RUINISM
2022
Gears of War meets Devil May Cry in a not a particularly inspired fashion.
Feels like it was made in late 2000s -- down to the simplistic and linear level design.
Feels like it was made in late 2000s -- down to the simplistic and linear level design.
2019
Remedy on top of their game and Sam Lake remains one of the best cases for applying auteur theory in games; every aesthetic choice is measured and deliberate. The kinetic, hyper-violent combat and the alienating surrealism guide the experience.
2023
I was left miserable and depressed.
2018
Grindy ass game that fails to have any meaningful progression system.
2024
tl;dr: Palworld = BOTW + Ark/Conan + city-building
Palworld, despite being in an unfinished, very rough state, has rightfully captured the attention of many: it is easily accessible yet very ambitious and deep game. No, it is not "Pokemon with guns" -- the mechanics and design owe primarily to BOTW and Ark/Conan Exiles, which are survival games that feature extensive companion systems (Ark via the dinosaurs, and Conan via the thralls (a polite word for a slave, lol)). Throw in a dash of strategy's subgenre of city-building where each pal has a set of traits and needs once deployed in your base. These are the primary mechanics influences and it is easily a more interesting recipe than what most games can offer. For all intents and purposes, Palworld is an envelope-pushing game.
What I loved about it is how thoroughly pals are integrated within every aspect of the experience: they aid you in combat, boost your exploration acting as riding, flying, or swimming mounts (some with unique exploration abilities, such as double jump, and most with unique movement speed values) -- which is actually crucial to progression as you cannot access other islands without them -- and they have certain proficiencies when assigned at base. Pals have combat abilities, gain experience points and can be upgraded in attack, defense, health or work speed via collectible souls. Their elemental affinity also determines how good they're going to be against certain enemies. Juicy stuff.
Where the game falls short -- as of the date of the writing -- is not being finished. Higher level areas seem sorely lacking in detail and content compared to the beautifully designed main island. The pals, unfortunately, are plagued by a plethora of rough animations. The combat mechanics boil down to rolling out of projectile attacks and shooting, and the progression becomes grindy once you reach the very late stages of the game, approximately last 5 levels or so. Yet despite all of that, it is still a compelling package due to how well all the systems click and synergize with each other, making every bit of progress feel downright exciting and you -- glued to the screen, planning the next venture into unexplored territory, where you will perhaps find an amazing base spot, a boss battle, or a handful of new pals to capture.
I've not even delved into the city-building or survival aspects of the game, but rest assured, acquiring food is easy; it's not one of those games where you constantly scavenge for resources just to survive. Farming becomes not necessary once you set up a base in a location where pals can gather resources passively.
Back when I was heavily into Conan Exiles, I was sure somebody would come out with a more accessible version of the concept and take the bank -- Palworld is that game.
Palworld, despite being in an unfinished, very rough state, has rightfully captured the attention of many: it is easily accessible yet very ambitious and deep game. No, it is not "Pokemon with guns" -- the mechanics and design owe primarily to BOTW and Ark/Conan Exiles, which are survival games that feature extensive companion systems (Ark via the dinosaurs, and Conan via the thralls (a polite word for a slave, lol)). Throw in a dash of strategy's subgenre of city-building where each pal has a set of traits and needs once deployed in your base. These are the primary mechanics influences and it is easily a more interesting recipe than what most games can offer. For all intents and purposes, Palworld is an envelope-pushing game.
What I loved about it is how thoroughly pals are integrated within every aspect of the experience: they aid you in combat, boost your exploration acting as riding, flying, or swimming mounts (some with unique exploration abilities, such as double jump, and most with unique movement speed values) -- which is actually crucial to progression as you cannot access other islands without them -- and they have certain proficiencies when assigned at base. Pals have combat abilities, gain experience points and can be upgraded in attack, defense, health or work speed via collectible souls. Their elemental affinity also determines how good they're going to be against certain enemies. Juicy stuff.
Where the game falls short -- as of the date of the writing -- is not being finished. Higher level areas seem sorely lacking in detail and content compared to the beautifully designed main island. The pals, unfortunately, are plagued by a plethora of rough animations. The combat mechanics boil down to rolling out of projectile attacks and shooting, and the progression becomes grindy once you reach the very late stages of the game, approximately last 5 levels or so. Yet despite all of that, it is still a compelling package due to how well all the systems click and synergize with each other, making every bit of progress feel downright exciting and you -- glued to the screen, planning the next venture into unexplored territory, where you will perhaps find an amazing base spot, a boss battle, or a handful of new pals to capture.
I've not even delved into the city-building or survival aspects of the game, but rest assured, acquiring food is easy; it's not one of those games where you constantly scavenge for resources just to survive. Farming becomes not necessary once you set up a base in a location where pals can gather resources passively.
Back when I was heavily into Conan Exiles, I was sure somebody would come out with a more accessible version of the concept and take the bank -- Palworld is that game.