New World: Aeternum Preview: A Challenging Endgame Awaits Aeternum’s Most Dedicated Players

New World has come a long way since its PC launch back in 2021. It offered players a unique MMORPG setting, forgoing the common high-fantasy tropes for a more historical, 17th century approach. And while the concept was enough to lure players in, a lack of endgame and late-game challenges prevented many from sticking around. But that’s something that Amazon Games Studios has sought to correct in the game’s upcoming re-release, New World: Aeternum. 

With the game on its way to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, players can jump into New World: Aeternum to receive the same New World experience but now with the optional aspect of playing almost entirely solo. The game takes a more action-RPG focus, perhaps best compared to ZeniMax’s Elder Scrolls Online, where players have a limited bar of abilities to utilize in combat encounters. Unlike ESO, New World: Aeternum’s combat is a bit more streamlined. Players can level up various weapons, each one suiting a specific build more than another and, in doing so, unlock a few abilities and buffs for each one on top of basic attacks.

But with endgame being the thought in everyone’s mind, Amazon Games made sure to highlight exactly what was on offer. At a recent preview event, we got hands-on with the game’s PvPvE areas, tackled the Solo Trials, and suffered defeat at the hands of deadly Raid bosses. 

The Enemy of My Enemy is Also My Enemy

New World: Aeternum introduces what they’re calling ‘Lawless Zones.’ These areas are targeted at max-level players where it’s every man for themselves. Factions and friendships hold no weight in these zones as, in true pirate fashion, the only thing that matters is the loot. How these zones work is that once you cross a threshold on the map, after a certain period of time you become flagged for PvP. Not only will you be contending with other players in the area, but the environment is still populated with regular high-level enemies. If you bite off more than you can chew with an enemy encounter, where you might have previously been able to brute force your way through the mobs, now you run the risk of being picked off by a scavenging player. 

The PvP aspect is challenging, as it’s intended to be, but it feels as if some classes and builds are better suited to it than others. I opted for a classic Ranger build, a DPS-focused class utilizing bows and rapiers. While bow combat feels satisfying, as it does in regular combat, in PvP it’s best used for applying pressure from vantage points and damage over time attacks. Of course, players are far more nimble than regular enemies, so often move out of the damage area pretty fast. It’s then only a matter of time before they find out where you are and move in for more close-combat attacks. 

Now, the typical Ranger build, which relies on Dexterity as its governing trait, suggests a rapier as a secondary, close-combat weapon. However, it feels relatively slow compared to other options, and lacks the damage output found in Strength-focused weaponry. You can obviously choose to use a Strength-based weapon as your secondary, regardless of your overall class, but if you haven’t committed as many stat points into the Strength trait as you have your Dexterity, you may be operating at a disadvantage. More often than not, if you’re a Ranged or Magic user, you’re likely to lose a PvP encounter with a Melee user — unless they’re already being dogpiled by other players. 

What’s good to know about these Lawless Zones is that they’re entirely optional. If you’re an MMORPG player that tends to avoid PvP to protect your peace, then you can get just as much out of New World without it. The game has far more flexibility for solo players than it ever has before.

Let Me Solo Her

If you’re looking for an alternative challenge that brings the intimacy of a solo boss battle, then New World: Aeternum is introducing Solo Trials. These are single-player instances which players can complete daily, with three different fights being in rotation each day. Each one offers a challenging boss fight with the potential of earning some high tier rewards. 

During the preview, I managed to test out two of the available trials. ‘Beyond the Gates,’ a deadly battle with a giant squid-like creature, and the easier of the two trials. And ‘Tempest’s Mind’, which I had already been warned about by the dev team for it being one of the harder challenges. My trouble with Tempest’s Mind wasn’t so much its difficulty, but rather its length and brutality. This is a long boss fight — one with many stages. You also run a very high risk of dying to the environment rather than the boss itself, which is a more challenging variation of one of New World: Aeternum’s story bosses, Isabella De Leon. I only had the time to attempt the trial twice, and both times I had managed to chip away at the boss’s health to bring it down to its final stage. Unfortunately, the final stage involves a poison flood that minimizes the arena. Stand in it for just a few seconds and it kills you completely, sending you straight back to the beginning of the trial. 

Naturally, this becomes less of an issue once you know what to expect, but going in blind can come with some initial frustrations. Getting a boss down to a slither of health, having spent a decent chunk of time maneuvering around attacks and mechanics only to be snuffed out by the environment was a pain, to say the least. It was made only more frustrating by the lack of readability of these environmental dangers. The rising poison flood was of a similar color palette to the rest of the environment, bathed in red. So by the time I realized what it was, and what it was doing, it was too late. The flood tanks your health, fast. If you’re caught too far away from the safe zone, it’s straight back to the starting line with you. 

These Raids Ain’t for the Weak

Where most endgame players will be racing toward will no doubt be high-level raids. In New World: Aeternum, once players reach the level cap, they’ll have access to raids full of mobs and powerful enemies, with some rather interesting mechanics. We were given a brief run through Hive of Gorgons, a new 10-person raid that’s not for the faint hearted.

What’s important to note about this raid is that it takes time to learn. Be prepared to wipe a lot as there’s little in the way of tutorials or practice modes. You’re going to make mistakes, and it might cost you your life, but that learning curve will be important to keep in mind for newer players. The dev team admitted it took them roughly 12 hours to beat the entire raid, and even with their guidance during the preview, we couldn’t successfully take down a boss. One particular adversary, called Echidna, had a nasty habit littering the arena with deadly obsidian crystals. Each one has to be manually destroyed, or else the party will be taking significant damage. At the same time, the creature is thrashing about the floor, creating damaging shockwaves and sending pillars up into the air. Find yourself caught beneath a pillar as it shoots from the ground and you’ll take a little bit of damage, but be positioned to fire off some sneaky ranged attacks. 

There’s a lot to each boss fight, and to the raid as a whole. Puzzles and challenges await each party, none of which offer any hand holding. No, instead, you’ll be relying on the patience of your team to work things out, or an experienced player who’s able to bestow upon you knowledge so that you may pass it along to the next newbie. If you’re looking for a challenge, this is certainly it. But if you’re no stranger to raids, you’ll know that they require patience and endurance, both attributes you’ll need in droves. 

New World: Aeternum is shaping up to offer some exciting endgame content for its hardcore fans, with added care to ensure there’s something for everyone. Solo Trials are an excellent way for players to challenge themselves and earn high-tier loot, without the need to form a party. The varying difficulty will be a particular draw, though each one feels fairly lengthy and is a pain to redo should you fail. PvPvE is a fluid way to test your skills against other players, friend or foe. You can brawl your way through a pack of players, or pick them off one-by-one from afar. As for the raids, if you can set aside the time to work your way through as a party of ten, what awaits you will provide a satisfying challenge. These won’t be for everyone, however, as the grind to take down each major boss can certainly wear on you. Coupled with some rather unforgiving mechanics, players will need to bring their A-game to New World raids. 

Players will be able to jump into New World: Aeternum across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on October 15, 2024. With cross-play, all players will be able to play together on the same server regardless of platform.