New World: Aeternum has arrived on the PlayStation 5 and the conversion from Windows to console wasn’t jarring. I thought there would be controls lost in translation somewhere along the way, but they weren’t. I thought there would be a steep drop-off of graphics from the PC version, but there wasn’t. This game actually might have improved a little from PC to console, more about controls than anything else. I mean, it’s been a while since I’ve had this sentiment, but I might prefer the console version of this game more than the PC version. Go figure.
If you have not delved into New World: Aeternum from developer Amazon Games Orange County, then this is probably a good time to take a long hard look at it. It’s a third-person MMORPG that brings wonderful exploration of a very large land to the table, as well as some fun action and customization. I know this game has been baking since September 28th, 2021, but it appears like they pulled it perfectly timed from the Amazon Games oven.
So, sit back, pay no attention to the Destiny 2 light similarity, and get going on hunting down creatures and evil beings. Also, let’s jump right into this review.
Quick intro, developing story
The story of New World: Aeternum starts with a fiery ship filled full of unsavory demon-like creatures that you must get through before crashing into some rocks. Once your character is through said demon-like creatures, you’re knocked out from your ship crashing and blowing up and washing up on the shores of Aeternum (E-TURN-EM).
What your character finds when they awaken is that the island has restored your life, something it will continually do as long as you’re a resident of it. And you’re going to be a resident for a while because there is no way off the island. At least, no foreseeable way off the island. As boring as that might seem, as you wander you find yourself amid a battle, where a mindless minion is trying to conjure up an all-encompassing power that you accidentally steal as you defend yourself against the beastly boy. Once the power is obtained, you are immediately targeted by a mean-spirited spirit that vows to destroy you and take back the power that they believe is rightfully theirs.
From that point in the story, your goal is to stop that spirit and take down evil beings on your quest to rid Aeternum of every evil entity. Not a bad way to start a game.
The story of New World: Aeternum has been told many times. A random stranger wakes in an odd land and quickly finds that they have become threat number one to the antagonist. They are tasked, if not prophesized to take down the baddy and everyone associated with them. Of course, in movies, this is typically accomplished. In games, it takes some player effort. It’s a simple story structure but always a welcomed one when it comes to games like this.
Having played this game since its release, on and off, mind you, I can confidently say that the story has grown on me. I think there is enough to it to make the journey around Aeternum, and all of the island’s residents, worth taking, and eventually saving. It’s a good story that is light and motivating enough to stick with you. And you don’t need more than light motivation to get hooked on the story. Well, good gameplay helps. Speaking of which, let’s talk gameplay!
Gameplay flavors of all sorts
New World: Aeternum’s gameplay is a variety of flavors. The core gameplay element is smash and grab. You go into an action sequence taking out mostly minor enemies, and you gather XP and/or loot after you take them down. This is how most of the game works. It’s simple in its intentions and mechanics, and it doesn’t try to overcomplicate the experience. Unlike Throne and Liberty, which is good but a more traditional PC MMORPG, New World: Aeternum is similar to Skyrim in function. I think that might be why it’s easy to pick up and enjoy. Lots of hack-and-slash moments with constant upgrading and leveling.
It’s always nice to have the base level of the game encourage you to keep going through upgrading and leveling. A player’s gaming sense to want more and do better is something instilled in all of us as gamers, and the game plays off that sentiment well. And it happens in every fight and aspect of the game.
When you take down mid-bosses, you’re rewarded with new loot and lots of XP, and seeing the fruit of your labor helps to justify continuing the experience. It is what drove me to play about 20+ hours of this version of the game during my review period with it, and it reminded me how much fun an MMORPG can be when simplified with hack-and-slash mechanics. Why would you need more? Ah, those PC folks. I remember now.
If that was the only motivating factor, then this game wouldn’t be a true MMORPG. Upgrading and leveling are huge motivators. The upgrading of weapons and armor isn’t something overly complicated with this title. It’s easy to take down baddies, pick up their loot, compare it with what you have equipped, and then switch it out if need be. I like the simplicity of that comparability because it makes things fast and the results of your decisions are almost immediate. Seeing new armor that causes me less damage during massive fights helps to keep me going. I want more and will cross all of Aeternum to find it. It’s so capitalist.
When you aren’t looting and taking on new items, which can weigh you down if you’re not careful, just like Skyrim, then you’re leveling weapons and characters. Starting with weapons, weapon proficiency in the game is measured and displayed prominently in the backend menu. Once you get enough XP, you can level a weapon type up and use it in more ways than just hack/slash. This also means that you get to pick your favorite weapon and level it up, unlocking new ways to use it on people. For example, during my stint with this version of New World: Aeternum, I randomly found a cave with a mid-level boss in it that held an ungodly hammer. What’s great about this find is that it wasn’t part of a quest, rather it was a random find. Once the enemy was taken down, I took possession of his hammer, which was incredibly overpowered and went on a two-hand-weapon journey to level it up and use it as my go-to.
Once I used it enough, the weapon menu would notify me that it was ready to have attributes unlocked, and then I would go to a skills tree solely dedicated to said hammer. The skills you choose in the backend weapon leveling menu unlock new moves with the hammer. This could be a move that knocks someone on their back. This could be a move that has me deliver a powerful smash to the head of an enemy. This could even be a move that has me twirling around with the hammer like I was in the midst of an Olympic hammer throw competition. The more you use your weapon, the more you level up your weapon, the more moves you unlock, and the better the weapon becomes during battle. It’s an addictive way of doing things, but also a sad way when you change weapons and start anew.
Now, by the time I was done with my review period for this game, I had built that hammer up so high that I took down a temple boss without a hitch. Granted, there was a lot of grinding that got me to that level and point, but having a weapon skills tree is something spectacular. There’s nothing quite like an un-modded sense of power in an MMORPG to keep you going.
Grinding and questing
Related to the weapon skills tree, by simply finding that weapon, the game intrigued me enough to go off the beaten path and explore the hell out of all Aeternum. I wanted to find more random loot in caves, and random bosses ready for battle, and I was just curious to see how far I could press things before getting back to the grind. What I found was that the island is huge, there’s quite a bit to explore, and the threat of terrible beings that are more powerful than me was something that could happen in new areas. There were new areas during this journey, even with that overpowered hammer, that kicked my ass. However, the fact that they existed and were goals for me to work toward during the rest of my journey kept me engaged and interested in this game. It’s like accomplishing a goal, and then setting a new one. That type of gameplay was a constant.
When I wasn’t randomly traveling around trying to test my might, the game was driven by side quests and the main quest. The main quest in the game is just finding a way to ignite shrines around the island, discover the island’s mystery, and build the main character up to take down the main antagonist. There were details in between but it’s a pretty straightforward journey. Nothing new here.
The side quests were a different story. The side quests in New World: Aeternum were a hodgepodge of smaller, yet more entertaining accomplishments mainly due to variety. For example, there was an early side quest that had me rescue farmers from an overrun farm. It was a simple go-in, take out enemies, and give the stranded farmers the green light to escape. The quest was quick, yet rewarding, as I collected loot and equipment from the rescue mission.
Other side quests were more involved. For example, there was a side quest where I had to go and obtain ingredients for a baker. The ingredients were scattered across Aeternum, so there was a lot of running back and forth traveling to obscure locations. Collecting is a big part of this show, and doubly so with this side quest. The results were rewarding, though.
One of the cooler, earlier side quests was retrieving a sword from a rival army. My guy had to infiltrate into the enemy’s camp, take out people, and then take on a mid-level boss knight to acquire the searched-out sword. The reason for the sword acquisition was that it was going to fall into a bigger enemy’s hands if it wasn’t taken by force. At the end of the quest, I was awarded the sword, which was super powerful and helped to take down other big beasts. It was a snatch-and-grab job with hack and slash leading the way.
Truthfully, my review period was spent more on side quests than on the main quest. I just kept grinding and going with the side quests, mainly because they were short, sweet, and rewarding. This is what I do in any Elder Scrolls game, so this direction of gaming/reviewing wasn’t shocking. It meant that I was in tune with the game and enjoyed completing grinds, as they were rewarding enough to keep pushing me to do more. I have played many MMORPGs where grinding was a grind in the worst of ways, but having more side quests and continually hunting new places to go and play kept my attention quite well.
Customization and crafting
Recently, I have felt like I have finally accepted customization and crafting in games. For games like New World: Aeternum, customization is easy to fall into, as you will be set in your ways with the loot you acquire and how your character looks. Trust me, when Chucklenuts2 (yep, that was his name) took to the paths of Aeternum, I was looking sharp in my hat, armor, and boots. Changing his style was not an option, though I did when I came across some powerful armor. But the fact that I could customize my guy to my liking kept me entertained a little. It’s not a driving reason to play New World: Aeternum but it is an add-on that makes the journey more unique to a player’s style.
As for crafting, there are a lot of things that can be crafted. From tools to help cut down trees and gather items in the fields to recipes and ways to stay nourished – the game is packed with craftables. One aspect of the game that I was dying to try out in the craftable department was owning a house. While I bought the space during my time, I didn’t get a chance to live in it or decorate it. If I’m not mistaken, I bought a house in two different villages because I was rich as hell during my review period (no, I built that wealth – it wasn’t given to me). Regardless, I’m looking forward to jumping back into the game just to have a house established. It will be called House of Chucklenuts2 in honor of the long-since erased character. Chucklenuts3 will honor him appropriately. Creative, I know.
Other odds and ends
While my review time with New World: Aeternum was shorter than I would have liked, there were some points of interest I’ll be trying out once the game gets going with players. They include:
3v3 Arenas
The idea of having a group of three friends taking on the world in a hack/slash slugfest is intriguing. Leaderboards and daily rewards are part of this process. Nothing huge but certainly a nice departure from the typical MMO stroll.
Expeditions
Another cool mode is expeditions. In true MMO style, more akin to Elder Scrolls Online, you can put a team together and essentially take on bigger quests and tougher groups of enemies on your way to a giant boss fight. Why play alone during this adventure? You shouldn’t. It is sad and depressing.
Horses, horses, and more horses
I cannot begin to explain to you how much nicer it would be to have a horse in this game. I was almost at the point in the game where I could acquire one, but the review period regretfully ended. Almost. It would have made life so much easier when traversing the land. The game is big and while running is nice, a horse would have made the experience better. While the game does feature fast travel, it does cost resources, which you want to keep around for building camps, cooking, and crafting items. The fast travel areas, at least early on in the game, aren’t readily available all the time, especially if you’re not in the area where one exists.
Anyway, horses for the win.
Fishing
Yeah, it’s low on the list but it’s fun. It’s simple fun. It’s comparable to fishing in Everybody’s Golf, where you get a rod and bait, and you just sit back and try to reel in fish. It’s not overly complicated but it’s another gameplay notch in the New World: Aeternum belt. Good stuff that doesn’t cost much time. You might be obsessed with catching a variety of fish, though, which will keep pressing you to continual fish.
Wrapping things
While the power of a PC environment can never be trumped by a console, and that’s where console games are born, so it should be the apex technology leader in gaming, the console version of New World: Aeternum works very well. The controller layout is easy to use, the graphics are premium, though some enemies are very blah when it comes to detailed character modeling, and everything you would expect from the PC version is here. Having the ability to easily communicate due to PSN and easily grouping with friends will be a treat on console.
The game works solidly on the PlayStation and it’s a game I will revisit multiple times before I’m done with it or before a new expansion is released.
On that note, let’s wrap this review up.
Conclusion
New World: Aeternum from developer Amazon Games Orange County is a wonderfully rich MMORPG experience with a solid hack-and-slash backbone driven by a good story, a bevy of main and side quests, and a fun leveling and upgrade system. While it may not satisfy the most hardcore MMORPG fans, it should entertain a more general RPG audience needing a fun fix.