Pocketpair Games' newly announced open-world survival crafting game Palworld combines brightly colored graphics, adorable monster designs, and an unexpectedly brutal world. The end result looks a lot like a Pokemon game but appears to play more like a third-person Rust or Subnautica. The Palworld announcement trailer shifts rapidly between a serene farming/crafting mode where players take care of soft, fuzzy sheep and build houses with the help of little blue penguins and a fast-paced combat mode where the gloves are off and the guns come out.
The official Pokemon franchise has also taken a step into open-world mechanics with Pokemon Legends: Arceus coming in January, but Palworld seems ready to go much deeper into the genre. The world of Palworld isn't just filled with Pals, cute and powerful animals that players can befriend--it's filled with danger, fierce competition for Pals and resources, and locations that are perfect for players to build factories.
It wouldn't be inaccurate to describe Palworld as "Pokemon with war crimes," especially when the criminal aspect is mentioned in the game's description. Poaching endangered Pals is illegal, but the Steam page notes that this is a good way for players to earn money if they can get into hunting prohibited zones without being caught. Pokemon Legends: Arceus may take heavy inspiration from games like Breath of the Wild, but it's unlikely to allow players to model themselves after Team Rocket--or any of the other gangs that haunt the world of Pokemon, for that matter.
The option to poach Pals isn't the only way Palworld will offer players the chance to be the bad guy--killing and eating Pals is also illegal, but harsh weather and food shortages may leave players with few other options. Another morally ambiguous game mechanic allows players to put Pals to work, either in traditional Pokemon fashion by helping players fly around, mine for resources, start fires, generate power, or protect themselves, or in factories.
While the Pokemon games teach empathy for animals, Palworld lets players force Pals to work on assembly lines for the rest of their lives. This option certainly puts the bond between Pal and the player in a different, less idealized light than the bond between Pokemon and trainer.
Palworld also offers more traditional ways to interact with Pals, including getting their help in combat--either as fellow combatants, transportation, or living shields--as well as breeding them for stronger hybrid Pals. The game will also include multiplayer, allowing for battle and trade between players. 2020 may have been Pokemon's most profitable year yet, but 2022 may be the year of Palworld.
Palworld releases for PC in 2022.