PTR PREVIEW: I Checked Out New World's Upcoming Expansion: Rise Of The Angry Earth

New World’s Public Test Realm (PTR) for the upcoming Rise of the Angry Earth expansion is currently live until September 18. This update — which costs $30 by the way — introduces several new features, including the addition of mounts, a new weapon called the Flail, the Elysian Wilds zone (replacing First Light), and the Savage Divide Expedition to the MMORPG.

So I jumped in to check it out.

Even though I will only be talking about the specific new features mentioned above, you should also know there’s a new main story quest line, overhauls to Edengrove and Great Cleave quests, the incorporation of artifacts, alterations to weapons and perks, the inclusion of the Primal Fury Heartrune, adjustments to trade skills and gear scores, the concept of an Influence Race, and a revamped Season 3 Rewards Track.

Let’s start with mounts. The reason I quit playing the MMORPG somewhere between a year and two years ago was due to the slog of running from quest to quest as the best means to progress and level up. It was boring. Hopefully that’s not the case anymore though, as riding on a horse is not only fun but practical. After completing an easy, quick quest, you unlock access to mounts. Players then have the ability to summon their riding companion, which is fast and can dash too. The best part is you can auto-run on paths/roads for an additional boost in speed, making traveling much more efficient.

Then we have the Flail. This weapon is awesome. I almost never use a shield when I have the option not to in any video game ever, but I might now. You can either pair the Flail with the Shield, or not. It’s all preference, really. The Flail scales with Strength and Focus, meaning you could use the Life Staff, for example, as your secondary weapon, or a Greatsword. You could be a tank, a healer, or even an attacker.

While not all the skills on the Flail impressed me, half of them involve you leaping into the air and slamming down on the enemy as well as the ground around them. One skill especially, Barrage — where you sprint forward, dragging your Flail across the ground, and then jump and bash your foe in the face, might just be the coolest skill New World has ever added.

As for the new zone, Elysian Wilds? It’s small, but pretty. Beautiful, actually. I’m a sucker when it comes to anything neon though. The area is filled with luminescent mushrooms and glowing plants, littered amongst creepy forests and menacing animals. It’s such a treat for the eyes. I thought Brimstone Sands was neat, but there’s only so much you can do with a desert biome. Elysian Wilds on the other hand, is dripping with charm. If it wasn’t for the evil monkeys, scary lions, sneaky chameleons, and rampaging mammoths, this would be the perfect place to go for an evening stroll.

Finally, there’s the Savage Divide Expedition. I don’t have too much experience with the other dungeons in the game, as I need to progress further still, but I had so much fun doing this. All the beauty of the Elysian Wilds is inside the expedition, and the music is peaceful yet not slow enough to put you to sleep. You can’t even snooze for a second anyways since the labyrinth is crawling with fantastical animals trying to murder you.

But the dungeon itself is simple, which I preferred. You just find orbs and put them in slots to open doors until you reach the final boss at the end. I can’t speak about difficulty, since everyone in the PTR is geared up the ass, but it was quite enjoyable, and I’m excited to run Savage Divide in the future on my actual character.

In conclusion, maybe Noobfridge was right...New World is back, baby, and I’m pumped to dive back in when the Rise of the Angry Earth expansion launches on October 3 (pending no delays).