Palworld: Generic Pokémon Ripoff or Unique Experience?

The following story was written by a student on the staff of The Jaguar Times as part of Hilliard Bradley High School’s Journalism Production course.

by Ian McCormick 

Staff writer

"Palworld" is a somewhat controversial early access game released to the public for testing on Jan. 19, 2024. Just as quickly as It took off and started attracting new fans it also caught the Pokémon community's outrage and has since been labeled a good-for-nothing copycat. 

To keep up its image, Nintendo’s Pokemon Company has gone as far as to put on record “We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokémon.” So, is "Palworld" a rebranded Pokémon game or a stand alone experience worth your time? 

Coming from the perspective of someone who has played the game, it appears to take Inspiration from many other popular titles, that much is clear. It has similarities to a plethora of other content including but not limited to: "Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild," "Valheim," "Ark: Survival Evolved," and of course "Pokémon."

With all these similarities being out in the open does the game have anything to actually worry about lawsuit-wise? According to PocketPairs (the company behind Palworld) CEO Takuro Mizobe, that's not the case. Mizobe says, “We make our games very seriously, and we have absolutely no intention of infringing upon the intellectual property of other companies.”

Gameplay of Palworld depicts the variety of creatures and opportunities opened up in the game's unique experience. Photo by Ian McCormick (11)

Aside from all the controversy surrounding its release, is it actually a good game? Well, my 60+ hours invested into it this far would suggest so. Despite a somewhat goofy name like "Palworld," it elegantly combines all the best elements of games I love into one, allowing me to catch and befriend wild animals, explore a vast world, challenge bosses and customize my own base to my liking. It was worth every penny I spent on It. 

So, if you’re in the market for a new gaming experience and have $30 to spare, I would encourage checking it out. If I can’t convince you, let the game review section on steam speak for itself. Not only are the responses “Overwhelmingly Positive,” but the game has accumulated over 19,000,000 copies sold in just a month, with the number steadily increasing and new updates on the way.