Players are itching to get their paws on the new content in Palworld after glancing at the content update teaser. Pocket Pair, the developers behind Craftopia in 2020, are also the minds behind Palworld, an indie game. The early stages of Craftopia left much to be desired, but developers have since outlined a clear vision for Paworld’s concept and purpose. It’s been five months since Palworld burst onto the gaming scene, exceeding even the loftiest expectations of its creators.
Palworld is a bewitching blend of creature-collecting and survival mechanics within a bustling open landscape. The beings available for capture, collection, and interaction within Palworld are referred to as Pals. The setting of the game is a rugged terrain populated by daring Pals creatures. These creatures come in various shapes, sizes, and types, each with its own unique abilities, elemental attributes, and skills. But what’s particularly odd is the ability to not just capture them, but also to exploit them for labor or even consume them as a snack. And it appears that the newest update trailer is teasing even more of these creatures.
Palworld Is the Epitome of an Indie Game That Holds Its Own against the AAA Giants
Palworld solidified its position as a standout title of 2024, ruling the Steam charts from day one. It’s a rare sight for a new game to ascend into Steam’s top-played titles. Such occurrences come about once in a blue moon, if at all, especially for indie games. Steam hardly had any of these indie games back in the olden times. They had to pass through this greenlight system or another process just to make it into the store. Greenlight was intended to democratize the process of getting indie games onto Steam, allowing the gaming community to have a say in what games were published.
Palworld has sold 7 million copies in 5 days on Steam alone.
(I have confirmed with Pocketpair this is a Steam only number, not including Xbox sales or GamePass.)
That translates into approximately $189 million USD in Steam sales in 5 days. pic.twitter.com/eTyhdbRAr6
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) January 24, 2024
But it was often criticized for its lack of transparency and the potential for popularity contests rather than quality games to rise to the top. Palworld flew off the digital shelves with 7 million copies sold on Steam alone in just 5 days. It even ranked first in premium revenue in both the US and the UK throughout February.
Though indie games had a presence even before the 1990s, the fact that indie games can now achieve such numbers and even become chart dominators is paradigm-shifting. It’s a public secret that AAA games have always been in demand, garnering the lion’s share of attention and sales. But others in the gaming community have noted that as indie games gain prominence, the quality of AAA titles seems to be waning.
As Expected from Any Top-Rated Game, Palworld Lays Bare Its Own Points of Criticism
There’s no escaping the fact that every Steam chart-topping title is met with a blend of opinions from its community. Perfection is subjective, after all. What one player views as a flaw could be seen by another as a minor issue, or perhaps not even noticed. They unabashedly express their opinions, whether it’s gushing about a game they can’t get enough of or throwing some shade at ones that fell flat for them. It’s the norm in gaming, especially for something as hyped as Palworld.
One of the most well-worn criticisms Palworld could ever receive is being seen as nothing more than a blatant rip-off of the revered cult classic, Pokémon. Speculation mounts about the possibility of them being sued for alleged copyright violations, especially given that the Pokémon Company is now in the loop. Beyond that, the performance of the game was a notable sore spot for many gamers. Various bugs reportedly affect gameplay, including issues with motion blur, looting, and grappling mechanics.
Even falling through the map, resets, and inventory have some issues or bugs that severely disrupt gameplay. The game is also criticized for its subpar AI, frequent glitches, and issues with rubber-banding. The lag on PC can be so debilitating that it effectively blocks off entire sections of the game for some players. Feedback also pointed out the game’s “shallow” content, with some contending that it starts off enjoyable but loses its appeal the more you delve into it.
A New Palworld Update Is about to Tempt You to Dive Back into the Game
The performance issues observed in Palworld are typical of games in Early Access, which means that the developers are still smoothing out glitches and improving performance. Several players were also hasty to abandon Palworld in search of more engaging content elsewhere. Takuro Mizobe, CEO of Pocket Pair, informed Automaton that the game was roughly 60% finished at launch, with only the “basic functions” implemented.
Regularly after its release, the game has been updated monthly to address major bugs and improve gameplay mechanics that previously lacked appeal for certain players. Mizobe also mentioned that the next phase of the game will involve pushing its perfection even further, and it seems like things are really starting to heat up in terms of the game’s content.
Included in the recent updates are the debut of the game’s premier raid boss and several fresh items. The latest trailer for Palworld’s upcoming content update unveils a lineup of fresh pals scheduled to arrive in the summer of 2024. There’s a plump frog pal with a black belt in martial arts, an ostrich-like avian that seems to have earth-centric skills, a sort of fox with its long ears gently lifted as if, like a Buddhist monk, it were in deep meditation, and a whimsical dinosaur adorned with a mushroom cap.
The names of these four new Pals or what they bring to the table are still cloaked in mystery. The moniker “Pokémon with guns” doesn’t seem to bother Palworld. The first new weapon revealed is a next-gen rifle firing laser rounds, while the other is a flamethrower. There may also be a new island featuring a Japanese Shinto Cherry Blossom Shrine and various other diverse locales.
Pocket Pair has also expressed its plans to incorporate a variety of new Pals in upcoming updates. The company also plans to extend the early access period for at least a year while improving the game’s quality. They will gauge the game’s performance and their own satisfaction before deciding whether to continue development or release it officially. If you’re thinking about branching Palworld out to other platforms, find out if it’s cross-compatible here.
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