Amazon Game Studios' New World has been one of the most highly anticipated and controversial releases of the year. The amount of hype around this title led it to an all-time peak of 913,027 concurrent players on Steam a few days after launch. With so many players all making their way across Aeternum, it's no surprise that some players have uncovered some of the island's many secrets. New World's Ghost Ship is one of those secrets.
The main hook of New World is as simple as it is endlessly reusable: On the mysterious island of Aeternum, the fundamental laws of life and death do not apply, and the effects extend to anyone who gets close enough. This includes players, NPCs, and human opponents, but it also affects animals, trees, and other plant life, as seen in the Angry Earth enemy type. New World players must already keep enemy types in mind when customizing their fighting styles, but now it seems the curse of Aeternum can even reach inanimate objects. Or perhaps the Ghost Ship, like many other rumored spectral vessels, was never truly inanimate.
A Brief History of Ghost Ships in New World
The Ghost Ship found in New World has been observed by many players, most of whom were fishing at the time. It takes the form of an old-fashioned sailing ship that glows with an eerie green light. The ship also doesn't appear to have anyone on board, much like real-life ghost ships. It has been spotted at night in First Light by the Saircor Bridge, though it generally disappears as quickly as it shows up. It may also scare away the fish, but most players seem to find this an even trade for the chance to witness such a rare event.
Like many aspects of New World, the Ghost Ship appears to be based on a real-life myth, and a real-life tragedy. Actual ghost ships come in two varieties: spectral ships sailing under an unknown power, and derelict vessels left drifting with no living crew. One of the most famous real-life ghost ships was the Mary Celeste, which was discovered completely abandoned in the Atlantic ocean on December 4, 1872. However, New World's Ghost Ship appears to be based on a more supernatural vessel: the Flying Dutchman, a ship from European Maritime legend doomed to sail forever. New World isn't the first video game to add ghost ships, but it's certainly one of the most mysterious.
The Flying Dutchman
According to legend, the Flying Dutchman was a ship that, for one reason or another, was cursed to never make it to port. Some versions say the captain sold or bet his soul to the devil, while others say that murder and plague took out the crew and left the ship to sail onward without them. Whatever the case, the legend has made its mark on pop culture, with the Flying Dutchman playing a major role in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise alongside its tentacle-faced captain Davy Jones. While New World's Ghost Ship is largely a mystery, a few hints in the lore suggest that the vessel is meant to be another version of the Flying Dutchman.
Curious players can find three pieces of lore scattered across Aeternum that appear to refer to the Ghost Ship: "Sighting the Ghost Ship," "Legend of the Vendetta," and "A Cautionary Tale." The first was written by someone else who witnessed the Ghost Ship, the second elaborates that this version of the Flying Dutchman is supposed to be a ship that tried to sail away from Aeternum long ago and failed horribly, and the third appears to suggest that the ship's crew have become Withered. Also present in the game is the "Flying Dutchman" Painting decoration item, which players can place in their homes.
New World is available now on PC.