new-world-greatsword-abilities-rated

The abilities for the New World Greatsword rated based on "usefulness", "coolness", and "ease-of-use."

Before our Brimstone Sands review is published in a few days' time, we've decided to give a closer inspection of the abilities of the latest weapon in Aeternum -- the huge Soul-Calibre-esque double-handed blade that is the New World Greatsword.

Greatsword: Onslaught Branch

Onslaught is a hyper aggressive stance. While it can be deployed in multiple ways, we found it very effective when used to maximise the chances of landing critical hits while adding debuffs and extra damage to those crits.

Skyward Slash

Usefulness: 8/10

Coolness: 8/10 (especially once upgraded to incorporate a downward slash too)

Ease-of-Use: 10/10

Crosscut

Usefulness: 7/10

Coolness: 5/10 (bit too similar to your standard attacks)

Ease-of-Use: 10/10

Relentless Rush

Usefulness: 8/10

Coolness: 9/10 (it looks especially cinematic if used as the finishing move for multiple enemies, seeing them fall behind you)

Ease-of-Use: 5/10 (lurching forward makes it hard to deploy with accuracy in the heat of the moment)

Greatsword: Defiance Branch

Defiance can be used to turn yourself into a steel fortress. While mixing the branches grants you access to both stances, using pure defiance is a great new tank option.

Calamity Counter

Usefulness: 9/10

Coolness: 10/10 (We love this, it's broad counter which creates a Halo-esque honeycomb shield in the air)

Ease-of-Use: 8/10 (Pretty easy for a counter)

Steadfast Strike

Usefulness: 9/10 (Defiance's boring-but-necessary standard ability; the stamina boost is useful)

Coolness: 5/10

Ease-of-Use: 8/10

Roaring Rupture

Usefulness: 8/10

Coolness: 8/10 (We're not sure about the name, but who can complain about a greatsword-to-ground shockwave ability? Not this guy.)

Ease-of-Use: 10/10

Consult our upcoming New World Brimstone Sands review for a full breakdown of our thoughts on the new weapon. You'll find it on our MMO game reviews page before Halloween.