Amazon's New World is a brand new MMO with several differences from its Elder Scrolls rival. Thankfully, neither game appears desperate for players but caters to different audiences within the gaming community.
New World takes place in a fictional version of the 17th century on a mysterious island in the Atlantic ocean. Aeternum bestows eternal life on its inhabitants, giving players the ability to respawn and continue their journey across the fantastical landscape. Though much of New World's story is told through hidden lore, books, dialogue, and quests, players' actions also occupy a vital role in the game's storytelling and history. New World's factions also enjoy independent lore and motivations, crafting unique gameplay experiences for every player.
Elder Scrolls Online features a more straightforward story through its vanilla campaign and several expansions. Taking place thousands of years before the mainline Elder Scrolls games, Elder Scrolls Online explores ancient Tamriel and the beginnings of legendary families. Players can experience vivid character customization and alliances based on their species. Additionally, players can choose between a handful of classes that don't restrict weapons or armor but receive access to different abilities.
New World Emphasizes PVP, But ESO Makes It Optional
Amazon's New World underwent many changes during its Alpha and Beta stages, but its most focused change involved the implementation of PvE mechanics. New World initially featured PvP and sandbox mechanics, but early focus groups commented on the severity and stressful gameplay. Amazon Game Studios then pivoted towards a more inclusive experience with PvE activities, quests, and more in-depth RPG options. Despite these additions, PvP remains a constant, looming presence within Amazon New World's factions and playtime. Engaging rival players in combat is one of the only ways to increase faction influence throughout Aeternum's different territories, thereby gaining more settlements, trading posts, and experience. As a result, players less inclined to engage in PvP activities likely won't be able to enjoy New World's core functions and experiences.
Elder Scrolls Online also features PvP, but the game mode occurs separately from the base game and open world. Most PvP occurs in various arenas and matches that players cue up for. While players from other factions can work cooperatively in the open world and during story quests, they face against one another in ESO's battles. Thankfully, players who want to avoid PvP activities suffer no penalties in doing so. Compared to New World, Elder Scrolls Online focuses more on the story and world development rather than a constant war between players. Instead of queuing for ESO's PvP, players are free to explore various regions of Tamriel, from Morrowind to the gates of Oblivion.
Elder Scrolls Online Has More Content Than New World
Though New World is relatively new to the gaming market and faces extreme competition against the many multiplayer games released for the holiday season, it launched with very little story content. The grind to reach Level 60 is an impressive time commitment, an opinion held by many content creators and casual players. While this challenge may bar busier gamers from giving New World a chance at full price, it caters to a player population in desperate need of a new title. Several AAA titles have been a disappointment, with games like Cyberpunk 2077 failing to launch with a working single-player mode and no multiplayer. While early impressions of in-game systems have been satisfactory, New World depends on player count. Like EVE Online, players' companies and factions forge New World's story as the game's lifetime progresses. Unfortunately, this dependence on the fanbase places extreme faith in player numbers for New World's present and future, potentially threatening the title if interest dies down the line.
Elder Scrolls Online is a much older game than New World, meaning that it has more story content and expansions. Thanks to its recent free-to-play status, ESO is more accessible to many MMO players and recently added a Gates of Oblivion expansion. Each expansion introduces new lore and adventures to Tamriel's already rich history, occasionally referencing mainline Elder Scrolls games like Morrowind or Skyrim. While some adventures can become repetitive, Bethesda constantly innovates new experiences within their storylines, providing dozens of hours of content of main quests, side quests, and more.
Elder Scrolls Online And New World Have Complex Combat Systems
Both New World and Elder Scrolls Online feature intuitive combat systems which fans of the latter MMO can enjoy. New World embraces a wide variety of weapons and abilities to combat its many enemies, featuring different attacks and damage types to pave the way through Aeternum. Additionally, these damage types have different reactions against the world's enemies. Equipment load and armor selection also influence available abilities and loadouts. New World's combat contains several nuances that separate the good warriors from the great ones, meaning the learning curve is substantially more challenging to master. While these mechanics may force some players away, the prospect of a unique, third-person MMO combat system is appealing to many.
Given its 2014 release date, Elder Scrolls Online combat mirrors the MMO standard in many ways. Pressing buttons to activate abilities or clicking rapidly to land sword swings or arrows takes up most battles. While it's possible for players to defeat most enemies solo, challenging activities like raids require more coordination that forces parties to adapt and overcome. The designated class system ensures unique character builds across the board, and the freedom to create multiple characters on a single server encourages players to explore different combat styles. Character classes are a significant departure from New World's combat system, and unfortunately, forces players to switch between characters to fulfill different combat roles.
While Amazon's New World and Elder Scrolls Online have some similarities, their differences are staggering. Elder Scrolls Online players looking for a brand new MMO experience will likely find some enjoyment with New World's diverse systems but suffer from its repetitive quest grind. Additionally, those looking for a more active PvP experience can enjoy the early surge of players with New World's popularity. However, single-player, story-driven Elder Scrolls Online players interested in cooperative PvE activities should give Amazon's New World more time to develop.
