Interestingly, though, that may prove to be both a blessing and a curse as New World‘s own players have proven to be the source of some of the game’s best and worst features across its various beta periods. Now, it’s obviously impossible to give a full, fair review of New World at this point considering that the game isn’t even out yet. For that matter, it’s likely going to take months for us to be able to fairly assess the quality, state, and future of the game as MMOs are constantly evolving and therefore notoriously difficult to form thorough first impressions of. Having said all of that, it seems clear at this point that New World is going to be more dependant on its own players than just about any other game in recent memory.
New World’s Territory and PvP Systems Have Limitless Potential
Many New World players say that the thing that keeps them glued to the game even during these beta stages is the implication that they can lose or gain faction territories at any time and that the balance of power on the server can shift at any moment. “Potential” is the word to keep in mind as we dive a little deeper into the game, but whatever else there is to say about New World, it has to be said that this is a worthwhile core concept that could become something special at some point.
New World’s Best Moments Are Often Caused by Players Doing Unexpecting Things
You won’t constantly be running into players in New World‘s vast landscape, but the game is clearly designed to ensure that you’ll interact with other players in key hub areas and the more congested parts of the world. It’s in those places that the magic tends to happen. From random dance parties to sneak attacks that slowly inspire factions to gather their forces, there is a degree to which chaos is one of New World‘s best elements. Yes, MMO’s are inherently social experiences, but few titles in this genre are bold enough to essentially hand the keys over to the players and let them take the wheel. Even WoW has de-emphasized some of its more social-driven elements in recent years in favor of a more streamlined experience. As we noted above, this has the potential to be a wonderful thing. However, that player-driven design clearly contributes to one of New World‘s biggest problems at the moment.
New World Is Too Dependent on Players Not Finding Exploits and Wanting to Interact With Each Other
It doesn’t matter how much you test and polish a game. Once it’s out in the wild, you can bet that gamers will find some way to play it that you didn’t fully anticipate. This will almost certainly be the case with New World at launch, and we’re already seeing instances of “unintended” player behavior in the game’s early access periods. Again, this is true of every MMO (and most online multiplayer games) to a degree, but despite the level of freedom this game seemingly offers, you start to get the sense that there is a vaguely “intended” way to play it and that deviations from that course can result in a suboptimal experience.
New World’s PvP System Is a Long Way From Being Balanced
Balancing an MMO is a delicate and constant act. However, New World will not do itself any favors if it doesn’t at last smooth some of its biggest balancing issues ahead of launch.
New World’s Limited PvE Systems Still Feel Like a Mistake
In theory, the times that New World‘s players and player-driven systems are misbehaving can be countered by simply stepping away from it all and enjoying the game’s PvE content. Well…about that. The nature of New World‘s more active combat means that “grinding” doesn’t feel quite as slow as it does in other MMOs, but there is just very little in New World‘s PvE content that makes you genuinely excited to engage in that aspect of the game.
New World Could be a Hard Game to Return to If You Leave It
Low population counts are obviously the death of most MMOs, but, in theory, an MMO can linger through a slow period if a group of dedicated players help keep each other engaged in what content is available. I’m not sure if New World will be able to enjoy that luxury. At present, the game is so dependant on not just the participation of engaged players but the number of players who are actively participating in its territory and faction systems. It just feels like any sharp decline in active participants is going to have immediate ramifications. If players do choose to step away, then the MMO’s persistent world and all the mechanics that go along with it (such as regular housing taxes) are going to be difficult to simply come back to. I have no doubt that the New World team went into this game fully aware of the fact that others have tried and failed to develop similar PvP-driven MMO titles in the past. That being said, I’m very interested to see just how prepared they are for the constant tweaks, balances, and updates this game will need following its September 28 launch.
