New World Aeternum in 2025: First Impressions, Player Decline, and Honest Review

New World Aeternum, the MMORPG that once broke records with nearly a million concurrent players, now peaks at just 20,000. What really happened to this game, and how is it holding up today in 2025? In this article, I’ll share my first impressions as a complete beginner, diving into New World Aeternum for the first time. I journeyed to max level (65), geared up, and explored content like PvP, dungeons (Expeditions), and even attempted raids. I’ll cover everything I learned, including tips for new players, and discuss the good, the bad, and the big question: is this game worth your time in 2025? So, without further ado, let’s get started!

Getting Started: Character Creation and Early Struggles

I kicked off my adventure with character creation, choosing from classes like Soldier (sword and shield), Destroyer (hammer and axe), Ranger (bow and arrow), Musketeer (gun and sword), and Wizard (healer or damage with staff). I went with Soldier, a Warrior class that can tank and deal damage, picking a male character with black hair after a connection error scare. The story starts with a shipwreck on Aeternum’s island, where Captain Thorpe lies about sailing through “the very Gates of Hell.” My first quest involved killing corrupted crewmates, and the combat was fluid—light attacks, heavy attacks, blocks, and dodges with my greatsword and blunderbuss. I hit level 2 without knowing how, shouting, “I don’t know what I did, but I’m level 2!”

The main story is key to leveling fast, so I stuck to it, fighting bosses like Validus, Tempest High Priest, who summoned skeletons. The map is massive, with events and activities everywhere, but it’s overwhelming. I got lost, running into players like Happy Pieces (sorry if I misspelled your name!). The daytime graphics are stunning, and the combat’s simplicity—block, dodge, heavy attack—felt satisfying. By level 5, I found a lady NPC, joking, “Now we can repopulate this island!” but she vanished. The story revealed Isabella, the main villain, mind-controlling people to build an army, and it’s our job to stop her.

Leveling Up: Main Story, Factions, and Mounts

Leveling was a grind, but sticking to the main story got me to level 65. By level 7, I was in a stronghold city, marveling at the graphics and wondering, “What went wrong with this game?” I hit level 9, then 14, allocating Talent points into strength for my greatsword and unlocking new abilities. The game’s weight system capped me at 200 kg, slowing me down at 94 kg, and I died to zombies, yelling, “I’m dead, nobody can save me!” At level 20, I unlocked a mount in Everfall’s Oxboro city via a quest, bonding with a horse named Crackling Jack. “Look at that speed, bro!” I shouted, as running became less painful.

Joining a faction (Marauders, Syndicate, or Covenant) was crucial. I chose Marauders, completing their questline to earn faction currency for gear. Faction dailies rewarded tokens to buy items like a greatsword, and flagging for PvP gave 10% more XP, boosting me to level 22 with 9.2k score and 1.7k gold. By level 29, I entered Brightwood, a depressing zone with spirits and lightning-wielding bosses like Pastor Peewee. I unlocked fast travels in every zone to ease travel, but early running felt like a “running simulator.” At level 49, I adopted a greatsword PvE build from a website, making fights easier. By level 60, a glowing artifact entered my character, making me the only one who could stop Isabella. I hit max level 65 after defeating a mind-controlled captain, now a tentacle monster.

Endgame: Expeditions, PvP, and Raids

At level 65, I used the Trading Post (auction house) to buy gear, aiming for 690 item level to unlock Mutated Expeditions. I spent 17k gold on a 698 greatsword (3.6k), medium armor chest (525), gloves (1k), pants (418), boots (100), a 696 greataxe (1.1k), and rings/earrings for strength, hitting 694 item level. Mutated Expeditions like Garden of Genesis were tough—Commander Marius nearly wiped us, and I died reviving teammates, shouting, “Oh God, I survived!” I earned a 700 item level artifact and a fire staff (Inferno), switching to a ranged class.

PvP in Outpost Rush (20v20) was chaotic. I died in 3 seconds, saying, “This is a hellish situation!” My PvE build couldn’t compete, and melee felt weak against ranged classes. I got a kill on Happy Birthday, but PvP wasn’t for me. Raids were a nightmare—random groups (PUGs) struggled with trash mobs, and the tank couldn’t hold aggro on four spiders, giving me “brain rot.” I left, recommending Discord or guilds for better raid experiences. Solo trials and Boss Rush dailies were more manageable, dodging ground effects and dealing heavy attacks.

Beginner Tips: What I Learned

• Weapon Freedom: You’re not locked to one weapon. Equip any weapon (e.g., greatsword, fire staff) and level its Weapon Mastery by killing enemies.
• Inn Recall: Register at an inn in major cities or outposts to recall every 15 minutes, saving travel time.
• Fast Travels: Unlock fast travel points (e.g., Wayshrines) in each zone to reduce running.
• Mount at Level 20: Complete the mount quest in Everfall’s Oxboro city to unlock a horse, improving travel speed.
• Faction Quests: Join a faction (Marauders, Syndicate, Covenant) early to earn tokens for gear. Do daily faction quests for currency.
• Main Story Focus: Stick to the main storyline for fast leveling to 65. Side quests are optional.
• Armor Types: Light armor boosts damage by 15% with dodge rolls but has less armor. Medium and heavy armor offer more defense but no rolls.
• Crafting and Trading: Craft gear with mods or buy from the Trading Post. Salvage items for gold instead of selling directly.

Pros: What Makes New World Aeternum Shine

• Stunning Graphics: One of the most visually stunning MMORPGs. The beautiful visuals make exploring immersive.
• Fluid Combat: Simple yet fun action combat with light/heavy attacks and three skills. Perfect for action combat fans.
• Weapon Freedom: Switch to any weapon at any level by leveling its mastery, adding replayability and creativity.
• Engaging Main Story: Main story quests are exciting, with trials, boss fights, voice-acted NPCs, and cutscenes, avoiding text walls.
• Straightforward Progression: Intuitive armor sets, weapon mastery, attributes, crafting, and Trading Post make gearing up easy.
• Thrilling PvP: Skill-based, dynamic PvP (e.g., Outpost Rush) feels fresh, though meta builds dominate.
• Endgame Variety: Mutated Expeditions, PvP Wars, Clan Wars, solo trials, raids, and seasonal/elite trials offer diverse content.

Cons: Room for Improvement

• Excessive Running: Early game feels like a walking simulator. Mounts at level 20 help, but the grind to get there may deter new players.
• Lack of New Players: Early zones feel empty, and low-level Expeditions can be solo grinds due to few players.
• Single-Player Feel: The game feels like a single-player experience until max level, when endgame content opens up.
• No Raid Group Finder: Raids rely on recruitment chats or guilds, making it hard for random players to join. PUG raids are frustrating.
• PvP Imbalance: Melee PvE builds struggle in PvP, and ranged classes dominate, discouraging newbies.

Verdict: Is New World Aeternum Worth Playing in 2025?

After reaching level 65, hitting 694 item level, and trying Expeditions, PvP, raids, and trials, here’s my take. New World Aeternum is a fantastic MMORPG for casual players and action combat lovers. Its stunning graphics, fluid combat, weapon freedom, and engaging main story make it a joy to play. The endgame shines with diverse content like Mutated Expeditions and PvP Wars, offering hundreds of hours of entertainment. However, the player decline from 1 million to 20,000 shows issues: excessive early-game running, empty low-level zones, and a lack of raid group finders hurt the experience. PvP is tough for melee newbies, and the game feels single-player until max level.

Despite these flaws, New World Aeternum has huge potential. Developers Amazon Games should address early-game travel and add raid matchmaking to attract new players. If you love exploration, crafting, and action combat, it’s worth trying in 2025. Join a guild or Discord for raids to avoid PUG nightmares. Thanks for reading! Drop your thoughts on New World Aeternum in the comments, hit the like button, and I’ll see you in the next one. Until then, goodbye!