Game editor Johannes Valkola, suggests that Palworld is targeting those who were fans of Pokémon during their childhood. This game has gained popularity as a Pokémon imitation.
With Pokémon being a global cultural phenomenon, boasting a game series that focuses on the collection of adorable monsters, it is no surprise that it has sold over 480 million copies. There’s also the mobile game Pokémon GO, which has been downloaded over a billion times.
The Pokémon game series, which is exclusive to Nintendo consoles, is one of the few Japanese game series that has managed to maintain significant global popularity over a long period. The Pokémon Company, whose ownership is shared among Japanese game houses Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures, has carefully nurtured this success.
As can be expected with any successful venture, Pokémon has had its fair share of imitators. However, these clones have not been particularly successful.
The notable exception to this is Palworld, a game that is clearly a Pokémon imitation. While it has been a huge phenomenon at the beginning of the year, its sales figures will need to be carefully scrutinized. The Pokémon Company has occasionally mentioned investigating potential copyright infringements.
Palworld was released on January 19, selling more than five million copies on Steam during its opening weekend. By the end of January, it had sold over 12 million copies on Steam and had been downloaded more than seven million times from Xbox’s Game Pass game service.
Despite its success, the game is not without its flaws. Adventuring in Palworld leaves much to be desired. The game is clunky, and even soulless. There are suspicions that artificial intelligence was used in its development, but this has not been confirmed.
It’s important to note that the game is not yet complete and is currently in the early access stage, meaning that it is still a work in progress. As such, players may encounter bugs, flaws, and an unclear structure.
The game’s popularity can be attributed to the fact that it is essentially Pokémon with weapons. Palworld may look like a game for children, but it’s not. The developers understand that their target audience is adults who grew up with Pokémon.
Palworld also addresses some of the shortcomings of Pokémon. It offers an open-world adventure and allows for self-expression as players can build their base as they wish. The game’s graphics are also a strong selling point.
Recent Pokémon games, Scarlet and Violet (2022), have been criticized for being dull and unfinished. Pokémon fans were outraged and have been calling for improvements. Despite this, Pokémon’s appeal lies in its tradition.
However, this does not mean that there’s no room for other games like Palworld. In fact, Palworld proves that there is a demand for more games like Pokémon. It brings everything outside of Nintendo devices and indicates that the time for change is now. Even though it is clearly unfinished, it is still worth playing.
