New World: Aeternum Review

mmorpg.com:

It’s been almost a month since Amazon launched its soft relaunch of its flagship MMO, with New World: Aeternum hitting digital shelves across PC, Xbox Series S|X, and PlayStation 5. Built on the bones of its 2021 MMORPG, this relaunch brings in console players to what was a PC-exclusive for its first three years of operation, injecting new life and much-needed energy into the flagging MMO. 

As someone who has played since its PC launch, it’s been a breath of fresh air jumping into New World: Aeternum over the course of the last few weeks, especially on a fresh start server. However, depending on how you’re approaching New World: Aeternum, your mileage will definitely vary.

The Plight of the PC Player

PC players have, rightfully, felt a little left in the dust by Amazon Games Orange County ever since the announcement of Aeternum back in June. While the MMO features new endgame features that, at least at first, would have been appealing to end-game PC players (console players have quickly caught up since then), there is a sense that there really hasn’t been a whole lot on offer other than a new raid and the PvP zone. These activities are great, and the inclusion of repeatable daily solo trials is a nice addition. Still, unless you’re someone who loves a good raid or a hardcore PvPer, there doesn’t seem to be much to entice a long-time PC player already at max level to return right away.

Many of the tentpole features brought by New World: Aeternum are really only felt if you’re a console player starting from scratch, or you’re a PC player who has decided to start over. The revamped leveling line, which is much improved from the grindfest that New World launched with is completely lost on someone who was already level 65 when Aeternum launched. 

For those players who chose not to restart their New World journey, Aeternum’s biggest draw for the existing audience might have passed them by: injecting new players and a larger population into the various New World servers.