REVIEW: ‘New World Aeternum’ Doesn’t Feel New Enough (XSX)

New World first released in 2021. Developed and published by Amazon Games, it was a massive MMO at launch that prioritized player freedom in builds, resource grinding, and PvP systems that allowed players to join companies that own and upkeep towns and regions of the world map. At launch, it was so popular that Amazon Games had to open up additional servers for players to connect through, and it topped Steam’s active player charts. The popularity did not last, however, and now the developers have released New World Aeternum, which is half updater/overhaul and half console port to try and revitalize New World.

What is most interesting about New World Aeternum is how focused it is on the singleplayer experience it is, especially for an update to an MMO. The updates are evident right from the get-go as well. One of the largest pieces of Aeternum is an update to how the game’s story is presented with new voice acting and cutscenes. The additions are generally positive and do help draw players into the world of New World Aeternum. They are well done and bring the world of New World Aeternum to life better than any other part of the game.

However, the story that they are in service to is woefully bland and generic. The characters that players run across are archetypical fantasy characters that are forgettable at best and grating at worst. With how annoying many of the characters are to interact with it is a blessing in disguise that the story is barebones enough that players can miss a lot of the dialogue and still follow it well enough. Even if it is played through and not followed too well there is very little lost.

Another change made in New World Aeternum that is targeting lone players is the new class system. When making a character, players choose from a selection of classes, but they don’t work like your traditional MMO class. Combat abilities in New World Aeternum are unlocked by leveling up one’s mastery with specific weapon types like rapiers, muskets, or magical staves.

Players can equip and swap between two weapons at a time, each with two skill trees to level through and shape a play style. Classes do not restrict players to particular weapon types but instead offer a starting point. This is a great addition that not only gives players an idea of the options available to them but also gives them a push in their preferred style right off the bat.

Once players have their class they are introduced to combat. New World Aeternum‘s combat is action-oriented but standard. Players can lock onto enemies, block by holding a button, dodge to avoid area-of-effect attacks and use abilities on cooldowns. Some boss fights can be challenging and bring some excitement, but for the most part, combat is an adequate but uninspired affair. Fights take long enough to put some effort in, but attacks and abilities lack the impact to feel satisfying.

What really shines in New World Aeternum, though, is its mechanics at the upper crust. The game’s player-driven economy, map control systems, and ways for players to fit themselves into the wider machines of geopolitical conflict on their servers make it stand out. The systems are as solid as ever, but Aeternum, unfortunately, does not change them.

Any players who really grind in them will find themselves repeating a lot of the same systems and content. The lack of changes to the system in Aeternum also feels like a missed opportunity because it doesn’t help solo players get involved in the wider systems. Players can only get involved if they have a larger group to play with, which a lot of players won’t be able to do.

This leaves New World Aeternum really struggling to be worthwhile for many players. The MMO genre is stuffed with excellent dug-in titles that are difficult to pull players away from for long, just as the original release of New World saw. With its unimpactful combat, lackluster story, and its most interesting content only being accessible to the most dedicated of players, this spiritual successor just doesn’t mix it up enough. It seems likely that New World Aeternum will end up right back where it did before, with many low-population servers and Amazon Games trying to find a formula that works.

New World Aeternum is available now on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.