With the release of Amazon Games' highly anticipated MMO New World has come a swathe of new players to the MMORPG genre. Some come from other games like Guild Wars 2 or Final Fantasy XIV, games both known for their incredible amount of content and hidden secrets for players to track down. They are both pretty old titles, though, and have had time for developers to fully flesh out the worlds in all of their nooks and crannies.
Being such a young MMO, New World doesn't have too many secrets for players to uncover yet. There are some hidden references, easter eggs, and immersion-bending experiences throughout Aeternum that give players some neat side content to take part in, though none of it is quite as extensive as some older MMO secrets – especially compared to some of the secret mount quests in WoW.
5 The Baconator and the Turkey Terminator
It might not seem like an obvious way to get titles, but killing critters can lead to some unique achievements. Many achievements in New World reward titles, like the Master-At-Arms title for players who defeat 800 named Corrupted enemies. Less serious titles like The Baconator and The Turkey Terminator can be unlocked by almost anyone, though.
To unlock The Baconator title, players must kill at least 100 Boars. To unlock The Turkey Terminator title, players must kill 100 Turkeys. They aren't difficult enemies to kill, and they are found abundantly throughout the world. It can certainly be a bit time-consuming to unlock these rather ridiculous titles, though.
4 References To Real-World Ancient Civilizations
Throughout the world of Aeternum are many ancient ruins and relics of times long past. It's a new world (heh) after all, and there's a lot that newcomers to the island can uncover about Aeternum's long history. It's not all fantasy, though, as some of these ruins and derelict structures are actually references to real-world civilizations.
In one starting area, for example, there is a half-sunken Viking ship out in the water. It might be a teaser for future content, perhaps a seafaring expansion where players can control a similar vessel, though for now it's just a neat easter egg that Viking aficionados will appreciate. Other ruins from real civilizations can be found elsewhere, too.
3 Easter Eggs On The Offline World Map
One secret that many players don't know about is that there is an official, fully interactive, browser-based world map of Aeternum available for players to peruse while offline. Within this map there are several easter eggs - not hidden references, but literal easter eggs that players can click on to reveal a secret piece of content.
Right above the mast of the ship in the bay to the west of Monarch's Bluff is a small rock-like formation. Clicking on this opens a side window with the text "WHAT'S THIS? You've found an Easter Egg!" There are plenty more to find across the interactive map, and each gives players an "OPEN YOUR REWARD" box that leads to a secret piece of art.
2 Speed Leveling The South Park Way
In the infamous "Make Love, Not Warcraft" episode of South Park, the boys power-level their WoW characters in Elwynn Forest by massacring countless boars. In New World, it's been found that one of the most efficient ways to speed level a character is to go to Boarsholm and, well, kill boars in the forest. Although it's technically a Level 44 zone, players can start farming XP here much earlier when teamed with high-level characters.
The way XP works in New World is different than many MMOs. Players don't get experience for getting the killing blow, nor is XP exclusive to the player who attacked the enemy first. Instead, players who deal any amount of damage to an enemy are granted XP that isn't shared with the party. Because of the unusually high spawn rate of boars in Boarsholm, players can spend hours attacking these enemies without any stops to amass huge XP gains. Aside from XP farming, it's a great way to work towards that Baconator title, too.
1 The Rabbit Island Quest
While much of New World's quests are derived from fantasy tropes, fetch quests, and the bog-standard MMO-type quests, one stands out for its unique story and overall silliness. In a mid-game area called The Restless Shore, there is an island in an inlet that appears absolutely infested with rabbits. Perhaps it's a reference to the real-life Rabbit Island in Japan, but nonetheless, it's home to one of the best hidden quests in the whole game.
Go to this island and look for the only named rabbit, called Stanley. He stands out from the others instantly, though it can be hard to tell from a distance. To initiate the quest, the player must, unfortunately, kill Stanley. Then, the sky darkens, thunder rings out across the hills, and a character called The Haremaster appears before the player. It's a jarring surprise to be sure, especially compared to most of the game's other quests, and it's one every New World player should try to check out at least once.
New World is available only on PC.