By Emanuel Nader

On January 19, Pocket Pair Inc. released the indie open-world survival game “Palworld” on Xbox and PC platforms. Despite selling over 8 million copies in less than six days of its release, the game has created a lot of controversy online. 

The story is very lackluster, in fact, the only story consists of the opening scene in which you mysteriously wake up on an island and a tablet states “The towers are the key… the tree holds the truth”. As the tablet states, the story is basically just a mystery in which you play and beat the bosses in the towers to unlock the tree and discover the mystery of the island.

The game is highly reminiscent of “Pokémon” since it involves collecting Pokémon-like creatures called “Pals” who have very similar designs, almost seemingly copied.

In fact, Nintendo has responded to Palworld by indirectly stating, “We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokémon.” 

Additionally, Palworld has also been accused of copying “ARK: Survival Evolved,” considering their similar base-building, crafting, and overall user interfaces. Since then, Palworld’s creators have admitted to being inspired by ARK.

However, the game is much darker than Pokémon or ARK as you can kill the Pals and even force them into slave labor. The game doesn’t stop there, however, as you can also enslave humans in the game and force them to make arrows for you.

Despite the controversy, the game is really fun to play. The catching mechanic is interesting, although similar to Pokeballs. You use Palspheres to catch Pals (and unsuspecting humans if you’re a little more morally bankrupt). The Pals are also a nice addition to the game, as they can assist in gathering resources, can be used for transportation, and can engage in battles. 

The game also allows players to create their own base in a fun and innovative way. Base-building encourages users to let their creativity run wild, whether it be building a little cabin, a village, a mansion, or even a ginormous fortress. As long as the player is willing to scavenge for the resources (or force their Pals to), they can make the building of their dreams. The scavenging aspect of the game could sound boring but is actually entertaining because of the use of the Pals. Whether it be via transportation, such as flying or riding as well as using the Pals to mine ore, the grinding aspect feels interactive and enjoyable throughout the game.

The large map makes the game all the more enjoyable as it consists of diverse biomes, such as the forest, a volcano, the tundra, and the desert. Stumbling across an amazing new Pal and capturing it always in these different areas keeps the player on edge. 

Throughout the game, players search for better weapons and Pals to defeat the five towers, each representing a major boss. However, after defeating the five towers, there aren’t any other bosses to battle or objectives to achieve, leaving the game feeling somewhat anticlimactic. But to be fair, the game is still in Early Access, and the developers have already announced updates, such as a Player vs. Player feature, improvements to the building system, and new islands, pals, bosses, and technologies.

Overall, Palworld has rightfully stirred the gaming community with both successes and controversies. But despite the controversies many gamers have fallen in love with the amazing gameplay of an open-world survival game that includes base-building, creature-catching, and much more. If you love open-world survival games or haven’t delved into the genre yet, this game will definitely get you hooked.