On launch, New World broke records and amassed a massive playerbase of over one million concurrent players. But like my high school bully, that towering monstrosity of an MMORPG somehow managed to peak quickly and drop off the face of the planet. Despite the lackluster reception after its first month, Amazon Game Studios didn’t throw in the towel as so many expected of them. Instead, they kept refining the gameplay, redesigning entire zones, and offered players in a handcrafted world with some of the genre’s best gathering and crafting elements. Now, a few years and a single expansion later, the team revamped the experience with New World: Aeternum.
What is New World: Aeternum? It’s a total overhaul of the MMORPG, featuring large-scale PvP, a 10-player raid, end-game solo content, a revamped solo experience for story-centric players, better quality-of-life features, controller support…oh, and swimming mechanics. It’s a lot to take in, especially if you’re a returning player willing to give Amazon’s MMO one more shot.
Read More: How To Get Started in New World Aeternum
However, if you are a returning player, remember that to access all of the content in Aeternum, you require the expansion, Rise of the Angry Earth, which retails for $29.99. It’s an expensive entry price for an MMO with a history of mediocrity in many players’ eyes.
That said, it’s sitting at ‘Mixed’ reviews on Steam following a lackluster launch—yet again—that left many fans fidgeting in their gaming chairs. Most didn’t mind leaving a negative review, though, so we have plenty of those to sift through. Unfortunately, it was tough to find any ASCII artwork or meme reviews this time, which is highly unusual for Steam user reviews. Most people simply wanted to complain about poor UI changes, controller support, and Amazon customer support. Despite the negativity, it’s steadily seen a healthy 40,000 concurrent players since relaunch, albeit a micro-slice of the 913,000 it once saw three years ago.
If you’re on the fence about whether to play New World Aeternum, here’s a look at the MMO from a different perspective—that of your peers within the gaming community. Here is New World: Aeternum, as told by Steam reviews!
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