New World has only recently been released, but it has already left some positive impressions on MeinMMO author Mark Sellner. He is particularly impressed by the sound, turning it up loud instead of muting it like in other MMORPGs.
I have been playing MMORPGs for 15 years, and many of them have one thing in common: The sound is often irrelevant. Even though there has been a trend in recent years for MMORPGs to offer new content and exciting stories, I can’t seem to shake the habit.
Many of the older MMORPGs, including my first online games like Last Chaos, Silkroad Online, and Dekaron, had sound, but it was completely negligible. Dialogues were not voiced anyway, and you heard the same three sounds over and over again.
The quest design in older MMOs usually didn’t go beyond “Kill 20 X” and “Collect 15 Y.” So, starting at a certain level, you were doing the same thing over and over, and everything sounded the same or at least similar.
I soon decided to simply turn off the sound in the games and listen to music instead. As soon as my then-favorite MMO Dekaron added an MP3 player that allowed you to play your own MP3s and mute the game sound, it was clear to me that I couldn’t be the only one who disabled the sounds.
Even as games became more sophisticated, voiced and offered more than five different sound effects, my behavior changed only slightly. In my last addiction MMORPG Guild Wars 2, I always turned off the sound and only turned it back on at most for the latest story episode.
Because in newer and major MMORPGs today, the soundscape is nice and definitely better than before. However, it still offers hardly any added value.
Apart from more atmosphere and dialogues that I can hear instead of read, I don’t gain anything from the sound in the MMORPG. I might as well continue listening to music. I thought it would definitely be the same in the new New World. Well, I was wrong.
New World on – Headphones on
When I need sound for a game, I usually choose my headphones. Just to be closer to it. In any shooter, this is almost mandatory. Especially in Hunt: Showdown, my personal shooter of choice, because without sound it just doesn’t work.
Why? The sound in Hunt: Showdown not only brings an incredible amount of atmosphere, but it is also incredibly important for gameplay. This is the case in many shooters, but in very few MMORPGs.
New World adapts this concept very well. The MMORPG makes things I hear an important aspect of gameplay. The rest of the sounds are set up so well that I am not bothered at all by suddenly not hearing music anymore, but rather listening to the sounds of New World.
The sound of New World has a lot in common with the outstanding sound of Hunt: Showdown. Above all, it gives you a tangible advantage over those who play without sound: You hear things long before you see them.
This is quite practical in many gameplay situations and positively affects your gaming experience. You hear enemies following you. You can even tell whether they are humanoid enemies or whether a pig, a skeleton, or a tiger is chasing you, all without turning around.
It is also easier to find resources when you listen to the game. It sounds different when someone is mining iron ore than when mining magnetite or starmetal. If you listen closely, you will even know where to find valuable resources.
Additionally, you can clearly hear where a fight is taking place in your surroundings. The swords bouncing off shields echo as far over the landscape as fired musket shots. Basically, sound can replace the map to some extent.
But even without any real gameplay advantages, I enjoy listening to the island of New World, because the sound design is great.
You can immediately hear where you are
The world of New World, namely the island of Aeternum, is divided into different areas. These not only look different from each other, but they also each have their own distinct soundscape.
This is not only due to the music that comes with each zone. The wildlife is also different, and you can hear that clearly. Of course, in some areas more than in others, but I can always discern which area I am currently in.
I noticed this particularly clearly when I recently traveled from the dark swamp of Weavermoor to the tropical Boarder Reef. The entire soundscape is different. It sometimes sounds like a different game, and that is great.
This only amplifies the effect of coming home when you return to the area you love the most. I can hear the local flora and fauna and know that I am back home soon. I can empty my inventory, craft, and play with my dog on my porch.
New World sounds bombastically good
Sound is something that every player perceives differently. However, the soundscape of New World is also excellently crafted from an objective standpoint.
Whether it’s the axe swinging against the wood of a tree, the clashing of metal when a sword strikes a shield, or your pickaxe when you greedily slam it into a rock. New World sounds phenomenal, and I can’t get enough of the game.
And so, after 15 years of stumbling through MMORPGs, it is precisely New World that changes my habits. A game that I originally didn’t want to check out, but now I am completely hooked.
And before I head back to Aeternum after writing this text, I put on my headphones and turn them up, because New World deserves it.
What do you think? Do you think I’m just crazy for playing MMORPGs without sound for what feels like an eternity, or is there someone out there like me? Do you like the soundscape of New World, or do you not need it at all? Feel free to let us know in the comments here at MeinMMO.
One activity where you can truly enjoy the sound is fishing. But it’s not just relaxing; it’s also incredibly useful:
