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New World is an upcoming MMORPG from online giant Amazon, and is set to hit PCs across the globe at the end of September. You take on the role of colonizers as they set out to expand over a fictional land representative of the Americas.
New World is one of the most hyped-up games of the year and is set to take on other MMORPG giants such as World of Warcraft. While there have been several awesome game releases this year, New World might just be the best one to date
Story
Players start as a shipwrecked survivor on the island of Aeternum. There have been rumors and stories surrounding the island for thousands of years, and now it has been discovered. The fundamental laws of life and earth don’t exist on the island; you’ll need to find a way to survive and thrive.
The island is inhabited with magic; the plants, creatures, stones and other resources you find all have abilities to help you. The island is populated with different creatures and enemies, all with their plans for the magic that consumes the land.
What Can You Do?
One of the most prominent aspects of the game is factions and how those factions interact in the world. There are three for you to choose from, each with its own unique pros and cons. They are the Marauders, the Syndicate and The Covenant.
The Marauder’s only goal is to establish a land where anyone who shows strength can claim a town or piece of land. The Syndicate work in the shadows, gathering information and using their intellect to gain power. The Covenant uses their faith in the Spark to drive their actions; they fight for the rights of the struggling and forgotten.
While the factions are constantly fighting to control towns and settlements, you still have to work together. Within the walls of these cities, you share crafting areas with fellow players to build weapons and gear, and you can buy a house if you wish to settle down.
The combat in the game is skill-based, with your character having attributes that determine how well they do in battle and which type of weapon they are the most proficient in, be it melee, ranged or magic.
Your character has five different attribute categories: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence and Focus. You can add to these categories with attribute points, building your character into the perfect mix of wits and strength.
Much like World of Warcraft, you don’t always have to work, explore or fight alone. New World offers Group Combat choices, where you and a certain number of allies can either take part in Expeditions, Outpost Rush, Invasions and War.
Expeditions take you and four allies to the furthest and deepest reaches of the island, where you can uncover secrets, find hidden treasure and take on mythical beasts. Once again, similar to dungeon exploration in World of Warcraft.
Outpost Rush ups the ante with two teams of 20 players from opposing factions, battling to take control of fortifications and resources. Each enemy you kill earns points for your team, and you can increase your chances of winning by gathering resources and killing non-player enemies around the map.
Invasions put you on the back foot with hordes of enemies trying to destroy a player-controlled city or town. Fifty max-level players are needed to fight the waves of monsters and push them back.
War is the pinnacle of PvP combat in New World. 50-player teams act as defenders and attackers, with the defenders having access to resources and perks. The winners of these wars determine who holds the territory and town and can therefore impact the island’s future.
Reception
With the Beta released, the game has received mainly positive reviews. However, there are some areas that players think need improvement. The one big plus that many players love is that the game doesn’t stay stagnant.
At any time, one of your territories can be attacked, and you could lose it, ultimately shifting the outlook of the area and world. This means that one faction or group can’t be completely dominant for too long, as things change rapidly within the New World.
On the one hand, the map is so vast that you will not be running into other players constantly. However, the game is designed to make these interactions happen more commonly in certain map parts. What this adds is a level of uncertainty. Visiting these areas can be a positive experience as you can trade and have a good time with other players, but this is also where sneak attacks can happen or where factions gain or lose support.
One significant aspect that needs balancing is in PvP. Considering different factions give you different strengths, and the attribute system allows you to customize your character, balancing all this will be difficult.
While other games have managed to do this before, no telling how long it will take until New World has the system adequately balanced. While this isn’t a deal-breaker, it can be frustrating to deal with the idea that your character, for seemingly unknown reasons, is just vastly under powered compared to allies and enemies.
Even though a few issues have been found early on, New World most definitely can be one of the biggest games released in the past few years and the game that revitalizes the MMORPG genre.
