Summary
Palworldhas had a hard time shaking off the claims of being aPokemonrip-off, with many fans pointing out the clear similarities between many of the game’s Pals and certain Pokemon. It’s clear thatPalworldhas taken a lot of inspiration fromPokemonamong other titles in its design, but the game goes beyond simply copyingPokemonin several key areas. The ways in whichPalworldallows players to utilize their Pals for a variety of tasks seems like an evolution of the Let’s Go! mechanic fromPokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Aside from the obvious allusions tocertain Pokemon in the designs ofPalworld’s Pals, there are also some gameplay similarities between Pocketpair’s viral hit and Game Freak’s classic series. The use of elemental types in a rock-paper-scissors-like system is reminiscent of thePokemonfranchise, only to a much less fleshed-out degree. However, wherePalworldshines compared to its inspirations is in the multipurpose functionality the Pals have, allowing players to both directly and passively interact with their Pals as they explore the game’s world and build their base.
Palworld Takes Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Let’s Go! Mechanic to the Next Level
With thePokemonseries transitioning to an open-world design withPokemon Scarlet and Violet, the Let’s Go! mechanic was introduced to help players feel like they were adventuring alongside their companions. Entering Let’s Go! mode allows players to send out their lead critter who will automatically battle wild mons or pick up nearby items as they go. This feature had a lot of utility inPokemon Scarlet and Violet, including making grinding for levels easier, helping players find shiny variants, and even being the method some critters likePawmo and Rellor use to evolve.
Palworldtakes the concept of having partner creatures automatically engage in tasks even further by making it a core mechanic in its survival crafting gameplay. Not only can Pals help players battle enemies in real-time, but they can also be assigned to perform menial tasks around the player’s base, like building structures, collecting resources, and crafting items. This system gives thePals ofPalworlda much greater purpose than simply tools for battling and helps blend the game’s creature collecting and survival crafting genres more seamlessly than one might initially expect.
Palworld Could Build Upon Another Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Mechanic in a Future Update
Pokemon Scarlet and Violettook the Let’s Go! mechanic a step further with the introduction of theSynchro Machine in The Indigo Disk DLC. This special item allows players to directly take control of their lead monster in the game’s overworld, adopting the speed and movement capabilities of that critter and enabling them to battle wild mons as a monster themselves. Being able to play as a Pokemon really upped the connection between the player and their companions, building upon the more interactive nature of the Let’s Go! mechanic whichPalworldcould introduce in a future update to give Pals even more functionality.
Palworld’s nature as a survival crafting game lends itself well to the concept of using Pals to help automate the production of tools and resources. With the game building on the foundations established byPokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Let’s Go! mechanic, it seems like a natural progression forPalwordto follow thePokemonseries in another regard and give players full control of Pals, letting them play from their perspective. WhilePalworldplayers can indirectly control their Pals by assigning them to different base tasks and using certain harnesses to wield somePals like Foxparks and Lifmunk as weapons, fully controllable Pals could elevate the game’s core mechanic to the next level.
