Palworld – Quick Review
Playable on: Xbox One; Xbox Series X|S; PC (also on Xbox Game Pass)
Palworld is a monster-collecting RPG that takes inspiration from games like Pokemon and Digimon. However, Palworld takes a more mature approach to the genre, featuring a little more violence than you would see in a Pokemon-type game.
Players can capture and train monsters (Pals), which they can then use to battle other Pals or NPCs. Players can also use their Pals to gather resources, craft items, and build their own homes and bases.
Players can also butcher their own Pals for resources. You definitely don’t see that in Pokemon. You don’t have to play Palworld this way at all, but it is a farming option.
Art:
Palworld boasts childlike, yet visually impressive graphics. It strikes a nice balance between charm and sophistication. The game world is vibrant, with nice landscapes and adorable Pals. The Pals are obviously spoofs of many of the Pokemon you’ve grown up with.
Review:
Palworld is kind of a mishmash of several games. It seems to blend aspects of games, like:
- Minecraft Legends – Base Building
- Pokemon Arceus – Catching Pokemon in the open world
- Valheim – Survival Crafting Game
- Grounded – Survival Game with insects instead of Pals
- Stardew Valley – Farm Simulation
Fighting in Palworld is not turn-based like many Pokemon games are. You’ll often need fast hand-eye coordination to hunt down, capture, and/or defeat Pals.
The farming aspect can be silly satisfying at times. Example: You construct a berry pit to grow berries. You capture a Grass Pal that is good at seeding, and he will automatically seed the berry bed. Then you capture a Water Pal that spews water from its mouth like a fire hydrant, and he will automatically water the berries as needed. Then at harvest time, all of your “transporting” pals will pick the berries and carry them to the storage area so that they all can feed themselves. And this enables you to go out and hunt other Pal species to see what they can do.
Pros:
- Unique and interesting take on the monster-collecting genre
- Fun and addictive gameplay
- Challenging gameplay
- Multiplayer gameplay
- Base Building (if you like that sort of thing)
Cons:
- Not for everyone. This game is not Halo. It is not The Witcher. It is also not Pokemon!
- Can be challenging
- Base Building (if you don’t like that sort of thing). Many “unlocks” (like armor and weapons) mandate you building up your base.
If you’re looking for a mature and challenging monster-collecting RPG, then Palworld is definitely worth checking out. However, if you’re looking for a more kid-friendly experience, then you might be better off looking elsewhere.
Final Score:
4.5 out of 5 stars
Pojo Notes:
- As of this review, I have played 1906 minutes of Palworld (~ 32 hours) through the Xbox game pass. I haven’t really been into base-building before, but I’m enjoying it this time around.
- I have read about players having glitches on the Xbox. I have seen a few, but they haven’t made Palworld unplayable. I have been stuck underground on my flying mount a few times in the mountains. And I sometimes have trouble with machines at my base.
- I have also tried multiplayer. For the most part, multiplayer runs smooth as well. We have had two drops, but the game is still considered “in Beta”, so we have to expect that sort of thing.