New World: Aeternum

An MMO with swords, muskets, crafting, and a magical island that really doesn’t want you to relax. Survive, explore, and maybe make furniture.

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“Why did I spend three hours crafting boots? Because I could.”

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First things first: this world is not chill

When I first heard about New World: Aeternum, I figured it’d be your standard fantasy MMO — swords, spells, maybe a bear or two. What I didn’t expect was a beautifully cursed island full of angry wildlife, ghost pirates, and enough crafting systems to make me feel like I accidentally enrolled in an 18th-century trade school.

Aeternum is Amazon’s take on the MMO formula, and while it’s not perfect, it does a few things that kept me playing longer than I expected. Mostly because I needed just one more piece of iron.

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The intro: welcome to purgatory with muskets

You start off shipwrecked on the mysterious island of Aeternum — where, surprise, nobody ever really dies. Everyone just sort of… gets stuck in a loop of undeath, madness, or trying to become a blacksmith. It’s a weird vibe, and I kind of loved it.

The early game throws you into quests fast. Go gather wood. Fight some corrupted villagers. Deliver something to a guy named Barkimedes (yes, a dog). It’s straightforward but gets you into the loop quickly: fight, gather, craft, repeat.

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Combat: timing, dodging, and a lot of bonking

This isn’t your classic “tab-target and spam spells” MMO. New World uses a more action-oriented system — light and heavy attacks, blocks, dodges, and actual aim. It makes even basic fights feel more involved. If you’re distracted, even a basic wolf can ruin your day.

Weapons are flexible. I spent the first 10 hours switching between a sword/shield combo and a musket. Then I found a life staff and suddenly became a wandering combat medic. Every weapon has its own skill trees, and switching things up is easy (and encouraged).

The only downside? Sometimes PvP duels feel like awkward slap fights. But when it works, it’s satisfying — especially landing a perfect musket headshot on a zombie from a cliffside like some kind of colonial sniper.

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Gathering & crafting: weirdly addictive

I didn’t think I’d enjoy chopping trees for 20 minutes straight, but here we are. Gathering in New World is oddly calming. The animations are nice, the sound design is satisfying, and there’s something incredibly relaxing about clearing out a grove of mature trees while deer wander past.

Crafting is a deep system — maybe too deep at times. You’re managing materials, refining them, unlocking new schematics, and leveling up trade skills that honestly feel like whole careers. I spent a whole evening just leveling up my armoring so I could make a chestplate that looks less like a potato sack.

Also, furniture crafting is a thing. Like, real furniture. For houses. That you can buy. I didn’t expect to be judged for my in-game interior design choices, but here we are.

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Factions, PvP, and the whole “territory” thing

One of the standout features is the faction system. You choose one of three factions and can participate in territory control, PvP wars, and influence battles. Sounds epic on paper — and sometimes it is — but it also means you occasionally get dragged into a 50v50 war over a town you’ve never visited.

I mostly stayed out of the serious PvP, but the open-world PvP toggle is great. You can opt in for bonuses (and the risk of being ganked), or just peacefully chop trees like me. Most players were cool, though I definitely got surprise-sworded a few times while mining silver.

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World design: pretty, atmospheric, and dangerous

Let me say this — Aeternum is gorgeous. The lighting, the weather changes, the way fog rolls in around an ancient ruin while corrupted enemies groan in the distance… it’s atmospheric as hell.

Each zone has a distinct feel. From green forests to haunted swamps to scorched battlegrounds, the world feels alive — not in the “things move” sense, but in the “I probably shouldn’t be here at night” sense.

Also: turkeys. Lots of turkeys. They’re oddly fast and very smug-looking.

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Story & quests: not the main draw, but not bad

The main storyline is serviceable — mysterious forces, ancient powers, corruption, betrayal, etc. It’s not mind-blowing, but it gets the job done. Most of the side quests follow standard MMO structure: kill X, gather Y, deliver Z.

That said, there were a few standout moments — little stories hidden in journals or NPC chatter that gave me real “oh wow, that’s dark” reactions. I just wish more of that made it into the actual quest text.

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Bugs, updates, and general MMO stuff

When New World first launched, it was a bit of a mess. Since then, Aeternum feels like a serious step forward. Performance is smoother, queues are gone, and I haven’t seen anything game-breaking (yet).

There are still some clunky bits — occasional lag, pathing bugs, and some balancing weirdness — but nothing that made me want to quit. The devs seem committed to updating it, and the community (so far) has been surprisingly chill.

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So, why did I stick with it?

Honestly? It’s the vibe.

There’s something rewarding about slowly building your character, your skills, your house… even your stupid little herb garden. It’s a game where you can log in and decide to either fight in a war or just go fish for an hour while listening to podcasts.

It doesn’t rush you. It doesn’t overwhelm you with mechanics. It lets you exist in a world that feels big, quiet, and occasionally very stabby.

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Final thoughts

New World: Aeternum isn’t a game I thought I’d sink hours into — but here I am. If you like MMOs with a chill pace, satisfying progression, and lots of things to do besides just fighting, it’s worth exploring.

Just be warned: you might spend more time gathering hemp than actually saving the world.

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— Leo