Video Games
Palworld: An Inverted Masterpiece
Something New, Something Borrowed
At the time of writing, Palworld has taken the world by storm. This game offers something many avid fans of Pokémon never thought they’d see…a raw & realistic portrayal of what Pokémon is deep down. A world in which slavery, dog fighting, poaching, and breeding clubs reign supreme.
In Palworld such things are an integral part of everyday life. The cute and cuddly “Pals” are not the player’s buddies or pets.
They’re fought like dogs in the lawless underground. They’re used as slaves for purposes of manual labor. They’re bred to enhance valuable traits. They’re hunted and eaten for food. They’re used as transportation mounts. They’re used to increase the player’s carry weight. They’re poached for crafting materials. They’re even sold for profit like cattle.
This inverted depiction isn’t pretty by any stretch of the imagination but it’s brutally honest. If Pokémon were real in our world at any point in humanity’s history, not everything would be gumdrops and backshots for them. They’d likely undergo the same amount of cruelty, injustice, & suffering that every living thing on this earth inevitably does.
Controversy and Backlash
Since its release, Palworld has undergone a firestorm of controversy and backlash from many die-hard Pokémon purists and Pokémon’s creators themselves. This initial negative reaction was born from Palworld’s mimicry of Pokémon’s aesthetics, themes, creature designs, mechanics, and foundational concepts.
Furthermore, Palworld has also been accused of being an AI-generated game, which has yet to be proven. Nonetheless that suspicion alone has caused the IP a fair bit of harm in the form of allegation and scandal.
The Response from the Creators of Pokémon
Currently, the Pokémon company & Nintendo are planning to pursue legal action against Palworld due to its various similarities and possible property infringements.
Despite the inbound lawsuits and the potential legal battles on the horizon many of the game’s supporters, in addition to a slew of game lawyers, stand in defense of the IP. They both contend that despite its striking similarities to Pokémon’s world design, creature concepts, and foundational premises, Palworld is its own unique entity and therefore not an infringement.
Palworld may have guaranteed its safety after all because the game does not outright call itself Pokémon and the names and exact designs of the creatures are not identical to the ones found in Pokémon’s universe.
Every Dog Has It’s Day
Over the past decade and change, Pokémon’s creators and Nintendo have stagnated when it comes to evolving their legendary IP, leaving many players unsatisfied and disenchanted with the franchise.
Palworld, on the other hand, is a welcomed breath of fresh air for the monster-tamer genre. Despite the many struggles Palworld creators faced during development they’ve rejuvenated the niche, won themselves an enormous fan base, and achieved breathtaking success in a very short period of time.
Palworld is fun, addictive, and oddly relaxing, and that’s all anyone who’s playing this game cares about.
Meanwhile, critics, game journalists, and Pokémon fans alike clutch their pearls and mount high horses while nailing the game to a cross for unethical gameplay mechanics, glorifying animal cruelty, and distasteful concepts.
But despite the outrage the game has garnered since its release, nothing can meddle with its success or cancel its victory lap.
Looking Ahead & Paving the Way Forward
As Palworld ages, there are many new things I’d love to see implemented. For example…
- new and original pal designs
- new and unique areas to explore
- unique lore
- the ability to co-op in monthly events
- dark souls-esque boss fights with legendary battle-hardened Pals
- the inclusion of horror-themed Pals that draw inspiration from SCPs and urban legends
- unique bits of lore to discover that are frightening but sugar-coated beneath an excess of positivity, similar to classic cartoons like Courage the Cowardly Dog and Adventure Time
In time I hope that Palworld will evolve and outgrow its initial inspirations and come into its own. But with the future being wide open and yet unknowable, only time will tell where Palworld will go from here, and I find that thrilling and superbly exciting.
