Amazon Games’ latest project, New World, is an upcoming MMO survival fantasy game set in the 17th century where players battle and explore areas all across the fictional island of Aeternum. The game is currently scheduled to release on May 26, 2020. New World is different from other MMOs in that it doesn’t have all of the same RPG systems that players of traditional games like Final Fantasy 14, or older, are accustomed to. Still, it treads familiar grounds as a survival game, especially one for PC, so players shouldn’t be too unfamiliar with it.
New World is a PC exclusive game, with Amazon Games publicly stating it has no current plans for consoles. The game is reminiscent of other popular PC survival games like DayZ and State of Decay, and features a lot of similar mechanics such as settlement building, guilds, etc. There is a bigger emphasis on settlements and establishing connections with other players to build towns and such.
This,of course, means that server capacity is going to be a prime focus for Amazon Games. The studio claims that Amazon’s large amount of data centers and servers will fairly accommodate the game’s server capacity which is aimed at having more than 1000 players per online game server.
New World's Gameplay
Being an online survival game, New World mainly focuses on player interactions and has several ways for users to co-operate and protect their online person and belongings. Players run around the world of Aeternum, completing quests, scouting for resources, fighting each other (and hordes of enemy NPCs called The Corrupted), and sometimes living together. As previously mentioned, players are able to build settlements and towns which are then able to host other resident players in the game world. When these settlements are built and have other players living in them, the person in charge of the place can implement taxes to the residents.
Invading players can also sabotage these settlements by using siege tactics which involves explosives and battle, or by recruiting the help of potential dissident players who reside in the town and are fed up with the local taxation. Other than that players can expect all of the familiar systems involved with playing a survival game like crafting, upgrading skills, and more. New World also features no classes to choose from and instead relies on the given player’s choice of play style.
Amazon Games says that this is to let players experience a natural sense of progression and lets players with the best crafting capabilities, for example, be just crafts-people. Loners also need not worry as New World features options to turn off stuff like PVP. Amazon Games claims the game has a heavily interactable world and allows players to, for example, cut down any tree that they can see.
New World's Story
New World’s lore mainly revolves around nameless explorers and conquerors from around the world who come to the island in search of the ultimate prize - whatever that may be. Developer Amazon Games says that the characters in the game come to this legendary island to get everything they dreamed for. Ultimately, as per the trailer, the island consumes anyone and everyone who comes by to pillage it, turning them into The Corrupted, the undead wandering souls that players fight throughout the game.
One key aspect of the game’s story lies in a mysteriously powerful substance found on the island called Azoth. Amazon Games describes Azoth as an island resource that characters in the story fight and die for. For gameplay, it is a resource that enhances player abilities and powers them up in general.
New World Pre-Order Bonuses and Editions
When New World launches in May, players can pick between the standard version of the game (priced at $39.99) or the deluxe version (priced at $49.99). Both come with pre-order bonuses which include access to a closed beta planned for April and in-game items (a power-up amulet, a user display title, a fist bump emote, and a guild crest set). The deluxe edition includes an armor and axe set called the Woodsman, a dog as a house pet, a rock-paper-scissors emote, and a digital artbook. Additionally, the game is available to pre-order via Amazon and Steam.
New World is scheduled to be released on May 26, 2020, for PC.