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Rewards aside, there’s always another reason why I enjoy running certain trials or raids: their mechanics. Let’s face it: even if the things you get in an instance are fantastic, the lack of engaging mechanics will burn anyone out. With that in mind, we are all aware that New World is a grindy game, but its latest Winter Rune Forge seasonal trial makes me not mind the grind at all. Or, well, at least the maximum amount of times I can do it for my weekly rewards. All thanks to the fight mechanics and enemy design that show New World is aiming for new heights in the MMO landscape.
New World’s Winter Rune Forge Design is a Step in the Right Direction
By now, New World‘s rocky launch is water under the bridge. The developer has put one fantastic update after another where players have shown positive feedback. With each season, this MMO just gets better, and the Winter Rune Forge finally made me feel New World is competing against other games of the genre with its PvE aspects.
As a 10-person trial, Winter Rune Forge fits the wintery look of Season 5 perfectly and even takes some inspiration from Season 4. But visual design aside, what makes this so interesting is how it encourages players to actually play as a team. When many MMOs have looked for ways to make games solo-friendly, I’m glad to see a 10-player mode take the teamwork approach, and Winter Rune Forge does it flawlessly.
As soon as you enter, you’re faced with a puzzle that you can only solve with other players. Once that’s done, the first fight begins, and teamwork becomes even more crucial. The new boss mechanic in New World sees the Ophidian Construct split into many copies of itself that if left to combine together, become big trouble. To counter this, players need to split enemies and watch for aggro percentages. The fight is so intricate that it reminded me of the Nier: Automata alliance raids of FFXIV, which are some of the best.
Teamwork As Solid As Ice
Even if it’s short, the Winter Rune Forge trial in New World tests players as a team. In one run, we had two tanks, so facing the first boss was easy. However, in another, we only had one lone tank, so DPS and Healers had to coordinate to take aggro from the many foes that spawned in the arena. The fact that you have to adapt on the fly really made me feel like an MMO where, even if mechanics repeat during a fight, everything can go sideways in seconds.
The other boss isn’t too complicated, but it requires coordination in handling debuffs. If you get too many stacks of hypothermia, you’ll die. To counter this, your team has to work together to remove these effects by summoning a cleansing buff. It’s fantastic to see so many layers of thoughtful strategy jammed into such a short trial.
For me, the unexpectedness is the essence of any MMO. If I wanted a repetitive experience, I’d play a single-player game. And I won’t lie: New World felt like one before, but not anymore. Every new trial, season, and challenge brings something new. And even if I have five other MMOs to delve into, I always return to Aeternum. I always enjoy looking at this unpredictable land full of surprises. And you know what? After almost three years, I can say New World will stick around next to other big MMOs on the market if it continues delivering content as intricate as Winter Rune Forge.
