Palworld is a monster catcher and survival game that feels mildly off. The cute, round, and friendly designs of the Pals you encounter don’t quite fit with the more organic and natural environments. It’s a jarring sensation that I was able to get past fairly easily, except for a dissonance more insidious than the initial visuals: Despite playing a monster-catching game, I found myself actively resenting my Pals. It’s a bit of a problem that in a game named, well, Palworld, maintaining a party of Pals is the least interesting bit.

Despite the memes of Palworld being “Pokémon with guns”, and enslaving your Pals for industrial-level manufacturing being a main mechanic, the game takes its time building up to that absurdity. Your character awakens on a beach, surrounded by curious Pals that scatter as you climb to your feet. This is a genuinely endearing moment — but the rest of the game dissuaded me from forming any real emotional attachment.

It takes a little time to start acquiring........

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