It has been an exciting time for massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) fanatics over the past few years. And that excitement only increased further when game developers Smilegate and Amazon released Lost Ark and New World respectively.
Both MMORPGs achieved their pinnacle of success in the very beginning phase of their releases. Their high ratings and positive reviews broke the internet as players from around the world jumped on the MMO wagon and engrossed themselves in the classic grind of Lost Ark and New World.
However, not all of us want to or have the luxury of time to start a memorable journey in both games simultaneously. Therefore, if you had to choose between one of these two MMORPGs, whose world should you pick to commence your heroic journey: Lost Ark or New World?
Both of these games uphold their exclusive as well as common attributes and incentives that make them great. Hence, after meticulously researching Lost Ark and New World, we have articulated and broken down the differences between these two MMOs to help you decide which is best for you. Two realms and only one hero to save them all: this is Lost Ark vs New World.
Lost Ark vs New World: Pros and Cons
To encapsulate it all, here are some of the major pros and cons of Lost Ark and New World.
| Lost Ark Pros | New World Pros |
|---|---|
| Free to play | No subscription fee |
| Versatile late game content (including level balanced PVP) | High-quality sound effects and Graphics |
| Immersive Isometric Combat with eye-catching effects | High skill combat |
| Diverse Class systems | Liberty of Classless System |
| Good Character designs/customization | Negates pay to win services |
| Has pets and mounts | Is solo-friendly |
| Large Map | Crafting is easy-to-understand |
| Intriguing Housing (stronghold) | |
| Lost Ark Cons | New World Cons |
| Lack of Races | No mounts |
| Gender locked classes | Limited content (less than 10 dungeons) |
| Has intricate game mechanics | Map size could be larger |
| Encourages pay to win | Mediocre character customization |
| Gear Upgrading system is tough | Questing could use more innovation |
| No SEA server | Territory Wars cause lag issues |
| Lost Ark Bottomline | New World Bottomline |
Lost Ark perfects 2.5D isometric ARPG graphics with a vast map that deepens and enhances the questing experience. In addition to its awe-inspiring character designs, it has entertaining late-game content— topped with a high number of active players. |
New World accumulates everything we cherish about 3D MMORPGs with stellar graphics, easy-to-fathom game mechanics, and a high-skill combat system that enriches its PVP/PVE experience. However, once you are familiarized with its late-game content, things start to feel bland. |
Lost Ark vs New World: Player Count
Before we launch ourselves into the contrast of the in-depth gameplay mechanics of the two games, it is imperative to a greater awareness that we initially talk about the average monthly active players for Lost Ark and New World. No one wants to commit to a game that runs the risk of dying. The numbers have been surreal for both of these open-world games.
The developers have readily worked on their shortcomings; thereby, increasing the early player count at an impressive rate. However, despite the sincerest efforts and sheer hard work, one of these two games has suffered critical losses in their monthly number of active players.
So, let’s commence with Lost Ark. Yes, it was released back in 2019— mainly for Korean servers, but now it has made a dramatic entrance in other servers of the world and is on a rampage of making a name for itself. According to the official steam charts, Lost Ark has a whopping 800,000+ active players with a peak exceeding 1.3 million! Looks like many players decided to emigrate to Arkesia from Aeternum.
In the contemporary, after having made its way to the European and American servers, Lost Ark is no longer lost— it has been found. Therefore, as far as the latest statistics go, New World now holds a player count of 30,000 plus and a peak that amounts to 81,000. Despite facing a loss of 100,000+ active players, these are still good numbers if they remain steady. Newer updates in the future certainly hold the possibility of gaining more players again.
New World on the other hand, after facing a lot of delays finally came to fruition in September 2021 and took the gaming community by storm. In October 2021, one month after surpassing its beta, New World achieved 400,000+ average players with a peak amounting to almost a million. But due to certain reasons which we’ll come back to later, New World suffered a consistent loss of active players after every passing month. Despite the immense drop in the curve of the graph, New World established a steady player count of loyal gamers. This too lasted for only a short while. As long as Lost Ark remained in the shadows— remained “lost” the New World dev team had no threat of competition. But does the player count alone define which game is more elite? Definitely not, and so we make our way towards the graphics and visuals of Lost Ark and New World.
Lost Ark vs New World: Graphics and Visuals
We hate to admit it, but we love our aesthetics. Yes, we can always have round-table conferences about the tiniest details concerning the current meta, patches, updates, and more; however, something as straightforward as how a game looks can be a decisive factor for us. New World and Lost Ark excel in their worldly and character designs. Both represent the latest era MMOs and so, their graphics and visuals are up to par with present-day expectations. How both of these games deliver their respective graphics and visuals is a different story.
For an ARPG like Lost Ark, you have your 2.5D isometric camera angle that sets itself above the playing field. If you are familiar with the predecessors of isometric perspectives such as the Diablo series and Path of Exile, then you understand its essence. The character models for Lost Ark are a sight for sore eyes— and on a personal level— AOE spell effects and the swift hack n slash feel more vibrant/captivating than New World. On the other hand, the breathtaking god rays and map exploration feels more natural with New World.
When you play New World, you receive the third-person camera angle. This means a better close-up toward your character whilst exploring the supernatural island of Aeternum. If you have been a fan of the elder scroll series as well as games like guild wars, you get the gist. Furthermore, there have been no complaints regarding the sound and impact effects of spells, projectiles, and melee weaponry from the community. Everything feels crisp, not overly done, and pleasant to the eye.
Almost the entirety of the gaming community can adapt to the third-person camera angle, but the isometric perspective carries a pickier opinion. If the isometric angle of Lost Ark is your cup of tea too, you are in for a treat.
Lost Ark vs New World: General Gameplay
Steering sideways from the camera angles and the graphics of the two games, the distinct features of their respective gameplay styles are quite transparent. As far as questing goes, both follow a similar path. Completing one quest after another leads you to newer zones and so on.
Lost Ark sticks to the classic class system but adds a unique selling point of its own. Every class has an advanced class category. For example, the Warrior class system has three further variations: Berserker, Paladin, and Gunlancer. But then again, the gender lock on some of these advanced classes proves to be vexing. In New World, you experience a more open-ended experience due to the elimination of the class system. From the moment you wash up on the shores of Aeternum, your hero has the liberty to become whatever he wants to.
Apart from that, we have a leveling system. Lost Ark assures hitting the cap level if you simply abide by the main storyline quests. New World will have you slipping for side quests and other activities in between— the focus will be on gathering materials for different professions as well. Besides that, we have differences in the combat gameplay— PVP and PVE. What are the key differences in the gameplay found there?
Lost Ark vs New World: Combat System
Lost Ark, as discussed, has classes that are further fragmented into advanced classes. Whereas for New World, we have the four core attributes that’ll ultimately determine what class your player will be adhering to in the late game and what type of weapons will he/her choose. The weapons have their mastery trees, and you are granted two weapon slots.
The difference in third person and isometric lands a twist for both games. Lost Ark’s combat system has a lot of hack n slash involved. You’ll be clearing hordes of demonic waves with the swing of your sword, spells, or guns. It is a frenzy and will have you on adrenaline mode. All of this will be achieved while relying on a small number of hotkeys concurrently with lots of keys smashing.
New World’s combat system is more toward the realistic side. It will cajole you to pick your moments rather than relentlessly charging at an enemy. Furthermore, unlike Lost Ark, you do not stumble upon masses of foes, rather small portions at a time. In terms of combat skill, I would rate New World’s combat as more intricate and diverse to master. Whereas Lost Ark shines in its diversity of sub-classes which each comes with its strengths and weaknesses. And as always, the Isometric and third-person perspectives will have a big impact on whose combat system gameplay are you likely to cling toward.
Lost Ark vs New World: PVP and PVE
All hardcore MMO enthusiasts are in it for the late game. We love to dominate in PVP and PVE modes where we receive the chance to flex our gear scores and the damage dealt per second. The thrill of climbing the leaderboard is always there. Amazon and Smilegate have done a terrific job in embedding rich content into their games. In both Lost Ark and New World, once you hit the Cap level, you are not left wandering the landscapes. In fact, the late-game content certainly excels early-game content.
Let’s talk about Lost Ark first. Lost Ark’s end-game content is golden tier as it diversifies dungeons into different types: Chaos and Abyss dungeons. The differences between the two are minute but it smoothly expands the end game experience. In Chaos dungeons, your objective is to eliminate hordes of enemies. After a certain about of wave clearing, you’ll be granted access to the next level. Abyss dungeons follow an identical trail except for this time the difficulty level is raised to an extent where working as an efficient team is paramount. The rewards match the increasing difficulty.
Lost Ark has its version of raids as well called, Guardian Raids. In this mode, you will be introduced to massive bosses. Their health bars are hidden; thereby, making the fights a lot spicier. Guardian Raids’ difficulty level intensifies as you keep progressing. Lastly, we have Procyon’s Compass and Islands in the PVE section of Lost Ark. Procyon Compass is a one-day event that includes events like Chaos Gate, Ghost Ship, and Adventure Island. Player vs Player includes arena battles (level equalizer feature embedded) and your regular 1v1s.
As it might already be a part of your knowledge, New World has three factions who are engaged in an incessant marathon of bloodshed for the ultimate ambition of conquering the entire Aeternum: we have Marauders, Syndicate and Covenant. This creates a sense of belonging, fidelity, patriotism, and something to fight for as each faction carries its individual ideology.
This is pertinent to New World’s PVP and PVE modes because fighting for the control of greater territory alongside the banner of your faction amplifies the exhilaration and signifies the purpose of undertaking aggressive measures against the opposing factions. Unlike Elder Scrolls online, who in their early days struggled with the concept of war-like PVP/PVE, New World has been off to an impressive start.
For instance, the War mode will immerse you in its enthralling 100 players’ PVP. In it, you will either be on the offensive side or the defensive side as one faction attacks and the other defends its fort. Similarly, we also have Invasion mode in New World. This player vs environment mode holds half the amount of the War mode (50 players). You’ll face daunting waves of enemies who won’t be magnanimous when knocking at your faction’s door— should you survive for 30 minutes, the victory will be yours.
One cannot leave out the innovative Outpost Rush mode. New World’s Outpost Rush coalesces the core aspects of both PVP and PVE. In this fast-paced 20 vs 20 battle, you will contest the opposing team’s outpost— capture it while defending your own. Lastly, you have your casual and thrilling expeditions (New World’s answer to dungeons).
According to the latest forums and general opinions of the gaming community, Lost Ark’s late-game content is much abundant in contrast to New World’s. This doesn’t necessarily mean that New World lacks the basic set-up for such content, it’s just that players are sort of exhaustive from replaying the same old few options. Surely, Amazon Dev has more up their sleeves for New World which only time will unravel.
Lost Ark vs New World: Pay to Win?
Pay to win games ruin the arduous journey of working tirelessly for high-tier weapons and gear that gives a player a gigantic edge in PVP, PVE, and in other areas of the game. It is also labeled as a buzzkill and is despised by the majority of the gaming community. So, the big question rises— does Lost Ark incorporate pay-to-win features? For New World, it is a resounding no. The game is abstaining from pay-to-win features completely.
When it comes to Lost Ark, few have labeled it as pay to win. Some said it outwardly and for the other half, this phrase lingered about like a rumor. The short answer here is a no as well. But does Lost Ark encourage you to spend real-world cash? Yes. Nevertheless, it is for things that do not come in the way of an equal experience for all. Looking at it empathetically, Lost Ark is a free game after all, and the creators want to generate revenue in some shape and form. You can obtain starter bundles of the game that comes with gifts.
Furthermore, Lost Ark has a lot of currencies. There is silver, gold, crystals, etc. All of these are obtainable by the in-game drops when receiving quest rewards, doing events, PVP, and so on. The only exception is the Royal Crystals. To get there, you’ll have to buy them with real-life cash. But in no way do they grant a player a competitive advantage— Royal crystals are mainly used to buy certain packages and cosmetic items. The Russian server is said to have the option of speeding up your progression in the game, but even fast leveling doesn’t feel like a violation. If someone wants to jump ahead to the late game faster, it is a flexible option.
Lost Ark vs New World: Verdict
You haven’t read this far only to come across a neutral stance between the two games. After having meticulously broken down the core aspects of the two games, we believe Lost Ark takes the MMO cup this time. Yes, at the end of the day, third-person and Isometric perspectives are still going to be the major decision-makers for many gamers as not everyone can comfortably adjust to Lost Ark’s 2.5D isometric camera angle.
When placed under the same light, Lost Ark’s late-game content generally feels vaster compared to New World’s. Not to mention, Lost Ark’s massive player count is another persuasive factor. Players want to enter a more populated world. This doesn’t eliminate the reality that both games will have newer ideas and content prepared for the future, and we can certainly predict that Amazon Games will be broadening the content of New World in the upcoming updates. New World is far from being dead but in the contemporary, Lost Ark has won our hearts.
