Palworld is a game that has understandably taken the internet by storm. It has a Pokémon inspired feel, with animals being of different elements and the player being able to catch them. They can be trained to fight against others or live a comfortable life. It is also known as Pokémon with guns.
Farming? Crafting? Battles?
This game by Pocketpair has a lot of content. It’s described as a multiplayer, open-world survival crafting game, with a lot of additional features. Farming, crafting and creature collecting are all things players love, but are themes that are already being explored. Monster Harvest, for example, already has the same style and feel of Stardew Valley but with Pokémon. The open world however is something new, allowing players to play and experience the game at their own pace.
Following Pocketpair’s game Craftopia, it’s no surprise that the company went for another open world survival game. Imagine if the Wild Area from Pokémon Sword and Shield was the entire game – and you get Palworld. Players however can actually build bases, farms and constructs, like Minecraft, to navigate and survive in the world. While there hasn’t been too much shown about the crafting side of things in game, it has shown that players can farm for food and gather resources, like wool, from sheep-shaped Pals.
Moral ambiguity?
There are a lot of features in Palworld which may make the player think twice. One of these elements is survival. One question that has been asked before, is “do people eat Pokémon”? In Palworld, the answer is simple: yes, to survive. Poaching and hunting are themes within the game, and the player may have to consume these adorable creatures to live.
Poaching is also illegal in game. Some Pals live in protected areas because they are rare. However, as the game states: “It’s only illegal if you get caught.” Players get rewarded for this through selling rare Pals that are worth a lot of money, which may be more appealing than spending time farming or crafting.
Something else that caught the internet’s attention is forcing Pals into manual labor. In the trailer, cute critters are seen doing building work on your behalf, or even in factory production lines to make guns. How the pals are treated by the player is entirely their call. Will Pals be equals, or will they be just things sent to work? That is entirely up to the player.
If this game has piqued your interest, it unfortunately won’t be released until 2022. Palworld seems to also only be available on PC. If you want to see more gun-blazing, creature collecting action, then check out the trailer here:
