New World Review: (Faction) War Never Changes

It's not every day a new, big-budget MMORPG arrives, much less one developed by Amazon. In recent years, the MMO genre has largely been forgotten, with only new expansions for the biggest names in the genre to satisfy fans. But back in the mid-to-late 2000s, new MMOs felt like they were a dime a dozen, with game publishers all looking for a piece of the massive pie that Blizzard had carved out for itself starting with vanilla World of Warcraft in 2004.To get more news about buy new world, you can visit lootwowgold official website.

It's fitting then that New World in many ways feels like it originated from that particular period of gaming history. Old-school in many of its sensibilities, New World is a social, player-versus-player-focused MMO the likes of which largely hasn't been seen since 2001's Dark Age of Camelot. Based on the more than 140 hours I've played so far, there is definitely some enjoyment to be had, particularly for those interested in PvP. Unfortunately, New World is also held back by a largely boring leveling experience and a few particularly annoying design choices that may turn off even the most dedicated MMORPG fans.
The setup of New World is simple: After creating a character, you wash up on the shores of a mysterious uncharted island somewhere in the Atlantic ocean called Aeternum. Turns out, people have been washing up there for thousands of years and are unable to return to their homelands thanks to a mysterious storm surrounding the island. People don't really die, or even age, in Aeternum, but that doesn't mean life is easy. Those who have lived on the island for ages run the risk of becoming soulless husks known as the Lost, or even worse, are in jeopardy of being brainwashed by an ancient evil spreading across the land known as the Corruption. It's up to players to rebuild and lead an order of guardians known as the Soulwardens if Aeternum is to stand a chance against the encroaching darkness. As you embark on your adventure to level 60, you'll gather crafting materials, fight monsters, equip new weapons and armor, complete quests, and level up your character.

While the game is technically set in the 16th century, and much of the game's armor and weapons invoke the "Age of Exploration," Aeternum is a fantasy world filled with ghouls, ghosts, plant monsters, and magic. If the island did have original inhabitants (as is implied by many of the game's massive and mysterious ruins) they are long since gone and nobody knows what happened to them. There are no other humans to fight and kill, aside from rival players (should you choose to engage in PvP), and even then, everyone miraculously comes back to life, both for gameplay purposes and thanks to the island's magical properties. Everyone in Aeternum is a stranger in a strange land.
Regardless, story and lore is not much of a priority for New World, with most of the game's narrative coming from optional journal entries that can be discovered throughout the world. What New World is much more focused on, and what players are likely to be playing the game for, is Aeternum's PvP faction war. Early on, you are able to join one of three factions: the Covenant, the Marauders, or the Syndicate. Each faction has a corresponding reputation attached, and completing tasks for your faction rewards tokens and rank which can be used to acquire more powerful weapons or rare crafting materials.

Factions are the lens through which nearly every aspect of the game's world is viewed. This is quite literal, as the in-game map of Aeternum is color-coated according to which faction owns which regions of the world. It's scary how quickly you can become attached to your faction of choice, and whenever the Covenant claimed a new territory or defended one of its own, I couldn't help but take pride in my faction's accomplishments, regardless if I actually participated or not.

Owning territory is the name of the game when it comes to PvP, but it has ramifications for PvE players as well. The different player-run companies within each faction essentially run New World, setting territory tax rates, building defenses, and upgrading crafting stations. Players who are a member of a territory's dominant faction receive various perks, ranging from cheaper homes to reduced fast travel costs.