New World Update 1.0.4 and Reviews

Amazon Games Studio brings us a new update for their recently-released MMORPG New World. This update is primarily focused on fixing various faction war-related issues, with a sprinkling of miscellaneous bug fixes on top of those. You can find the complete patch notes by following the link above.

And while putting together a proper review for an MMORPG is a fairly time-consuming process, a few of those are already available, so you can now get a decent idea for what to expect from this game. Have a look:

PC Gamer 60/100:

New World’s attempt to tick all the boxes has left it feeling scattershot and underbaked. The PvE is the main victim, which seems to exist purely out of obligation. But the sandbox, with its competing factions and hypnotic crafting loop, kept me logging back in, at least for a couple of hundred hours. There’s still enjoyment to be had, then, and the busy servers make this the best time to experience what New World actually does well, but now that I’ve seen all it has to offer, I don’t feel a compulsion to continue.

Tom’s Guide 4/5:

For its first real game outing, Amazon outdid itself. New World is not just accessible and exciting; it’s genuinely fun to play. This MMO feels like an intimate, single-player crafting adventure, with PvP elements sprinkled in for good measure. Play for an hour, and watch it magically turn into two. Watch those few hours transform into an entire weekend. (Then wonder why you have to spend so much time auto-running from point A to point B, because you could have accomplished so much more with a faster run speed or a mount.)

IGN In Progress:

Update #4 – October 23, 2021: Does time actually pass on New World’s island of Aeternum? Who knows, but if my sand-crusted pocket watch is accurate, it’s now the end of the third week since New World’s maiden voyage into Aeternum’s now rather well-charted seas. The once prolific lag and server queues, which previously plagued Amazon’s slightly-less-than-new MMO, haven’t impeded me nearly as much during the last week and a half as they did for the first two weeks; which probably means that the tradewinds are fair enough to allow you to play in comfort for long periods of time, if you want to.

Meanwhile, I’m only just passing through the latter half of my character’s 40s, and… not much has changed in the last 15 levels. My time has been chock full of just as much of the same gathering, crafting, questing, and fighting undead monsters for loot as every other part thus far, for better or worse. However, I’m close enough to the end game now to see that it looks quite barren from a distance.

GameSpot In Progress 7/10:

While server issues and various bugs have already dramatically improved from launch day, it still remains to be seen how New World will stand the test of time. I’ve played over 100 hours at this point (only a few of which were waiting in queue during launch week), but have yet to reach max level and see how, or if, the experience changes. There are still Expeditions I haven’t done, territories I haven’t explored, and a 20v20 matchmade battleground called Outpost Rush that could serve as a more low-stakes version of the game’s Wars, but which is only available to max level players. There are also PvE versions of Wars called Invasions that take place against a NPC army of Corrupted, but those require you to be level 50 and I’m not quite there yet either. From what I’ve played so far, New World offers a solid PvP-focused, player-driven MMORPG experience that has long been missing from the genre, albeit one that is seriously held back by outdated quest design. The real question now is whether or not New World can keep players invested in its faction war and deliver engaging endgame content, subjects on which I’ll have more to say in the weeks ahead.

Windows Central 3.5/5:

New World could be one of the best multiplayer PC games ever made if its quests and PvE encounters were as good as its streamlined mechanics, combat system, and PvP experiences, but they’re not. And while I’m having a blast in PvP right now, I’m not sure I’m comfortable saying that the game is worth getting when it faces several outstanding issues.

NME 4/5:

In New World, Amazon finally has the hit it has been chasing. However, as an MMO – with a one-time entry fee – the key part is going to be if they stick around and treat the community well with thoughtful additions, instead of asking people to shell out on pages upon pages of cosmetics. The foundation is strong, and if nothing else, it feels good to batter things with a spear.