Review: Sword of the New World

TonyDaytona

59%

The short bus for MMO gamers has finally arrived! I guess the folks at IMC Games were tired of hearing players whine about camping mobs, slow character progression, and the difficulty of finding groups. Well, SotNW addresses those problems and in the process removes all leveling difficulty, all character customization, and all skill needed to play an online game.
   Part #1: The Keyboard Menace. Mouse pointing and clicking to move = automatic failure. SotNW is praised for breaking the mold of MMOs, but that mold was there for a reason, it worked!
   Part #2: Attack of the Clones! Imagine waking up one morning and everyone looked like Anakin Skywalker, but with different costumes. Now imagine if Anakin was raised by a bi-sexual, 80’s Metal Band that had a lifetime supply of eyeliner and makeup. Welcome to SotNW! The first character I made was a fighter and he was the biggest pussy you could possibly imagine, but the worst part was, he looked like everyone else’s pussy.
   Part #3: Revenge of the Healer! Not everyone wants to be forced to play as a healer (I certainly don’t), but if you want to have a decent 3 character party you damn well better include one. Instead of freeing me to play the class I want, I’m forced to also play two I don’t like! (support toons suxxors).
   Part #4: A New Hope The graphics are decent, but I don’t need to pay $9.00/month to see pixilated ass (that’s what Paltalk is for). Obviously, the Korean devs have some sick fantasy where the entire world looks like Legolas dressed like a conquistador. After spending a week in the New World, my only hope is this game doesn’t have a fucking sequel.

EuroTrash

85%

I didn’t know what to expect from Sword of the New World, -Granado Espada (SotNW), but it turned into a pleasant surprise for me. The day before I tried SotNW I heard Tony laughing at the game and I was afraid I was in for a long review. Tzo was equally critical, but when I actually spent time in SotNW I found an entertaining MMOG that was different from anything I’ve ever played before.
   The three character system is what makes the game stand apart from other MMOGs. You’re not limited to playing a single archetype, but instead you are able to control balanced group of three characters (to start). The available classes are Fighter, Musketeer, Scout Wizard, and Elementalist.
   I quickly discovered I could park my party in a corner, amidst a nice spawn of mobs, and “auto-level.” This feature is brilliant because it removes the grind associated with most MMOGs. In SotNW I can skip the tedious leveling and focus my actual game time on PvP and social interactions.
   The three character system should solve any problems with class balance in PVP. I didn’t quite reach the “end game”, but from what I saw the system is significantly skill based.
   No game is perfect and there were a few annoyances worth mentioning. Equipping a weapon or hat will show on your character, but choosing a new suit of armor will never change your appearance. The quest system appeared to degrade rapidly after level 30 and I found myself randomly hunting more with each level I gained.
   In summary, SotNW is an MMOG that provides a fresh genre, a new “party system,” and a way to alleviate the leveling grind.

Tzo

67%

I had high hopes for SotNW (TonyD hated it after all), but all hope was lost when I sat down and actually played this game. This isn’t the “New World” of gaming, this is something from the MMORPGs past and SotNW reminds me of a tutorial that refuses to end.
   When I realized the WASD keys were not working I knew there was trouble. To move around you have to constantly keep clicking the ground, which is beyond aggravating (I’m having a Lineage II beta flashback). In crowded areas you can’t even click the ground without clicking on a person or monster. This turns the simple act of moving a character into a huge headache.
   This is a minor problem compared to my main issue, which is that the game is ridiculously easy. I understand the need to appeal to a broader audience than just power gamers, but this game is so simple it actually alienates anyone looking for a challenge. Aside from PvP there’s almost no skill involved. You simply instruct your scout (healer) to go into full healing mode (stance) and he automatically keeps everyone in the group alive. You don’t even have to play the game for your group to hunt and level (AFK = XP).
   The re-spawn rate is also so insanely high that you always seem to be stuck in one of these crowded areas no matter where you try to go. As soon as you kill a monster another one spawns to take its place. This is not good because knowing good spots to hunt is an appealing game feature. In SotNW any spot will do, just pick a spot and auto-kill everything as it spawns. You will be leveling in no time with zero thought involved.