Amazon Games‘ MMORPG New World was originally released in 2021, and now, it’s time for a change. That change? Bringing in console players. Titled New World Aeternum, it will be a major content update for PC players and bring New World to the console for the first time. The game will include the New World base game, the “Rise of the Angry Earth” expansion, all previous content updates, and, most importantly, new content.
New World Aeternum will give players plenty of new content, including the first-ever large-scale player vs player zone, 10-player raid, solo trials, and more. There will also be some updated features, including an upgraded leveling experience, new character archetypes, a revamped dialogue system, and more. New World Aeternum, as much as it was a way to expand and update the existing New World, is a chance to bring a new audience of players.
Get BWT in your inbox!
Get BWT in your inbox!
At Summer Game Fest, I got a chance to sit down and play New World: Aeternum. One of the important elements of this preview was exploring how well the game plays on a controller. This isn’t the first time players will get to play New World with a controller— with the original PC version offering existing controller support. That said, New World Aeternum has been specifically designed for consoles and with controller players in mind.
Any robust MMORPG or systems-based game has a difficult journey in simplifying controls for controller schemes without sacrificing depth. Multiple factors are at play when playing a game with a controller compared to a mouse and keyboard. The first element is all about how smooth or responsive the controls are in terms of player movement. Additionally, another thing is navigating the UI and general menus of the game in a pattern that is intuitive to the player.
After playing for a while, you could tell these were important factors to the development team of New World Aeternum. While we will be getting new content, the purpose of this preview was to highlight the switch to a console experience. With that, navigating the menus and selecting items was fluid and intuitive. This is vital in an MMORPG, as being able to move items and see the stats of characters is part of the game.
New World Aeternum has a real-time action-combat system that plays differently than many other MMORPGs. Controller responsiveness and aiming ability are vital to a player’s success. The controls held up nicely on the controller, especially when trying out the range weapons. Moving within the world and in battle with a controller felt natural and crisp.
Speaking with the New World team at Summer Game Fest, it was clear that fine-tuning the controls for the controller was one of their goals with the game. One element at the front of its preview was a want to encourage existing players to hop in and use a controller and open the gate for console players to play with no issues. Even the addition of a “select assist” built within the menu cursor to help players be able to select items easier adds a necessary usability feature for players.
There is still a way to go before the release of New World Aeternum and tons of new content and features that have yet to be seen. That said, I came away impressed with what the team at Amazon Games is doing with New World: Aeternum when it comes to adapting the game for a new audience. This is pivotal since the game is set to be cross-play for all platforms. Of course this makes playing on a console with a controller a viable option for people to choose when it comes to adventuring the world of Aeternum.
If you’re looking to see New World Aeternum for yourself, the confidential Closed Beta test will run from July 11 at 9AM PT through July 17 at 9AM PT on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X |S. This invite-only cross-play test will let console players in North America and Europe customize a character, experiment with unique weapons, and explore vast, supernatural zones—plus, players will try end-game content. You can sign up here.
New World Aeternum will release on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC on October 15, 2024.
