The Impact of Palworld

There has been a lot of discourse surrounding the latest entry in the monster-collecting subgenre over the past few weeks. If you aren’t aware of Palworld, it was initially shown off during the Summer of Gaming event last year, where it was pitched as “Pokémon with guns.” Last week the game went into early access on Steam and shattered records; it became the most downloaded new game, having one of the largest active player bases on Steam. Meanwhile, Epic Games had server issues as a result of the huge player counts.

As is the case with every successful game recently, there has been a variety of controversies that have sprung up. Some claim the game is AI-generated, while others accuse it of plagiarism, and Developers have even been sent death threats. Essentially, many seek to discredit and devalue the success of Palworld while invalidating those who enjoy it.

Now I’m a big fan of the monster-collecting genre as a whole, and I’ve been a fan of Pokémon for most of my life. When Palworld was first revealed I was certainly intrigued, like most people. However, after watching some gameplay I found myself losing interest as I typically don’t love survival sandbox games.

Now just because the game isn’t for me, doesn’t mean I hate that it exists. Palworld isn’t perfect by any means. Its monster designs are uninspired and bland. Additionally, the gameplay systems are derivative of others successful titles like Ark: Survival Evolved, Valheim, and more. Frankly, however, this criticism is something I could also throw at Pokémon. The most recent entries, Scarlet and Violet as well as Legends: Arceus lifted a majority of their gameplay systems from pretty much every successful open-world RPG.

No one seemed to mind given the games sold just as well if not better than ever. Palworld mixes these systems together in a uniquely comedic way, features expansive multiplayer options, and packages them within a solid presentation. On top of that it runs smoother than any Pokémon game despite being in early access.

Additionally, It’s my belief that it’s not always a bad thing to be derivative. If a system is intuitive and well-received by audiences then why change it? Most games these days are already simply twists on established concepts but are presented with a new coat of paint. In fact, this is often how we categorize our modern genres with terms like Souls-like, Rogue-lite, Metroidvania, etc. Of course, if there is found to be valid copyright infringement, Nintendo is well within its rights to take the game down and certainly has the power to do so.

Whatever your stance on Palworld is, I think most people can agree that the monster-collection genre has grown stale. Pokémon rules the genre, and other big developers stay away from it for the most part. The best part of Palworld’s success is that it simply shows other developers that this genre is both something consumers are craving and that they can find success in.

When Pokémon first blew up in the ’90s and 2000s, there were numerous other monster collectors on the market. Games like Spectrobes, Fossil Fighters, Dragon Quest: Monsters, and Monster Rancher, although not as successful, still provided fans with decent products. These games explored new ideas and promoted innovation while retaining the addictive gameplay loop pioneered by the Pokémon franchise.

I’m hoping Palworld’s success can bring back some competition to the industry. While it will certainly never unseat or even replace Pokémon from atop it’s throne, at the very least us consumers will have more options to choose from. Palworld could also encourage more people to step outside the comfort zone of Pokémon and support other options in the genre.

As mentioned beforehand, the Dragon Quest: Monsters series just recently returned with a new entry, called The Dark Prince. Instead of wasting time hating on Palworld, I’d encourage naysayers and active Palworld players alike to also play this game. The series has always been full of interesting ideas and captures the essence of Pokémon with just as much polish as Palworld. If you want more complex story driven experiences then check out the Digimon World or Cyber Sleuth series.

At the end of the day we all play games to have fun. If people are enjoying Palworld and having fun with their friends, then that’s a good thing. Monster-collecting games are an underrated genre with huge potential and I’m happy to see more people finding the joy that I get from them within Palworld. On the other hand, If the game isn’t your cup of tea and you don’t wish to support the team that’s alright as well. In the future, however, I hope we can let people make their own choices and try to look on the bright side of things.