New World: Aeternum was showcased at the Summer Game Fest as the spiritual successor to the original MMORPG, New World. This new installment features a standalone world with an original story, making it accessible to newcomers and expanding its reach to console players on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

We had the opportunity to participate in an early access pre-beta, which provided an extensive look at its main questlines, world exploration, and other features ahead of its public open beta available from September 13th to 16th, 2024.

New World: Aeternum Early Access Impressions

Continuing from our Summer Game Fest preview, we resumed our journey with our level 9 Musketeer character. For consistency, we chose the Musketeer for our first playthrough to observe the character’s progression. We left off at our first settlement, beginning the story arc from that town.

The main campaign follows your character’s relationship with the mysterious voice of the Corrupted One. Additionally, various regions in Aeternum have their own story missions with standalone arcs. In our Musketeer’s playthrough, we started near Monarch’s Bluffs, following the saga of the returning monarch Gawain, reminiscent of Arthurian legend.

A significant portion of our playthrough involved completing this arc and progressing to the next, which was uncovering the story of the Soulsworn. The lore kept us engaged, and for those interested in more details, there are codex entries and side missions to explore. Most of this content is available within the first 25 levels, which is manageable and can be finished solo.

The Musketeer is a dexterity-based character starting with a rapier and musket. Archetypes are fully customizable, allowing players to deviate from their initial skills and equipment. Weapon class points are earned through kills, and as they level up, specific skills can be bound to your weapon of choice.

We focused our stat points on the musket’s Sharpshooter Skill tree, though the Trapper skill tree is also available, enhancing mobility restriction to complement sharpshooting. A free respec option allows for experimentation with different builds. The Musketeer’s playstyle is highly adaptable and enjoyable.

The musket’s shooting mechanics are satisfying, enabling headshot bonuses for significant damage against bosses and tanks. However, it struggles with swarms unless skill points are allocated to the Trapper skill tree. This becomes particularly challenging against high-defense characters and tanky opponents. On my later levels, I started to add a bow and arrow to my arsenal to assist with crowd control with its poison and area of effect attacks.

Your character build in New World: Aeternum is highly dependent on the allocation of stat points across various skills. Damage output is influenced by Strength, Intelligence, and Dexterity, while Focus and Constitution determine your MP and HP. Although you can cast magic or deal significant melee damage, your initial build dictates your equipment and specialization. Respec options are available at the cost of azoth, allowing you to adjust your playstyle as needed.

Beyond the main questline and numerous side missions, New World: Aeternum offers a robust crafting system. Players can equip tools to harvest resources, which can then be used to create new equipment, consumables, and even furniture for player housing.

Each region in Aeternum features a unique social ranking system known as Standing, similar to reputation systems in games like Skyrim. This system allows players to establish a presence in various areas, set up trade routes, gain faction reputation, and purchase property for storage facilities.

Completing activities and unlocking achievements in specific regions increases your regional experience, providing benefits such as increased XP gain and faster resource collection. Storage units are region-specific, meaning items stored in Monarch’s Bluffs are separate from those in Windsward. Acquiring New World gold can also help offset some early-game expenses and will let you focus on other activities.

The developers have invested significant effort into creating a dynamic economy in Aeternum. Planning your expeditions is crucial due to the vast landmass. While you can purchase property and fast travel, these conveniences come at a cost, either in coin or azoth. Managing these resources effectively is essential to avoid financial strain.

What Lies In The Future?

By the time we get to level 30, New World: Aeternum delivers on the promises made in its numerous trailers. During our preview, we secured a mount to reduce travel times and participated in the Soul Trials, single-player trial areas that challenge your character at their appropriate level, allowing for uninterrupted story boss battles.

Player levels are capped at 30, but the expansive world of Aeternum invites exploration. However, certain areas pose significant challenges, and progressing in the main campaign requires a well-optimized build, as enemies become increasingly difficult and your trusty equipment may fall short after the level cap.

The game offers a variety of side content, including fishing and arena battles. While we didn’t explore these extensively due to limited early access participants, the fishing mechanics are straightforward, provided you have enough bait. Collected items can be used for crafting or broken down for materials.

As an early access pre-beta title, there are minor performance issues that need addressing, particularly with facial animations, which appear rough compared to the smoother visuals seen at the Summer Game Fest. Despite this, the beta runs smoothly overall, supporting frenetic combat. Some server issues persist, but these are expected to be resolved before the official release.

With about a month left until release, the early access suggests that the main questlines are complete. The world of Aeternum feels fully realized, and as we progress into mid-game and end-game content, we anticipate discovering even more of what this immersive world has to offer.

New World: Aeternum will launch on October 15th, 2024, on the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.