During Open Beta and Alpha, MMORPG New World received very positive reviews from both Steam gamers and critics, with many attributing the hype to a migration of World of Warcraft players and the blockbuster budget injected by Amazon Games.
Upon release, New World entered the number one spot on Steam’s Top Sellers list and has also amassed over 6000 Twitch streamers in an incredibly short time. After three delayed launches (originally planned for August 2020, then Spring 2021 and finally September 2021), when the game finally made its way to early testers, the updates were both regular and well-received. New World’s team were constantly posting alpha updates, narrative overviews, game feature additions and previews to keep fans eager and ready for launch, with a hype train that did not slow down until the final release date.
Source: Twitch Tracker
With an estimated $500 million per year budget across all games in development, Amazon Games have had a rough time in convincing gamers they can compete in an incredibly crowded market with previous releases such as The Grand Tour Game barely capable of making headlines, let alone revenue.
The development of New World is a product of Amazon Games Orange County (formerly the Amazon acquired Double Helix Games) and Relentless Studios (formerly Amazon Game Studios Seattle). A subsidiary of Amazon Games, Relentless Studios were known for releasing Crucible in 2020, a free to play multiplayer third-person shooter along the lines of Team Fortress 2, which wound down after just one year of release, after six years of development.
What Is New World From Amazon Games?
New World is an open-world MMO roleplaying game – or MMORPG – where you will face danger and find opportunity, forging a new destiny on the supernatural island of Aeternum. As a shipwrecked adventurer you will encounter many opportunities to “fight, forage, and forge”, surviving and thriving in a harsh wilderness.
Along your journey you may choose to fight alone, as part of a small team of players, or as a soldier in an amassed army – all in real-time combat utilising found or crafted weaponry, or by channelling supernatural forces that are part of the rich narrative of New World.
The lost island of Aeternum is beset by magic and monsters which will play a part in your progression throughout the game. An island rich in the mineral Azoth – which has the power to empower or corrupt those that come into contact with it – Aeternum offers adventurers the means to wield incredible power and seize control over that which others have earned.
New World Game Modes
New World provides players with various ways to play:
War Mode: A massive 100 player PvP open-world mode where your faction may attack/defend a fort to decide the new owner of a territory.
Invasion: A PvE “defend the base” that allows 50 players to protect their fort from enemies who attack in waves. This mode also features a powerful “Void Destroyer”. Surviving this game mode for 30 minutes will see you victorious and take over the territory. If you do not survive, the territory is downgraded.
Outpost Rush: A PvPvE mode which is a 20v20 battle where players compete to capture outposts while gathering resources and upgrading defences. This all takes place while enemies and other players attack the outpost.
Expeditions: Likened to an MMO dungeon crawl, a team of five (including you) will form a party of adventurers that will explore and solve puzzles.
New World Factions
There are three different New World factions which you will be able to join once you reach level 10, allowing you to fight alongside other players in faction wars and events: -
- Marauders: A military faction whose primary goal is to ensure Aeternum becomes a free nation.
- Syndicate: A mysterious, secretive society who are focused on finding hidden lore and insight on the island’s many secrets.
- Covenant: A cult who seek to rid the world of those they deem heretics.
Once you have chosen a faction, you will not be able to change it, so if you have friends in New World and you want to play alongside them, you’ll both need to be members of the same faction.
In New World, you will also find there are four enemy NPC factions:
- The Ancient: An ancient civilisation of Aeternum who wield the power of Azoth supernatural powers.
- The Corrupted: Affected by the corruption of Azoth, which is part of the supernatural lore in Aeternum, The Corrupted’s main aim is to increase their influence by taking over faction territories.
- The Lost: Soulless and fated to roam the world between life and death, these dead sailors and pirates populate Aeternum.
- The Angry Earth: Borne of nature itself, The Angry Earth seeks to protect Aeternum’s natural life in the form of monstrous creatures.
