This review is going to be quite hard to write because I feel I need to critique, defend, and dissect this game from the outside-in, but also the inside-out, so spare me a moment if I stumble over myself.
Simply put, Palworld is an Ark-style survival game that features a host of little critters in the world and currently, in it's early-access state, seems to have a focus on faction-based PvE Exploration and base-building. If you have not played Ark, think Rust without the PvP and throw in a little satisfactory for the late game, that's what you get. It has been confronted with numerous controversies at this point, but the main one being the heavy concern of the generative-AI usage in the game.
To start, I'm going to get the AI stuff out of the way. I come from a community where art is a major aspect, and because of this, I do not like generative AI, at all. While I think AI as a whole has practical and tool-based uses, the way that most presume this game has used it (particularly in the designs of the models of the 'pals') is not a positive use of this AI. However, and not defending them to be clear, Pocketpair knew what they were clearly doing and leaned into it, selling it as "Pokemon with guns" and making it one of the most successful steam releases of all time. Period. Whether this is deserved or not is up to the individual, and while I am partially upset that a game that had a heavy use of generative AI is so popular, i expect many of the people playing would agree, but won't put their money to their mouth.
I will also take a shorter moment to say, those who are comparing this directly to Pokemon, Digimon, Yokai, and so forth. Genuinely, you have missed the entire point. I can excuse the half-stars for those who are pissed about AI, that is a genuine concern. For those complaining about it being "not these other games" or that people should "just play these other games", find the door, and stop venting about hating a game because it has traction, end of story.
Now, getting to the game itself, at the end of the day, it is re-flavored Ark, and to me, a better version of Ark on top of that. I never got into Ark, but I know many who've played Palworld and Ark and every step along the way say things like "wow, this was done so much worse in Ark" and "why couldn't Ark do it like this", and a levy of other comparisons. I am only echoing this point as I have not played it, but when 9/9 people I know who've played both prefer Palword over Ark, there's a trend. To me, a newer player to this pseudo-survival genre, it's a fun half-exploration half-base building sim. This is also coming from someone who really, really dislikes a majority of survival and survival-like games with quite a strong deposition. After picking up this title, I literally, cannot put it down, and yes, I have played other creature games, Cassette Beasts is a banger, Pokemon (the old ones) are sick, even Slime Ranger, a game that feels a lot closer to Palworld than these other titles, is great, but genuinely, this is an entirely different experience than those games and one I genuinely enjoy. Is it the best game I've ever played, no, it's not even in the top 50, but it is addictive and pretty damn fun. The only complaint I have is, again, the many bugs as per an early access title will have, and a very badly documented server hosting help page that REALLY needs fixed.
If you want to play the game, but don't wanna support the devs directly, play it on game pass, if you like it, play it, if you don't, don't. We can all agree generative AI is bad, period, and I would still rather the creatures be made by hand and not machine, no matter the game, for me, it wasn't enough to stop me from trying it and then enjoying it with friends. This in all despite my AI-hate and art-industry experience against AI. If you think this makes me evil, so be it, I'll take the mantle, but telling it as it is, it's a fun game nonetheless. Those claiming it's "everything bad about AAA games in one" are obviously not the target audience, and can speak on their soap box all they want, but it should not affect your enjoyment of the game if you genuinely enjoy it. This is coming from an pro-indie and anti-AAA enjoyer myself.
If you feel like the AI is too bad of a play to support the title, don't, but please stop insulting people who just want to try the game, or are enjoying it and are just not as fanatical. Inform them about the AI-usage, it's great to do that, and force Pocketpair to make a statement on it, or do something about it. Leave the players out of it, and let them make their own decisions.
tldr:
Generative AI usage is bad, period. The game itself is fine and not comparable to a majority of other monster-tamers like Pokemon, Digimon, what-have-you. Make an informed decision about whether you want to support a company with shady NFT and AI history. Don't listen to reviews insulting you, no matter which side you defend in the controversy, and have a good day.
Simply put, Palworld is an Ark-style survival game that features a host of little critters in the world and currently, in it's early-access state, seems to have a focus on faction-based PvE Exploration and base-building. If you have not played Ark, think Rust without the PvP and throw in a little satisfactory for the late game, that's what you get. It has been confronted with numerous controversies at this point, but the main one being the heavy concern of the generative-AI usage in the game.
To start, I'm going to get the AI stuff out of the way. I come from a community where art is a major aspect, and because of this, I do not like generative AI, at all. While I think AI as a whole has practical and tool-based uses, the way that most presume this game has used it (particularly in the designs of the models of the 'pals') is not a positive use of this AI. However, and not defending them to be clear, Pocketpair knew what they were clearly doing and leaned into it, selling it as "Pokemon with guns" and making it one of the most successful steam releases of all time. Period. Whether this is deserved or not is up to the individual, and while I am partially upset that a game that had a heavy use of generative AI is so popular, i expect many of the people playing would agree, but won't put their money to their mouth.
I will also take a shorter moment to say, those who are comparing this directly to Pokemon, Digimon, Yokai, and so forth. Genuinely, you have missed the entire point. I can excuse the half-stars for those who are pissed about AI, that is a genuine concern. For those complaining about it being "not these other games" or that people should "just play these other games", find the door, and stop venting about hating a game because it has traction, end of story.
Now, getting to the game itself, at the end of the day, it is re-flavored Ark, and to me, a better version of Ark on top of that. I never got into Ark, but I know many who've played Palworld and Ark and every step along the way say things like "wow, this was done so much worse in Ark" and "why couldn't Ark do it like this", and a levy of other comparisons. I am only echoing this point as I have not played it, but when 9/9 people I know who've played both prefer Palword over Ark, there's a trend. To me, a newer player to this pseudo-survival genre, it's a fun half-exploration half-base building sim. This is also coming from someone who really, really dislikes a majority of survival and survival-like games with quite a strong deposition. After picking up this title, I literally, cannot put it down, and yes, I have played other creature games, Cassette Beasts is a banger, Pokemon (the old ones) are sick, even Slime Ranger, a game that feels a lot closer to Palworld than these other titles, is great, but genuinely, this is an entirely different experience than those games and one I genuinely enjoy. Is it the best game I've ever played, no, it's not even in the top 50, but it is addictive and pretty damn fun. The only complaint I have is, again, the many bugs as per an early access title will have, and a very badly documented server hosting help page that REALLY needs fixed.
If you want to play the game, but don't wanna support the devs directly, play it on game pass, if you like it, play it, if you don't, don't. We can all agree generative AI is bad, period, and I would still rather the creatures be made by hand and not machine, no matter the game, for me, it wasn't enough to stop me from trying it and then enjoying it with friends. This in all despite my AI-hate and art-industry experience against AI. If you think this makes me evil, so be it, I'll take the mantle, but telling it as it is, it's a fun game nonetheless. Those claiming it's "everything bad about AAA games in one" are obviously not the target audience, and can speak on their soap box all they want, but it should not affect your enjoyment of the game if you genuinely enjoy it. This is coming from an pro-indie and anti-AAA enjoyer myself.
If you feel like the AI is too bad of a play to support the title, don't, but please stop insulting people who just want to try the game, or are enjoying it and are just not as fanatical. Inform them about the AI-usage, it's great to do that, and force Pocketpair to make a statement on it, or do something about it. Leave the players out of it, and let them make their own decisions.
tldr:
Generative AI usage is bad, period. The game itself is fine and not comparable to a majority of other monster-tamers like Pokemon, Digimon, what-have-you. Make an informed decision about whether you want to support a company with shady NFT and AI history. Don't listen to reviews insulting you, no matter which side you defend in the controversy, and have a good day.