New World – Early Leveling Review in 2023

As a gamer, it’s easy to discern whether a game is a product of passion and creativity. It’s clear when developers and management are dedicated to creating a memorable product. However, from the beginning, I couldn’t understand why “New World” was so hyped.

Despite my reservations, I decided to give the game a chance and played until level 17. Unfortunately, the experience was mediocre and uninspiring. It lacked character and didn’t feel like a triple-A title at all. I found myself getting bored and wishing I was playing something else.

The main issue with New World is that it doesn’t excel at anything. It doesn’t do anything better than other titles in the genre. However, it does provide a satisfying feeling when gathering materials. While the gathering animations are nothing special, the sound effects give an instant dopamine gratification. Amazon Studios seems to have employed people who specialize in psychological tactics designed to hook players on gathering mechanics. It’s a shame that they didn’t put the same effort into combat.

One positive aspect of gathering in New World is that players can harvest almost anything they see on the map. All the bushes, rocks, and weird-looking flowers can be gathered for materials.

Another positive aspect of the game is its ambient feeling of nature. While walking to quest locations, players can stop for a moment to listen to birds chirping. As a nature enthusiast who enjoys long walks and hikes, I appreciate such details in games.

Unfortunately, that’s about all the well-done aspects of New World for me. Now, let’s shift our focus to the things that I dislike about this game.

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Animations outside of combat

Unfortunately, the animations outside of combat in New World leave a lot to be desired. When moving your character, the movements feel clunky and unnatural, with some basic animations being either awkward or completely absent. This becomes particularly evident when attempting to climb obstacles, as the animations feel unfinished and lack the polish of other AAA titles. This can make for a frustrating experience, as players may get stuck or experience clipping issues due to the awkward animations.

Additionally, the lack of attention to detail when it comes to animations can be quite immersion-breaking. For example, rather than implementing a proper swimming animation, New World has players simply walk in water. This can be quite comical to watch and can detract from the game’s overall atmosphere.

To put it into perspective, imagine playing a game where the animations and movements of your character felt like they were from an early alpha version of the game. It would be difficult to feel fully immersed in the world and the experience would likely feel lackluster. While New World does have its strengths, the lack of attention to detail in the animations outside of combat can make it feel like an incomplete and unpolished experience.

New World Combat is Just Bad

Combat in New World is a major letdown. The animations and overall feel of fighting are simply not up to par with other major titles in the genre. In fact, the combat in Elder Scrolls Online feels more satisfying than what New World has to offer, and that’s not something I thought I would ever say!

One of the biggest issues with the combat system in New World is the lack of creativity in skills. They feel uninspired and have animations that end abruptly, making it difficult to feel any sense of satisfaction when casting abilities. Even basic attacks feel clunky, with heavy attacks suffering from strange input queuing. This often results in situations where players hold down the attack button, only to find that their character is not performing the action as intended.

As a result of these issues, early levels of combat are not enjoyable. Even after watching endgame combat gameplay on YouTube, it’s clear that the issues persist throughout the game. It’s a shame that combat, which is such a crucial aspect of any RPG, is so poorly executed in New World. Hopefully, the developers can address these issues in future updates to make the game more engaging for players.

Questing Is Uninspired

Questing is an interesting topic for MMORPGS. Almost every MMORPG follows certain gameplay loop or patern in this area:
You go to NPC, listen to their dialogue, go to quest location, kill number of enemies or find X number of items, you then come back to NPC or go to new one. Rinse and repeat.

That’s basically questing described in few steps in most RPG game.

So why is it that some games are criticized for questing, while others are not?
I think some games do better job at hiding this simple questing loop. And they do it by adding interesting mechanics or variations to quests. Other titles disguise questing loop by creating an immersive aura around their games.
New World did not seem to put much effort into either. And that’s even after last year’s update which supposedly to made leveling experience better!

I also believe that questing bothers us when we simply dislike the gameplay of the game. If you dislike traversing the world and fighting in the game, then you’ll find every new quest as dradgery.

And since I dislike quite strongly the gameplay in New World, questing seemed like an added insult to an already deep injury.

Fashion in New World

One of the important aspects of MMORPGs is the appearance of human-controlled characters, especially at higher levels. Seeing a well-designed character can be a motivating factor for players to invest more time in the game. Games like Final Fantasy XIV, World of Warcraft, and Elder Scrolls Online have successfully implemented this aspect of character design.

However, in New World, the high-level character designs don’t quite measure up. The appearance of characters is often silly and lacks the appeal of other games. Unlike in WOW, where over-the-top designs can be cool, or in ESO, where more serious designs work well, the fashion in New World just comes off as goofy.

When I first entered the town and saw high-level characters, I was underwhelmed by their appearance. This may not be a critical issue for some players, but for those who place a high value on character appearance, it can be a significant detractor from the overall experience of the game.

Lack of AAA Quality

New World, the latest MMORPG from Amazon Game Studios, has generated significant buzz in the gaming community. As an experienced gamer, I know what to expect from major corporations when it comes to game development. While I don’t expect groundbreaking innovation from these games, I do expect a high level of polish and attention to detail that comes with the budget and resources at their disposal.

Unfortunately, New World fails to deliver on this front. The game suffers from a lack of polish and refinement that is immediately apparent from the moment you start playing. The character movements are clunky and awkward, and the animations are uninspired and lack creativity. Even the combat system, which is one of the most critical aspects of any MMORPG, falls short of expectations.

All of these issues contribute to the feeling that New World is an underdeveloped and unpolished game, rather than the polished and refined product you would expect from a major corporation. It lacks the “AAA” feeling that comes with a game that has been given the time, budget, and resources needed to make it truly great.

In my opinion, New World feels like an alpha version of an AAA title or a Kickstarter project. It’s disappointing to see a game with so much potential fall short in so many critical areas. While it’s not entirely without its merits, the lack of polish and refinement ultimately make it difficult to recommend to anyone looking for a high-quality MMORPG experience.

New World New Player Experience – Summary:

Overall, New World had the potential to be a great game, but unfortunately, it falls short in too many areas. While the gathering mechanics may give players a temporary rush of dopamine, the lackluster combat, uninspired questing, and awkward animations outside of combat make for a less-than-stellar experience. It’s like going on a date with someone who looks great on paper but is a dud in person.

But fear not, fellow gamers! There are plenty of other titles out there that will satisfy your craving for a good MMORPG. So if you’re feeling bored and wishing you were playing something else while in New World, just remember: the gaming world is your oyster, and there are plenty of pearls out there waiting to be discovered.