All the archetypes (classes) available in the gameare geared for solo play, maintaining their diversity and niches as separate roles while also ensuring that all the main questline content is accomplishable through them. This is another key area whereAeternumimproves on the base game - as no more group dungeons are needed to see the main storyline through to its completion, ensuring that there are single-player alternatives to any previously essential group dungeons needed to progressNew World’splot.
4Greater Emphasis On Co-Op Play
Changes To The Game Making Grouping Better
WhileNew World: Aeternumhas changed tact somewhat and switched its marketing from that of an MMO to an action RPG-styled game, the title is still intent on giving players that classic MMO experience with plenty of opportunities to group with friends and strangers who share a love of the game - thrusting them into a multitude of the game’s dungeons and soul trials that hold the promise of high-level gear, loot, and even crafting items for those that can push through its many obstacles.
Another area where the co-op play inNew World: Aeternumhas improved is through the sheer number of players available. With the gamenow available on PS5and Xbox One X, cross-platform compatibility ensures all players who are sharing a server and region can go through the game’s group content, regardless of what console or platform they’re playing on. This is a huge step forward forNew World: Aeternum, as other MMOs, such asElder Scrolls Online, simply have too much development in their servers for something like a cross-platform revamp to be considered feasible.
3Better Questing Experience
New World Now Feels More Polished And Cinematic
One of the main flaws many people could point out with the originalNew Worldexperience is that the story beats lacked a certain degree of polish, and the overall quests didn’t do as good a job as they could have of orientating players in what was essentially a brand-new fantasy setting, filled with its own magical rules, fantasy races, faction relations, and just about every other worldbuilding aspect people have to re-learn whenever they’re immersing themselves in a new IP. This is one of the first hurdlesNew Worldhad to overcome compared to other popular MMOs that utilized existing IPs, such asFinal Fantasy 14.
Now, however, cinematics and cutscenes ensure that the player is properly aware of what’s happening. The story, while maintaining its stakes and plot beats, has become far more accessible, and has played an integral role in turningNew World: Aeternuminto one of themore newbie-friendlyMMOs available today.
2Enhanced Combat
Aeternum Has Combat Like Few Other MMOs Do
The combat inNew World: Aeternumhas changed drastically - and for the better - compared to its original release. Now, fighting and combat are far more deliberate and natural, without losing any of the dynamism or skill synergies that define the MMO genre. What has changed from typical standard MMO fare is that the game is not focused on simply setting up the right skills to the right keybindings and mashing on the keyboard until nothing lives anymore.
Aeternumhas a lock-on feature and a much more tactile, satisfyingmix of rangedand melee combat much more indicative of the ARPG genre that the game seems to be drawing from, likening it even to (gasp!) the Soulslike genre in terms of its stamina and precision-based fighting mechanics.
1Optimization Improvements
Aeternum Makes New World Smoother Than Ever
Aeternum’smanyupdates and patch notesshow that the game is more committed than ever to a smooth, unhindered gameplay experience. Beyond all previous patches added fromNew World, it’s clear to see the game take on a few more debugging ventures as it launches across multiple platforms.
This promises to makeAeternuman incredibly stable staple of the MMO industry, with a unique flare thanks to its gameplay mechanics that will only be enhanced by the smoothness and well-optimized nature of gameplay and exploration.
