Palworld Preview: "For All Its Faults, It Teeters on the Edge of Early Greatness"

is a colorful sample platter of proven ideas and concepts, a recipe which has already paid off in a big way for developer Pocketpair, Inc. That its recent preview-labeled release is even table-ready is a miracle in and of itself; this blend of survival gameplay, monster-collecting, base-management simulation, and somewhat cumbersome third-person action/exploration sabotages most expectations of coherence, even managing to squeeze in some decent 32-strong multiplayer netcode on top. It's a little frustrating, goofy, squeaky at the joints, and garishly constructed, but is still an indisputably fun hang in these early days.

The discussion of ’s connection to rages on, and its post-preview life is probably cursed with continued comparison and contrast to Nintendo’s flagship franchise forevermore. It’s also a predictable discourse which manifests in response to virtually any monster-catching game, but 's design complicates things further. Inspirations run rampant here, mustering elements, motifs, and outright imitation of,,, and, to name a few.

The question is thus: where does this leave 's own legacy? Wherein lies the kernel identity of a game whose very foundation seems parceled from trusted fonts of familiarity and nostalgia? It's true that many of the game's collectable «Pals» perilously boast comparable designs to those of Pokémon (as well as a notable Studio Ghibli characters' familiar grin), but there are a few new ideas and functions within this arguable mimicry. Which is all to say: the game can feel like an ethical conundrum at times, albeit an eminently playable and accessible one.

As a castaway awakening on the shores of the (survivor-dubbed) Palpagos Islands, 's first hour is spent on the usual survival resource-gathering shtick. Absent almost any direct narrative – journal entries of an earlier castaway can be found on pedestals scattered throughout the island, but the game’s story is primarily self-construed – players begin gathering wood, stone, and