Happy Wednesday Gamers!

By now I’m sure its no surprise that Palworld has taken the gaming world by storm since its launch on January 19th this year. The creature collecting / open world crafting game really seems to have filled a void for players on PC. Even though the game is in early access right now, it still managed to reach record numbers on day one. At the time of this post, the current number of players is still over 620 thousand. I was surprised to find that Palworld actually does a lot of things right, and honestly I think Nintendo should be paying very close attention.

First Impressions

Palworld was developed by Japanese indie developer: Pocketpair. This seemingly simple gem seems to have exploded in popularity overnight. At first glance, the game seemed fake, almost like an AI generated trailer, which was concerning. However, after spending time with the game, I was shocked to find out that Palworld actually has solid mechanics and engaging features that you could get into, even if it borrows heavily from well established games. Right off the bat I noticed the game takes elements / themes straight from triple A titles like Legend of Zelda (navigation sounds, fonts, climbing, and tower theme), Pokemon (monster collecting, fighting elements, and team building), Valheim or Ark Survival Evolved (survival and base building), and even Division 2 (HUD and progress bar fonts and color). Beyond that, Palworld takes things on its own path with its unique fusion of base building, shooting mechanics, and Pal collecting.

What Sets it Apart

Palworld seperates itself from Pokemon in a very obvious way, in that the player can directly interact or partake in capturing the Pals without the need of using another Pals to do your bidding. This freedom to simply walk up to random Pals and punch, beat down, or shoot them to weaken them makes the capturing experience feel more realistic in that you can assist in the process directly. It is a simple change to the formula that makes a world of difference. The option to give your Pals weapons to defeat enemies and protect your base is unique to Palworld as well. While the Pals may initially seem like they are ripped out of a Pokemon game (artistically speaking), the truth is they are actually unique and stand apart in their own right.

The names, types, and variations are all very different, although I honestly did catch myself saying to a friend during a multiplayer session to check out my Pokemon – and corrected myself mid sentence, which continued to remind me how similar the Pals feel to those established characters / creatures. Another large part of the game is eating, as it is the only way to get your health back for you and your Pals on the go. As you hunt for more Pals they drop food items and materials you need for consuming and crafting. Some initial reactions were negative to the mechanic, but truthfully it makes sense that wool and mutton are dropped when a Lamball Pal is knocked out or that poultry and eggs are dropped from a Chikipi. This simple animal logic actually felt realistic in its own comical way and it gives you a reason to continue hunting or collecting more of the same Pals. You can also have your Pals help work on your home base while you are away, which helps you collect necessary resources for your journey.

General Reception and Final Thoughts

While the game is an extremely fun and generally engaging experience, it seems there are a bunch of others who have opinions about it that lie on negative side of the spectrum. I’ve come across random articles from other developers who share the sentiment that the game is very bland or hollow in that it has lots of areas that are completely open with nothing to do. As well, some felt that there is no real connection to the Pals in comparison to Pokemon games, which I agree with as well, however, I personally don’t view this as a negative. Sure the game can feel empty at times with large open sections of oceans, wooded areas, and mountains where essentially nothing is going on, but all things considered, this is an indie game, not a triple A title backed by tons of funding and marketing. As an early access indie game, I’m not surprised the world is sometimes empty, as it is still a work in progress, and all kinds of aspects of the game are still unpolished.

For what it is, personally, I found Palworld to be somewhat of a dream game. Its far from perfect, and it rides the line of almost being a clone of Pokemon, yet, it manages to set itself apart just enough, and creates an experience that is actually better than Pokemon in many ways. Being free to explore the diverse world on your own, and try to catch a new Pal by your hands is actually pretty fun (and hilarious) and you don’t feel held back or limited by the experience. My biggest take away though, was the shock of seeing just how thirsty players were to get their hands on an open world creature collector game like this. The numbers really skyrocketed to the top from day one (in Early Access no less), and I think it speaks to the quality of the gameplay on its own. Truthfully I have wished and hoped for Nintendo to release a more varied Pokemon experience like this for a long time. A game with better graphics and fresh mechanics but they just never ventured far from the original formula, even in their more ambitious titles like Pokemon Legends: Arceus or Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Palworld has been a fantastic change of pace to that collecting formula and I am excited to see what the finished game and future content will look like. Congrats to Pocketpair on their successful launch and I hope they are able to continue supporting Palworld for a long time to come.

If you’ve made it to the end here, I just want to say thank you so much for reading this post. It took a good amount of time to put this one together as there is so much content in Palworld even in its current state. I had a blast working on this and diving into its world. I really hope Nintendo wakes up after seeing the success of this game and sends a memo to Gamefreak to step up and consider what is possible in a creature collector game. Again, thank you so much for your time, and I hope you’re all enjoying Palworld with your friends as much as I have been. Have an awesome day!