What you need to know
- New World is an MMO made by Amazon Games released on PC back in 2021. When I played it, I enjoyed its visuals and its streamlined third-person combat systems but disliked the bland PvE and quest design.
- Now, it's getting a second wind thanks to New World: Aeternum, a re-release of the game that bundles all of its content into one package, improves it in various ways, and brings it to Xbox Series X|S and PS5 consoles. It will be available on PC as well.
- New World: Aethernum is scheduled to launch on October 15, 2024, with preorders available for the console versions now.
- Amazon Games says in addition to including all of New World, Aeternum will enhance it with "a fully revamped storytelling approach with enhanced dialogue, in-game cinematics and pre-rendered scenes, the first-ever large-scale PvP zone, a challenging 10-player raid, new end-game solo trials, and more."
I'm not typically much of an MMO guy outside of Final Fantasy 14 (Destiny 2 doesn't really count), but one that I had a decent time playing through a few years back is Amazon Games' New World. With its vibrant tropical island setting, unique 16th Century-meets-fantasy aesthetic, streamlined third-person combat systems, and fun 100-player PvP, it stood out to me as an MMO you could jump into if you didn't want to engage with a steep grind and just wanted to have some casual fun.
I criticized the game for bland PvE, archaic chore-like quest designs, and way too much running in my 2021 review, and ultimately didn't stick with it because of those issues. Now, though, I'm considering giving it another shot, as a "definitive edition" version of New World dubbed New World: Aeternum was announced with a new trailer during Summer Game Fest 2024 and is headed to Xbox Series X|S and PS5 as well as PC later this year on October 15.
New World: Aeternum includes all of the game's base and expansion content, such as the Rise of the Angry Earth DLC and additions from things like the Brimstone Sands update. On top of that, it also features what Amazon Games calls "a fully revamped storytelling approach with enhanced dialogue, in-game cinematics and pre-rendered scenes, the first-ever large-scale PvP zone, a challenging 10-player raid, new end-game solo trials, and more." This lengthy overview from the developers goes over everything in great detail.
Notably, preorders for New World: Aeternum are live now, with a $59.99 Standard Edition and a pricier $79.99 Deluxe Edition available on both Xbox Series X|S and PS5. The Deluxe Edition includes the Corrupted Mauler Bear mount — it sounds like the developers did something about all those complaints about running since I've been gone — and the Corrupted Soul Armor skin; preordering any version of New World: Aeternum will grant you the Azoth Stalker Wolf mount. This new version of New World is not yet purchasable on PC, however.
A new start for New World?
Speaking as a New World player who hasn't even looked at the game in three years, this Aeternum relaunch has me considering to give the MMO another chance. Though there's no way to tell how much it'll actually improve when it gets these updates, I like the sound of revamped storytelling, cinematic cutscenes, a tough PvE raid to play, and a huge PvP zone to mess around in.
Also, while they may not feel new to players who've played New World recently, mounts certainly feel new to me; I wish I could go back to the 2021 version of myself and tell him he could avoid having to sprint everywhere if he waited a few years. There's only so much running you can do before you get bored, after all.
