The Palworld controversy is dumb

Palworld was released into Early Access on Xbox SeriesX|S consoles and Steam on January 19, 2024, and immediately caught the attention of gamers all over the world, it has gone on to become a viral hit, setting and breaking many records along the way, at the time of writing, Palworld has sold 7 million copies in just 5 days and is the most popular game on Xbox Game Pass for PC.

However, not everyone is impressed by Palworld’s success, with the game coming under fire from some Pokemon fans, some developers, and the gaming media with some gaming media outlets and critics quick to dismiss the game as a rip-off of Pokemon, a franchise that has dominated the monster-catching genre for decades. Some have also accused the game of using AI art to generate its assets, copying designs from other games, and being tone-deaf to the ethical implications of its gameplay.

But these reactions show how out of touch the gaming media is with the actual preferences and opinions of gamers. Instead of appreciating and praising Palworld for its creativity, and innovation, in blending many successful elements together many are fixated on comparing it to Pokemon and finding faults with its aesthetics and themes in an effort to put it down. All the while ignoring the fact that Palworld is still in early access and was developed by a studio that has never released a AAA game. It was developed on a shoestring budget of $6.7 million (which is small in comparison to many AAA games). But yet it has a lot of potential for improvement and expansion. But many in the gaming media are missing the point of Palworld, they do not understand what makes Palworld appealing to millions of players: its uniqueness (despite unproven accusations of Plagiarism, it is a unique game), freedom, diversity, and fun are some of the elements that has drawn many gamers to it.

Palworld is not trying to be a Pokemon clone or a Pokemon killer. It is a game that offers a different and unique experience to gamers who enjoy survival, crafting, monster hunting and exploration. At this moment it does not even have a story, instead it lets players create their own stories and adventures in a vast and dynamic open world. 

Palworld is a game that deserves respect and recognition for what it has managed to achieve, not ridicule and dismissal. It is a game that reflects the changing tastes and expectations of gamers looking for more variety, creativity, and innovation in their games. It is a game that proves that the monster-catching genre should not be limited to Pokemon, but rather expanded and explored in new and exciting ways, it proves yet again that the most important thing to a gamer is a fun gameplay loop, not fancy graphics or elaborate stories. 

Of course, developer and publisher Pocket Pair is a relatively new developer with no proven track record, and nobody can tell how well they will handle the success and how well they will support the game, but I say give them a chance, Gamers just want to have fun, and Palworld is just that, fun.