The Elevator Pitch That Worked
"Pokémon with guns" — that's the pitch that launched Palworld into the stratosphere, selling 25 million copies and becoming the most-played third-party game in Xbox Game Pass history. But reducing Pocketpair's Early Access survival game to that meme does a disservice to what is genuinely one of the most addictive gaming experiences we've encountered.
Palworld blends creature collection with survival crafting in a way that shouldn't work but absolutely does. You capture strange creatures called Pals, then put them to work in your base — farming, mining, crafting, and manufacturing. You ride them, fight alongside them, and yes, equip them with assault rifles. The tonal whiplash between the cute creature designs and the exploitative labor mechanics is jarring, intentionally so, and creates a uniquely unsettling charm.
The base-building system is surprisingly robust. Constructing an automated factory staffed by Pals who mine, smelt, craft, and farm while you're off exploring is deeply satisfying. Watching your operation grow from a ramshackle hut to a sprawling industrial complex provides a tangible sense of progression that pure creature-collection games lack.
Exploration and Combat
The open world is vast and visually diverse, spanning snow-capped mountains, volcanic islands, dense forests, and arid deserts. Each biome hosts unique Pals with distinct abilities, encouraging thorough exploration. Boss encounters against larger, more powerful Pals provide satisfying challenges, and dungeon-like tower raids offer structured endgame content.
Combat is functional if not exceptional. Your character fights alongside their Pals using a combination of firearms and melee weapons, while issuing basic commands to your creature companions. It's engaging enough to sustain the gameplay loop but lacks the depth and polish of dedicated action games. The real joy comes from discovering new Pals, experimenting with breeding combinations, and optimizing your base operations.
Early Access Growing Pains
As an Early Access title, Palworld shows its rough edges. Performance can be unstable, particularly in multiplayer with large bases. Bug frequency increases as your operation grows in complexity. Content thins out considerably in the late game, with endgame consisting primarily of breeding optimization and base expansion. The narrative is essentially nonexistent, and the game desperately needs more structured activities to maintain long-term engagement.
The controversy surrounding Pal designs' similarity to certain Pokémon cannot be ignored. While Pocketpair maintains that all designs are original, some creatures bear unmistakable resemblance to existing pocket monsters. Whether this constitutes inspiration or something more troubling is a question the courts may ultimately decide.
✅ Pros
- Incredibly addictive gameplay loop
- Robust base-building and automation
- Charming creature designs
- Massive open world to explore
- Excellent value for Early Access pricing
- Surprisingly deep breeding mechanics
❌ Cons
- Performance issues especially in multiplayer
- Content thins rapidly in endgame
- Combat lacks depth and polish
- Controversial creature design similarities
- Minimal narrative or story content
- Many systems feel unfinished
The Verdict
Palworld is a wild, addictive ride that succeeds despite its rough edges. It proves that bold conceptual risks can pay off spectacularly. While it needs significant polish and content expansion, the core loop is so compelling that it's easy to lose dozens of hours to its strange, gun-toting creature world.
"Palworld is gaming's guiltiest pleasure — a fever dream mashup that has no right being this fun, yet here we are, 80 hours deep."