Update 5/11: Tom's Guide has edited the article to organize and clarify the demo.

New World is an MMO to be developed by Amazon Studios. As a preface, "New World" is also the name of a thousand other things, ranging from a disappointing Terrence Malick movie to most of the Western Hemisphere. Perhaps it is appropriate that the name is so vague that it is difficult to pinpoint exactly what New World is about.

"Tom's Guide" recently had the opportunity to see a press demo of New World. On the one hand, it looks like a competent MMO where you can team up with friends and take on tough enemies in challenging dungeons. On the other hand, it has the same general quality that Amazon Games' previous projects have ruined. Of course, "New World" could be the title to break this trend, but it will have to do something special between now and its August 31 launch to draw players away from popular MMOs like "World of Warcraft" and "Final Fantasy XIV." It will have to be.

My experience with New World was in the demo dungeon, an underground cavern and temple complex known as the Amrine Excavation. I saw a guided demo of New World, and I hope to play it in person soon and update this article with my impressions.

The Amrine Excavation itself has a rather interesting setting; for those unfamiliar with New World, the general premise is that it is the Age of Exploration, a world somewhat similar to our own, but with magic and monsters. One explorer, Simon Gray, leads an expedition to the mysterious Amrine Ruins and soon disappears. You and your friends follow him.

There you will fight three kinds of enemies: hulking Ravagers, ethereal ghosts, and bat-like grunts. You will also solve light puzzles and defeat bosses. Ideally, the party will consist of five people, with everyone's skills complementing each other. According to the developers, New World uses the DPS/tank/healer concept common in other MMOs, but players can mix and match several roles depending on their skills.

I say "skills" rather than "classes" because New World is a classless game. Skills, and subsequently roles within the party, are all determined by the weapons one equips, such as rapiers, staffs, and ice gauntlets. The ice gauntlet looked particularly cool, but players in our demo were unable to use it because its freezing effect slowed the game down too much. Hopefully, this will be resolved by August 31.

From there, players simply use their skills to complement each other and learn the attack patterns of their respective enemies; what sets New World apart from many other MMOs is that combat does not use tab targeting or skill rotation. Instead, players must target and attack enemies in real time, making it play more like an action game. Each player has only three active skills with varying cooldowns, and finding the right time to use them is part of the challenge.

If you've ever played an MMO dungeon, you can imagine how the rest of the Amrine excavation went. The party made their way through a surprisingly boring gray-brown cave, stopping to fight enemies in almost every new room. Given the limited variety of enemies, it seemed too long. In the end, the plot was resolved by fighting a monstrous version of Simon Gray himself.

According to the developers of New World, such large dungeon exploration occurred about once every ten levels, and the game was mostly overworld exploration, with a high degree of freedom and much less direction.

While it is difficult to judge from an empty-handed demo, there doesn't seem to be anything really wrong with New World. It is more focused on real-time action than most MMOs and has an original concept compared to the high fantasy currently dominating the market. The Amrine excavation seemed to have overstayed its welcome a bit, but I can see how it could be fun with a group of friends (or talkative strangers).

However, with most of the other Amazon Games projects having fizzled out, one wonders how New World intends to succeed. I once reviewed the publisher's first big game, Sev Zero, on the original Amazon Fire TV, and it was one of the most forgettable titles I've ever played. Amazon's multiplayer shooter "Crucible" went from "full release" to "discontinued" in less than five months. Like New World, there was nothing really wrong with the game. But in a crowded and competitive market, having an Amazon pedigree is not enough to stand out. (Remember: Amazon Studios, which produces content for the Amazon Prime video streaming service, has had more flops than hits.)

I asked the developers what makes New World particularly different from WoW, FFXIV, and other popular MMOs.

"The action/RPG combat is what sets us apart from other games," said game designer Scott Lane. 'We bring physics-based combat.' He also mentioned the weapon-based progression system, deep crafting mechanics, multiplayer sieges, and the ability to claim wilderness outposts.

"Very cool," he said. Very proud of it."

Other members of the team commented on the game's real-world and magical setting and how the developers are very receptive to customer feedback.

"We've engaged deeply with our customers, especially since the preview event. In-game, playing with customers, reading forums, listening to influencers, [we] are always paying attention."

Now that Amazon has canceled its ambitious Lord of the Rings MMO, New World is the company's only opportunity to enter the genre. The game seems to be working well enough so far, but whether it will ultimately put Amazon Games on the map remains to be seen.

New World will begin a closed beta on July 20, with a full launch on August 31. The game will be priced at $50 on Amazon or Steam, with no monthly subscription fee.