New World: Aeternum Review (Xbox Series X)

STAFF REVIEW of New World: Aeternum (Xbox Series X)

Monday, October 28, 2024.
by Adam Dileva

A Relaunch Worth Retelling:

Released in late 2021 for PC, New World had a lot of excitement behind its launch. Like most online games though, it had quite a rough launch, and while it’s been vastly improved over the years and even had an expansion since, the time has come for console players to get in on the online action. Branded as a relaunch of sorts, New World: Aeternum includes the base game, Rise of the Angry Earth expansion, and all the updates and improvements to this point (for console players. PC owners don't automatically get granted the Expansion). The most exciting though is that it’s finally coming to console (including cross-play between all platforms), and having played the Open Beta and now the full release, I’ve been unable to put it down since there’s always progress to be made.

New World: Aeternum places you in a massive world with near endless things to do, able to play your way and focus on what you want. You could do quests, leveling up your character and getting new gear, or maybe you want to take a break and simply gather for materials and craft for a while, all while solo or with others. If PvP is your thing there’s plenty to partake in, or if you want to delve into dungeons and raids with friends, that’s an option too. Given than MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) are constantly being updated, fixed, and changed, this review is based on the game at the time of writing, approximately two weeks after Aeternum's official launch. Also, we were given access to a temporary max level/geared character to try out all aspects of Aeternum, which really helped me understand the complexity of higher tier crafting and endgame.

Overwhelming Amount of Quests:

New World: Aeternum begins with you on a ship, partaking in the new brief tutorial that shows you the basics of combat. The ship is destined for a ‘New World’, told to be full of fortunes, treasures and power. There’s a massive shipwreck and you find yourself washed up on the shores of Aeternum, a massive island that’s full of lush settings and wild animals, but also something that has seemed to corrupt many that were here before. You also start to hear a voice, as if someone is guiding you towards something. It’s an interesting story enough to keep my interest, even if I would get endlessly sidetracked with many other activities. The main story does get interesting later on, though I found it hard to follow at times simply due to doing dozens of hours of other things in between.

The Main Story Quest (MSQ) is most likely what you’ll spend the good chunk of your first dozen or hours doing, that is, if you don’t get sidetracked with harvesting, crafting or fishing. This quest line takes you through level appropriate areas, becoming more challenging the closer you get to max level. When you’re wanting a break from the MSQ, there’s plenty of optional sidequests and other things to do along the way on your journey across the island. Some are fun lighthearted quests, where others are a bit more involved. There’s faction quests which will need to be done if you want to purchase specific items, so there’s no shortage of questing to do across the island as you level up. It can almost be overwhelming in the beginning with a map full of icons and numerous quests in all directions, so learn to filter what you don't need on the map. The leveling process is actually surprisingly quick, so getting to max level won’t be too difficult, but that’s only a different starting point really.

Built for Console:

When PC games get ported to consoles, there needs to be a conscious effort to make it work well on a controller. It’s much more than simply remapping keys to buttons, as it needs to flow and feel like it was made for a controller, not hamstrung down, as this makes for a poor console experience. A few console MMO’s have done this right, namely Elder Scrolls Online, Final Fantasy XIV, and Neverwinter. It’s clear that a conscious effort went into making New World: Aeternum feel natural with a controller, as there’s a number of options available such as Aim Assist, Smart Cast, Target Locking, and more.

I will say, luckily having a Razer Turret that I previously reviewed, I finally had a reason to dust it off and use it once again. The Razer Turret is a keyboard and mouse combo designed to work specifically for Xbox. It has a heavy base and an included pull-out mouse pad, so even though I’m sitting on my couch playing Aeternum, swapping to keyboard and mouse with the Razer Turret was simple enough. You don’t need this product specifically, and while I used controller the vast majority of the time playing, having a keyboard for typing and using the Marketplace and chatting to others was infinitely more user friendly. No needing to remap or swap controls, I could instantly grab the controller or move to the keyboard and mouse if I wanted on the fly. If you’re going to be putting hundreds of hours into Aeternum, it’s a worthwhile investment to at least grab a keyboard for your Xbox for these reasons. If that's not an option, you can easily pins areas with different icons to get your point across to others if needed if you're not wanting to use the software keyboard.

New to Aeternum:

Maybe you’re a long time PC player of New World, simply curious what new has been added for the Aeternum launch. While there’s been plenty of improvements, changes, and additions over the years since its tumultuous launch, the Aeternum relaunch also has a plethora of improvements and additions as well. One of the most notable is probably the new large scale PvP zone, The Cursed Mists. Here you’re tasked with gathering cursed doubloons and resources, but will you be able to escape with your loot before being attacked or betrayed? The two other main additions I’m quite looking forward to is a 10-Player Raid, The Hive of the Gorgons, which will have your raid completing puzzles and epic boss battles. There’s also end-game solo trial challenges, perfect when you’re not in the mood to do some grouping.

Those are just some of the highlighted additions with Aeternum, but there’s still plenty more, not all of which include: New Artifacts, Gear Score increased to 725, upleveled gear and rewards, cinematic storytelling, swimming, cross-platform play, a whole new starting experience, fresh start worlds, combat improvements, Seasonal Events and more. And yes, there’s finally mounts, so you won’t have to run everywhere any longer.

Archetypes – Simply A Starting Point:

So you’re ready to now make your character and begin your adventure on the isle of Aeternum. The first choice you’ll need to make is which Archetype to begin with. These aren’t really classes, as it doesn’t lock you permanently into one playstyle, as your abilities are governed by which weapons you’re currently using. Archetypes are simply a starting point, giving you two separate weapons and some bonuses to begin with. If you get to a point where you don’t like the weapons and abilities said archetype gave, you can swap to new weapons and play as that style instead.

While you can freely use any two weapons, there are combinations that work best together due to the attribute points and how they give bonuses to stats. Once chosen, you begin in a new tutorial and the story starts to unfold. With not having actual classes, you can easily change to different weapons and loadouts if needed, say to queue for an Expedition as a Healer or Tank instead of a DPS, providing you have the gear of course. I opted to main a healer for PVE purposes and have been loving it every step of the journey so far.

Soldier (Defense/Offense): A fighter by trade, balancing defense and offense with heavy armor and shield, sword and hatchet.

Destroyer (Offense/Defense): A mighty slayer, brutally executing foes with massive great axe and war hammer.

Ranger (Offense): A keen-eyed hunter, scout, and pathfinder, proficient with bow and spear.

Musketeer (Offense): A nimble explorer and adventurer, skilled with rifle and rapier alike.

Occultist (Offense): A practitioner of primal elemental arts, commanding the forces of frost and flame.

Mystic (Healing/Offense): A scholar-warrior who seeks to master the forces of life and death.

Swordbearer (Offense/Tank): A gutsy, heavily-armed berserker, wielding a colossal greatsword and broad-bored blunderbuss.

Ever Important Attribute Points:

Every time you level up, you’re given attribute points you can place into your Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Focus, or Constitution. In general, each attribute will improve a certain aspect and archetype, and there are milestones for each stat where you’ll get specific bonuses if you have enough points into it. In general, Strength will improve melee Archetypes, Dexterity for ranged, Intelligence for magic, Focus for healing, and Constitution for additional health. As a healer main, I was placing the majority of my attribute points into Focus, as it improves my healing greatly. You’re able to respec, so again, you’re not locked in and can’t make any critical mistakes if you decide to change up your weaponry.

Weapons for All Types:

Speaking of weapons, each Archetype will begin you with two that generally go well together, able to swap on the fly by simply pressing ‘Y’. Each weapon has two skill trees, so there’s plenty of mix and matching skills for your preferred playstyle. Most weapons usually have two or three skills in each tree, along with a bunch of bonuses or ways to alter the abilities. Where the strategy comes in is that you can only have three skills loaded on your hotbar for each weapon type, so it’s a matter of trying them all out and finding what works best for you and the situation. Again, you can respec when needed, so try them all out and see what works for you.

The more you use weapons the more they will earn XP and level up. This earns you Weapon Mastery points, which is how you unlock new abilities and bonuses in the two skill trees. Do you decide to fill out one of the trees completely, or mix and match between the two? There’s no right or wrong. Weapons max out at level 20, so you won’t be able to fill both sides of the skill trees, so it’s a matter of finding out what abilities you like and how it’ll match your playstyle and needs.

Gear Up:

Gear you wear will also play a factor in how much defense and mobility your character has. Heavy plate armor will give you plenty of defense, whereas light armor gives my healer more elemental defenses and mobility. High end gear will also start to come with bonuses, ranging from attack and defensive perks, or even a bonus that will help your gathering speed. This too allows for unique builds and what works best for you. Quests give a healthy amount of upgrades as you progress, and it’s always exciting to get new loot that’s a big improvement. You’ll get plenty of upgrades as you quest along the journey to level 65, eventually so much that you’ll be salvaging plenty or equipping them to your other saved Gear Sets, allowing you to swap weapons and armor on the fly.

Three Factions – Different but the Same:

Reach a certain level and you’ll be able to take on a line of quests to join one of the three main Factions. Joining a faction will allow you to take on Faction missions, earning special tokens which can then be used to purchase special gear and crafting items. You can change your faction after a certain amount of time, so you’re not permanently stuck if you want to swap. There’s no wrong choice, as they are all essentially the same, more just choosing a ‘team’ when to comes to the larger scale PvP. The three Factions are as follows:

The Marauders: A ruthless military force bent on establishing a free nation where anyone with the strength to do so can prosper and profit.

The Syndicate: A secretive organization of boundless guile and intellect in search of forbidden knowledge to usher in a new age of enlightenment.

The Covenant: A fanatical order that has charged itself with cleansing the land of heretics and defilers so that its true holy nature can flourish and justice can be restored. This was the faction I joined, so it’s clearly the superior one.

Dynamic Combat:

Every weapon has a light and heavy attack, executed with a Right Trigger press or hold. You can block with Left Trigger and Dodge with ‘B’. The three abilities from your skill trees you put points into are mapped to your Bumpers, so it all flows well and makes sense on a controller. Combat is simple at first, making sure you dodge or block enemy attacks, but once you start getting into the late game, bosses will be quite a challenge, as you need to make contact with your attacks. Easy for ranged classes that can lock on, but a little more challenging for melee archetypes. I much prefer the ranged combat, especially with my Life Staff, as I can stay at a distance, lock onto an enemy and cast away. You also don’t need to worry about ammunition if you’re using the musket for example, and aiming at specific parts of an enemy can also give bonuses, such as headshots for example. Combat is quite enjoyable, and once you have the abilities you prefer, it becomes even better once you figure out the best rotations for your skills and how both weapons can complement each other.

Everyone Can Make Everything:

Trade Skills and Crafting can be very hit or miss in MMO’s. In some games it’s a very arduous activity to delve into, or quite expensive. Trade Skills is quite encouraged in Aeternum and I’d highly suggest doing it even during your leveling progress. There are eighteen trade skills, from harvesting rocks, lumber and bushes, to cooking, smithing, armoring, alchemy, engineering and more.

Gathering materials is quite simple, as all you need is the right tool equipped (axe for chopping trees, pickaxe for mining, sickle for harvesting bushes, skinning knife to harvest pelts and meat from kills, and a fishing pole for some relaxing fishing). You’ll get the tools to craft within the first moments of playing once you land on the island, so make use of them and harvest as much as you can. Some great gear can be crafted, so it’s not just meant for a small population of the players. I personally quite enjoyed just gathering materials or fishing for a few hours for a change of pace, as you still earn XP for doing so. There are multiple tiers of gathering nodes, so make sure to keep them leveled up, as you’ll want to collect them when you get to higher tier zones while questing.

Mount Up:

You’ll eventually be able to undertake a quest to unlock a mount. These are important as the isle is vast, and mounting up will have you run from place to place much quicker. Just like using weapons to level them up, you’ll also need to ride your mount and even participate in races to increase your riding skill, thus making you even faster and unlocking other bonuses. These races are fun distractions when you want to do something different for a while. You’ll really appreciate the mount once you’ve ran everywhere for the first two dozen levels or so. There are a number of teleport stones all over the island, but this takes a special Azoth currency, and you're going to want to run many places for your gathering along teh way.

Home Sweet Home:

When you reach a certain level and also have a high enough standing in the territory you want to live, you’ll be able to purchase a house. These homes can be set as your recall point, serve as extra much needed storage, and you can even decorate them with trophies that will give buffs. These aren’t free though, and you’ll need to pay an upkeep, like rent, so make sure you’re saving that hard earn gold. It’s an investment, but the benefits far outweigh the costs, plus, who doesn’t want somewhere to put your feet up and relax after several Expedition runs?

Buy Low, Sell High:

Called an Auction House in other games, the Marketplace is where you’ll buy and sell all your goods and items to other players if you don’t salvage the items. Almost like a stock market, you can set your buy and sell order prices, having items be deposited to your storage automatically once filled. There’s a small fee for setting these buy and sell orders, but if you’re watching the market, you can easily make some easy coin if you know what to look for. Learn what people desperately need and you can make quite a killing, or even sell stacks of low tier gathering materials to those that don’t want to waste the time to gather it all themselves.

Plenty to Do:

When you reach certain levels, you’ll be able to do a lot more other than simply leveling, crafting, and harvesting. There’s actually a healthy amount of different modes you can queue for depending on your preference. There’s lots of options for dungeon runs (Expeditions), PvP small and large scale, Raids, Trials and more.

Expeditions are your typical dungeons runs that you can queue for. These are made up of five players, generally having you fighting through a linear zone, clearing trash, mini-bosses, and a main boss before you’re given your just rewards. Aeternum has a dozen Expeditions at launch, so there will be plenty of dungeon delving to partake in to get that sweet loot. You’re also able to challenge yourself at harder versions (Mutated Expeditions) for even better rewards once max level and have a higher gear score. Some dungeons even have puzzle-like elements to it, though fully expect higher level characters to rush through it your first few times if not playing alongside friends and guildmates.

Raids are a ten-player version with more notorious bosses and even better loot. Then there’s also a variety of different Trials you can challenge yourself in. Season Trials places 6-20 max level players together for instanced boss battles, with new challenges refreshing each Season. Take on a colossal sandworm in an Elite Trial for 12-20 players, or if you want to play alone, Solo Trials are available when you just want to play by yourself.

For those that enjoy PvP, there are plenty of activities for you to fill your time with as well. You’re never forced to PvP, but this earns you PvP based rewards when you reach certain milestones. 3v3 Arenas, Influence Races where you battle against enemy factions, massive 100-player War mode where you can take control of territories, and Outpost Rush places teams of 20 players fighting for control of fortifications and resources that also combines PvE elements as well. A new addition is the Lawless Zone, an open world PvPvE area where it’s everyone for themselves as you try to escape with Cursed Doubloons and Resources which can be exchanged for other rewards if successful.

Season Pass:

Every few months will introduce a new Season Pass, with Aeternum launching with a brand-new Season (6) of course. These Seasons have a Free and a Premium 100 tier reward track, so you’re never forced to purchase the Pass, but doing so will earn you a whole extra set of (better) rewards on top of the free ones for completing challenges. You need to be level 25 before it even is available to unlock the tab in the menus, which I like, as it gets you to play the game for a good amount before deciding if you’re going to want to spend some extra money on it and what it all does.

Open Your Wallet?:

Generally, there’s almost always a cash shop in MMO’s nowadays, New World: Aeternum is no different. Where issues lie is what they offer. Having plenty of cosmetics and some shortcut consumables like XP pots and such are no big deal, but if there’s Pay-to-Win elements where you can purchase gold or top gear, that’s where it can be a slippery slope. Aeternum certainly offers a variety of items such as armor and weapon cosmetics, Transmog tokens, Gear Slots, Mounts and more. I never felt as though I was falling behind not spending any cash, though I did opt for a currency bundle and the Season Pass as I’ve thoroughly been enjoying my time on the island.

Impressive Looking and Sounding:

Playing on an Xbox Series X, I’m quite impressed with how well Aeternum performs. I’ve not ran into any performance issues aside from the odd glitch here and there and haven't had a single crash. The island is impressive, as each area is almost like its own biome. Dense forests with near endless trees to chop down, desert areas with lots of stone to mine, beaches, poison swamps and more. The areas vary quite drastically and make each leveling portion feel different. There’s some amazing scenery to be had if you find the right vistas, some of which I needed to take a handful of screenshots. For how good the environment, mounts, unique weapons and armor looks, the NPC character models themselves aren’t nearly as impressive, which gets showcased every quest when you’re going through the dialogue. Enemies vary area to area, but plenty get reused obviously, so expect to fight many of the same infected, ghosts, wolves, soldiers, etc.

Audio actually really impressed me early on. The voice acting across the board is quite decent, but the weapon and gathering sounds are what really made me take notice. Weapons feel like they have impact when you hit an enemy, even with my charged up shot from my Life Staff. Chopping a tree and hearing it crash to the ground sounds great, as does the ‘ting’ of your pickaxe smashing against some boulders. I could even tell when others were around me gathering from the sounds and a tree falling in the distance. The most impressive though was the soundtrack during some of the Expeditions, as it really felt like an epic soundtrack as we were making progress in the dungeon.

My Time in Aeternum So Far:

You could play New World: Aeternum fully solo and enjoy yourself the whole time, though it’s nice going to towns and seeing plenty of other players. Of course, if you want to start getting the best gear and see everything it has to offer, you’ll need to play alongside, or against, other players. MMORPG’s are quite a hefty time investment, and Aeternum is no different. But if you’re enjoying yourself, making your characters stronger, grinding away for a piece of gear, or spending hours fishing like myself, then it’s doing what it’s meant to do well. This was apparent quite early on, as I was having fun regardless if I was questing, exploring new areas, running Expeditions, harvesting, or simply fishing for a change of pace.

I’ve actually been enjoying Aeternum more when I was casually playing instead of rushing to get max level and grinding endgame. I’ve not done everything Aeternum has to offer yet, but with access to a temporary max character with raid gear and plenty of crafting materials, it really helped me understand the latter portions where endgame begins once you’re level 65. I know I’ll be grinding eventually to get the best Artifact gear, altering how you can play your character greatly. In the meantime though, I’ve spent well over a dozen hours simply just gathering, fishing and enjoying the scenery as I reach a new area. It’s easy to hyper focus on leveling to endgame or sticking to PvP, but I’ve been dabbling in all Aeternum has to offer at my own pace and really enjoying every minute of it. Once I convinced a few friends to pick up the game and join my server, it got even better as we did Expeditions together or took a break and fished alongside one another in some random lake.

There’s always something to do and work on, and while some elements could have used a bit more explaining and be a little more console friendly, overall it’s port to console was done impressively well. Of course, I ‘cheated’ a bit with having my Razer Turret to make typing quicker, but it wasn’t a requirement, as the default controls worked just fine and intuitively with a controller in hand. I'm going to be adventuring on Aeternum for quite some time at my own pace, and won't be surprised when I reach a few hundred hours of playtime. Console players may have had to wait a few years, but Amazon Games has clearly put in a hefty amount of effort to do it right, but better late than never.

** New World: Aeternum was provided by the publisher, as well as a max level/geared temporary character, and reviewed on an Xbox Series X**

Overall: 8.8 / 10
Gameplay: 9.0 / 10
Visuals: 9.0 / 10
Sound: 8.5 / 10

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