Palworld Critic Reviews

Palworld is equal parts charming and dark, with a massive world and no restrictions on exploration. Combat needs some fine-tuning and the survival crafting may not be for everyone, but it's early access release is a solid starting point.

It’s astonishing how much has been packed into Palworld given its Early Access status. Sure, the developers will probably expand the world, add in more Pals, and grow the story, too. But what we have here is already great, and features so many small details you’ll be amazed at what you discover. It’s a little rough around the edges in places, but the blueprint and starting product are more than enough to keep you going. With a dedicated community, Palworld can only get better. Is it a Pokemon beater? Probably not, but it deserves its place in the conversation.

Palworld is a Frankenstein's monster of ideas, mostly inspired by Nintendo's franchises like Pokemon and the recent Zelda games. However, it feels like a refreshing take on the survival genre, with the only issues being an overwhelming and lengthy core game loop that may discourage some players.

By focusing on survival crafting rather than traditional Pokémon-style gameplay, Palworld has made something unique out of two genres that have been stale for a long time. It’s still missing some big features like PvP, but given that it’s only at the beginning of its time in early access, it will only get bigger and better.

Although Palworld can provide an enjoyable experience for a while, it's a hard sell. It feels like halves of two different games that, when put together, don't seem to make a whole.

Palworld offers everything you'd expect, and so much more. From incredible boss fights to satisfying community building, there's something for everyone.

Ultimately, Palworld is good fun. I’m looking forward to seeing how multiplayer works out with my friends. It’s easy to argue that much of Palworld’s best bits feel like they’ve been lifted from somewhere else, somewhere that has not been intentionally disavowed as an inspiration. Palworld definitely has some features worth admiring, and is finally letting keen monster-collectors dabble in the whole ‘what if Pokemon, but dark and violent’ query that many of us have often had, but I’m quite disappointed in how unoriginal it often feels.

No matter where it falls on your moral compass, Palworld has given the static formula of Pokémon a clear shake-up, both mechanically and ethically. On a technical level, I can’t say it’s good. However, its sheer playability is carried by just how bizarre it is from moment to moment. It’s certainly not bad going for a game that many people dismissed as vaporware at best, or forecast to go the same way as Fntastic’s The Day Before at worst. Anyway, my Pengullet’s feeling down because of the bad working conditions, so if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to chuck him into a hot spring.

Time will tell just how much depth there is, but after taking down a few bosses and with a few dozen Pals unlocked in my Paldeck, I’m absolutely champing at the bit to see more.

We’ll continue to follow Palworld as it develops throughout Early Access. But right now, Pocketpair has managed to both deliver on its surreal vision.

While still in early access, Palworld is far more polished and engaging than many other creature-collecting games out there. The inclusion of survival mechanics, challenging combat, crafting, and exploration all work together to make one of the most compelling games in years. Since you can play with your friends in co-op multiplayer, it's also a great way to be social with friends.

At $29.99, Palworld is one of the best gaming investments you can make right now, especially with the current state of AAA. It’s far from a perfect experience, but Pocketpair has already hit the ball out of the park with much of what the game has.

Palworld is a strange and obliviously cruel game that nonetheless shows effort and some real thought running through its core design. Consequently, the end result (so far) is an arguably-functional hybrid of several proven formulas that still can't help feeling like a tonal car crash.

Palworld isn't perfect or complete yet. But its many flaws don't take away from the fun and success it offers. It mixes different game genres, giving players a new experience unlike traditional games. Palworld is likely to be a game remembered in history.

Palworld is a game of bare minimums, unscrupulous and soulless, designed by the numbers to hit all the right notes to keep you hooked on its addictive catch-grind-craft loop.

Palworld is an entertaining game if you connect with its survival and monster-catching mechanics, and its gameplay loop. But, at the same time, it's easy to feel that it's not original, that it doesn't do anything you haven't seen before, and that it crosses some red lines by drawing inspiration from certain games.

Everything's in service of building your base in Palworld, and if that's where you get your kicks from, then by all means have at it. There's room in this world for junk food as well as fine cuisine, and sometimes we all need a bit of simple satisfaction in our lives. But right now, there's very little else to recommend Palworld, least of all its 'take take take' mentality and the way it so brazenly frames everything as a tool to exploit for your own gain. Maybe Assassin's Creed is guilty of that, too, as well as Monster Hunter, Pokémon and all the other games Palworld's so clearly riffing on. The difference, I think, is one of attitude and ambition, because for all their respective monster mauling, those games still feel alive in ways that Palworld simply doesn't at the moment. They have the heart and presence to laugh at their own silliness, but Palworld just feels a bit dead behind the eyes. All that exists is the infernal checklist.

Everything that Palworld lacks in originality, it makes up for with impressive execution. The combination of survival genre elements with creature catching is hugely captivating, resulting in a serotonin-gobbling gameplay loop. Despite the modest size of the team creating it, Palworld’s litany of systems mesh perfectly together, defying its indie origins.

Palworld is honestly a refreshing experience for older Pokémon fans who've long wished that The Pokémon Company would experiment with different types of games. The survival and crafting elements may also interest other gamers who've never played Pokémon before.

I enjoyed my time with Palworld. It had just enough structure and variation between working at my base, exploring, and catching Pals, throughout which I relished the fact that it all worked. It’s a game that’s pushed me to rethink what kinds of games and genres can and do fit together. At times, the game buckled under its massive scope; certain systems glitch or play like works in progress. Still, this Frankenstein’s monster of a video game contains a survival adventure that’s both tough and surprisingly joyful. It’s only in early access, but I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the future of Palworld.