There is hardly any way around the hype surrounding Palworld right now. But not everyone is happy about it. Some social media users even advise against supporting the survival game. MeinMMO explains to you what’s behind it.
What kind of discussion is this? Palworld has been considered a “Pokémon with a gun” since it was first announced in 2021. Developer Pocketpair’s statement that they actually have nothing to do with Nintendo’s classic and wanted to be more like ARK couldn’t change that.
For some players, however, the similarities to Pokémon go too far and they accuse the survival game of brazenly stealing. A post that has since been removed even called for people not to support the game. For others, however, the similarities in design are a big plus.
At MeinMMO our expertise lies in gaming and everything that goes with it. However, we are not lawyers and will therefore limit ourselves to discussions in the community without providing a legal assessment.
Palworld shows the little monsters in massive action in the early access trailer
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How similar is too similar?
Pals look too similar to Pokémon: There’s no denying that some Pals bear a damn close resemblance to existing Pokémon. For some players, that’s probably exactly what makes the game so appealing: they get the cute creatures of their childhood, but in a pretty open game world with survival mechanics and adult content.
And besides: “Pokémon didn’t invent cute creatures,” says Twitch streamer Gronkh, who is clearly fond of Palworld.
But things aren’t quite that simple. Because the allegations against Palworld are not limited to the fact that there are cute creatures in a similar style to Pokémon. Rather, some of the Pals are intended to be little more than reskins of existing Pokémon with a different color palette or a type change.
X-User “onion_mu” shows in a thread which Pokémon the Pals are supposed to have been cobbled together from:
Criticism of artificial intelligence: The similarities between Pokémon and Pals have a bad aftertaste for many, especially because they are associated with another exciting topic: artificial intelligence.
Because Palworld developer PocketPair is also behind the game “AI: Art Impostor,” which uses generative AI to create “works of art.” On the game’s Steam page you can even discover some creatures that now appear in Palworld as “Pals”.
Takuro Mizobe, the CEO of PocketPair, has often spoken on X, formerly Twitter, about the advantages and possibilities of using artificial intelligence. In December 2021, Mizobe also posted a series of AI-generated “Fakemon”, i.e. Pokémon offcuts.
This raises the question for some users as to whether the Pals in Palworld were even designed by humans.
A notice: We have already asked PocketPair for a statement on the subject of artificial intelligence and will add it here as soon as we have an answer.
Main thing is to have fun?
However, Palworld’s incredible success shows that many players simply don’t care how much one game is based on another, as long as the end result is entertaining. And the “Pokémon with a gun” seems to be just a lot of fun.
MeinMMO editor Dariusz is a fan of games like Pokémon and ARK. He says: Palworld is absolutely stupid and a lot of fun.
Most players seem to share this impression, as Palworld has 93% positive reviews on Steam.
The fact is that PC gamers – as well as fans of other consoles – have felt ignored by Nintendo for years. Games like TemTem or now Palworld fill this niche. Especially since Pokémon has been noticeable in recent years due to performance problems, empty game worlds and unsightly textures (via GamePro).
A creature collector in Unreal Engine simply fulfills a need for many fans, especially since many of the game’s controversial aspects, such as slaughtering and eating Pals, have so far been purely optional.
There is already a lively discussion about the topic on our Facebook page. We have highlighted some reader opinions for you here:
Some players are even going so far as to hope that Palworld’s success might encourage other developers to attempt their own Pokémon clone.
Of course there are not only positive voices, but many of the negative voices so far seem to relate to the fact that users can’t do anything with the survival aspects or would actually have liked more “Pokémon with guns”.
how do you see it? Do you think Palworld is a blatant copy and if so, do you think that’s a bad thing at all? Have you already watched the game or are you still undecided? Please let us know in the comments.
Have you been caught up in the hype train and don’t know what to do next? Then our Palworld Guides might help you: All tips, tricks and Pals at a glance