It was during an event dedicated to the press that Amazon Games presented its very ambitious MMORPG to us: N. For several minutes, we had the opportunity to take the game in hand to visit a tiny portion of the map and complete a few quests along the way. It's time to deliver our first impressions live from the lands of Aeternum.
A project officially launched in 2016, New World has long been threatened with outright cancellation. Despite a sincere desire to shine on the video game scene, Amazon suffered many setbacks by abandoning several games along the way. Thus, the MMO that we had the chance to try is currently the great survivor of this dark period for the gaming division of the online sales giant. And after many reports, the title is preparing to land on PC on August 31st.
But before that, the developers allowed the press (and yours truly) to test a private alpha build. As for the closed beta, it will take over from this Tuesday, July 20. To be able to download it, it is necessary to pre-order the game on Steam or Amazon. The development studio can also raffle several chosen ones from its user base registered on the game's official website.
A promising new world
From the first minutes of play, New World stands out from the competition thanks to its universe. It must be said that the island of Aeternum benefits from an exemplary modeling by opting for a rather realistic rendering, but without failing to add a small appreciable artistic touch. Whether on the dark beach that serves as our starting point, in the heart of the forest, in caves or in the city, the graphics flatter the retina. It remains to be seen whether this choice of “realism” will prove to be profitable in the long term since MMOs generally use a more colorful graphic leg in order to bear the brunt of the years. Unfortunately, given the not always optimal playing conditions during this preview, we were unable to fully appreciate the soundtrack. But the latter should be pleasant to listen to.
Of course, we will have to wait for the final version of New World to judge the variety of scenery. But from what we were able to see in a big hour, the island that will serve as our playground offers exotic panoramas. And of course, this world harbors dangers... Be it pirates, zombies and other more or less supernatural creatures of the forest. Exploration is really at the heart of the gameplay whether it's to harvest resources or unearth precious treasures.
A purebred MMO
Regarding its content, New World brings together all the ingredients required to make it an MMO with significant longevity. The PVE will be able to gather up to 50 players who must defeat waves of AI-controlled enemies together during a fort defense for 30 minutes. As for PVP, it will see two sides clash. The first, composed of 50 players will attack yet another fort while the second, also of 50 players, will have to defend the building. Instances will also welcome users from level 60 and expeditions will put the cooperation of a group of 5 players to the test to solve puzzles and beat bosses.
Unfortunately, during this preview, we were unable to try the modes mentioned above. We stuck to basic quests like picking up lost items from shipwrecks, butchering wolves, and collecting resources. Indeed, New World strongly relies on having to craft elements yourself. To do this, you have to cut down trees, collect stone, kill animals to cook their meat, etc... If the idea is good, let's hope it doesn't push excessive farming infrequently to this phenomenon). A certain form of repetitiveness could quickly be felt.
Une vie en Eternum
Immediately after the creation of the character, the player finds himself free to evolve as he wishes in the universe of New World. Whether it's in the choice of his faction (The Marauders, The Shadow or The Engaged), his role (tank, DPS, healer...) or the equipment he wants to use. Indeed, our avatar can use any weapon and each has its own skill tree (active and passive). In addition, the smallest action performed, such as chopping wood or cooking (examples among many others), boosts the resulting talent in order to constantly unlock new improvements. So the progression seems to happen quite organically and the player is always encouraged to experiment. The rewards fall quickly and the impression of power is rather palpable.
JVFR
Finally, the fights remain classic with light, powerful attacks, a touch of dodging and the possibility of parrying. Everything is done in real time and some opponents clearly do not allow themselves to be pushed around. These first minutes of play are precious to find your bearings, but overall, MMO fans will not be out of place. On the other hand, newcomers may need more adaptation time. Because among the pitfalls noticed on this alpha, let us highlight an inventory that is too difficult to read which unfortunately may not change much before the launch. The interface is also quite austere and the excessive number of windows does not help to navigate. Finally, we can regret the impossibility of playing with the controller and currently, the teams in charge of the game have nothing to announce on this side.
JVFR
New World – the first opinion of JVFR
If it lacks refinement in certain areas such as its interface and perhaps the minimalist animations, New World seems to promise us an adventure that is both long and exciting. If the quests carried out as part of our preview were relatively basic, it is clear that the title of Amazon is carried by an enchanting universe with stunning realization. Obviously, we will have to wait to judge the success of the game in the long term, but it seems to have the cards in hand to impose itself in the merciless world of MMORPGs.
New World will therefore be released on PC on August 31, 2021. No version for consoles is currently available.
Preview made on PC from an alpha version. Visuals provided by the publisher.
