Palworld 1.0 Review (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, & PC)

There haven’t been many successful, prominent monster-catching games that any new one immediately prompts an unfair comparison to Pokemon. “Unfair” because gaming franchises have been borrowing ideas from one another from time immemorial and building on them to offer us something refreshingly new. It’s the hope I had going into Palworld that it feels familiar enough to rekindle my love for collecting cute creatures, but also offer something new that takes the collectathon marathons to the next level. It’s how I can best describe Pocketpair’s newest venture into the monster-catching territory, except rather than simply stick to hunting and taming adorable creatures, they add multiple layers of additional gameplay that make the experience entirely worthy of its own critique. 

Here is a, hopefully, new long-running franchise that takes what already works. Monster-catching is a global phenomenon that has amassed such loyal fans who are now well into their thirties and forties. Fans who’ve been loyal for decades, unrelenting in their passion for hunting for the rarest of Pokemon cards. It’s a system that works, and I’m sorry to say this, but I absolutely hate that Nintendo would want to keep something so special to themselves, especially when they’ve just about reached the epitome of innovating Pokemon gameplay. I say it’s time for other devs to try their luck at evolving Pokemon, still adhering to legal compliances and all. 

That legal drama aside, I’m so damn happy that the Early Access run has paid off. For a minute there, I thought Pocketpair was sitting on their hands, making too minor adjustments to leave a lasting impact. But the finished product is certainly a joy to behold and play through. Here are my thoughts so far, reviewing Palworld as is.

Never a Dull Moment

I absolutely love spending time in Palworld. Something about the gameplay loop melts my heart with childlike joy, though with the odd juxtaposition that Pocketpair did, indeed, stick to the literal “hunting” for Pokemon. Your guns and bow in hand, you’ll downright strike down gorgeous Pals frolicking in the wild. It sounds incredibly brutal to beat down a sheep over the head until it relinquishes its hold on to its wool. Hunting Pals, and harvesting resources from them, is violent, logically, but pretty fun, practically. And I’m not a sadist, I promise.

It’s just the implementation of the cartoony graphics and animations that make it so damn charming. I suppose there is no workaround to taming wild creatures. You will have to get physically brutal to tame them. But Palworld ensures that even while bludgeoning your next capture, the look of it remains all innocent, at times even comically pleasurable.

Your captured Pals become a permanent addition to your collection. But beyond boasting the rarest and strongest collection of Pals, they also help you gather resources, craft new gear, and build bases of operations. It’s the major difference that Palworld introduces to the monster-catching gaming experience. I know recent Pokemon games have broadened their horizon to include gym training and turn-based fights. And that has also been altered in Palworld, where your Pals fight beside you. 

So, you see, pleading in Palworld’s legal case (cough, cough), Pocketpair really did create something refreshingly new. Nintendo is just gatekeeping its hold over monster-catching and taming, and I hope that the positive reception Palworld has received speaks for itself in needing more games altering and innovating, but I digress. 

Out of the Frying Pan

All those who jumped on the Palworld bandwagon during the Early Access period already know all of these features to be true. Going out into an open-world in search of Pals, catching them, and bringing them back to your base to work for you, no less. Or well, you can eat them when your tummy can’t stop rumbling, no choice there for vegetarian folks, I’m afraid. It’s all whimsy, though, even when you recruit Pals to fight beside you. 

But hey, the recent launch of the full version of Palworld 1.0 does add and change far more than you might presume. For starters, new content. That includes over 70 new Pals, new areas to explore, including islands and ruins. You have procedurally generated dungeons you can brave through at the chance of grabbing precious loot. New bosses and gear to take them on. Oh, and certainly more upgrades that go perfectly with a higher level cap.

Perhaps one of the biggest changes is the complete story. This was hardly present in the Early Access version, while now, you can advance through a coherent plot with a beginning and an end. Now, whether that story hits all the marks for a gripping plot remains debatable. What am I saying? It’s barely anything to write home about. That’s the blunt truth, even with the new dialogue and new NPCs you run into.

The lines are really shallow with barely any strong charisma, despite the characters really boasting exciting auras and design. It doesn’t help that there’s no voice acting at all, just sound effects, which admittedly do help with immersion. Crashing waves, wind rustling through the air, and even the clanking of the pickaxe against wood and stone cements you in the natural biomes of this world. 

Onto the Platter

I doubt anyone will be interested in Palworld for its story, though. The catch here is exploration, monster taming, and base-building, which comes with crafting. That gameplay loop is certainly well-polished and executed. It feels fun to head out into expansive areas, knowing you’ll soon run into new Pals to bludgeon into submission. 

You’ll almost always find something exciting while exploring, even if it’s a resource to bring back with you, or a rival Pal rearer challenging you to battle. You might discover a new biome, which is pretty impressive, how varied they are, from the snowy regions to the volcanic areas. But all of these are textbook items you’d expect to find in an open-world game. It’s the one thing I might wish were different, where the open-world had more surprising quests and mysteries tucked in unexpected places. 

I suppose the same issue extends to the areas themselves. They sure do look good, with lush greenery and shimmering water. It’s still cartoony and going for the whimsical vibe of games like Breath of the Wild. So, do manage your expectations. Still, I find the world looks stunning for the aesthetic that the game is going for, especially compared to the Early Access version.

 You can tell the graphics are more polished, with smoother transitions and animations. Some of the performance issues from the Early Access version persist, though. You may run into stuttering and texture pop-ins. Nothing that brings your experience to a halt, though, and can be easily overlooked in favor of a genuinely engrossing gameplay loop. 

Survival at all Costs

Otherwise, your goal in Palworld is to survive its deceptively harsh world. Soon, you’ll be running out of stamina. Your health will run low, which you don’t want happening when facing stronger Pals. Stronger attacks will also come in handy against tougher Pals and bosses, and that’s where prime focus on resource gathering and crafting comes in. 

It’s a less grindier affair than the Early Access version, though the momentum can slow down on higher levels. I love, though, that there’s always a path forward, and that despite the many gameplay elements, they’re all connected. That’s thanks largely to diverse Pals, some stronger, others thriving in specific roles. Still, others require special attention, thus keeping you on your feet when managing your growing Pal community.

So, even as you head out to explore, you aren’t wandering aimlessly, catching any Pal you come by. You might need a specific Pal species, which is stronger and requires stronger attacks and a full bill of health to weaken and tame. Meanwhile, Palworld adds an extra layer, which ties catching a specific number of Pal species to your level. And that you’ll need to reach a certain level to access certain upgrades.

Another wrinkle is needing Palspheres to capture Pals, which require crafting from wood and stone, resources that require specific recipes, which require unlocking, and before you deem it too confusing, I’ll leave you with two things. 

Verdict

One, Pals make it a lot easier on you, whether it’s automating resource gathering, building supply chains as complex as conveyor belts, or fighting beside you. Some of these creatures are explosive, others can carry flamethrowers, which brings me to the second point. Have fun with it, will you? I’m so glad that Palworld has outdone itself, launching out of Early Access. It could have easily gone either way. 

However, the sheer variety of gameplay options you can engage with, plus how seamlessly they connect to give your experience some structure, is so impressive. I hope Pocketpair doesn’t stop evolving the launch version, polishing up those few performance issues, while adding fresh updates, because Palworld is, indeed, worth the trouble. An “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating on Steam should concur just as much.