Palworld, developed by Japanese company Pocketpair, has become a sensation, selling an astounding five million copies within just three days of its release. Marketed as Pokémon with guns, the game has captured the attention of gamers worldwide and has also caused multiplayer server crashes due to the overwhelming demand.
Palworld is a multiplayer monster-collecting game featuring open-world survival elements. Players, known as pal-tamers, navigate a vast map, engaging in battles against both human foes and creatures called pals. These pals can be captured and enlisted to fight alongside players or perform various tasks at a base, crafting supplies and items for use in the field.
The game’s success has been unprecedented, with almost 1.3 million concurrent players reported at its peak via Steam, leading to emergency meetings by the development team to address early connection issues. Wesley Yin-Poole, UK News Editor for gaming website IGN, expressed his surprise at Palworld’s popularity, noting that Pocketpair, a relatively small developer, had not produced anything explosively popular before.
Comparing Palworld’s success to renowned titles like The Last of Us Part Two, Yin-Poole emphasized the game’s astronomical sales. Despite its rapid popularity, Palworld has faced criticism for its character design, accused by some of mimicking Pokémon. Reviewers and fans have also pointed out similarities in gameplay to other survival games like Rust and Ark: Survival.
In response to the criticism, Wesley Yin-Poole acknowledged the parallels with Pokémon but highlighted the game’s unique blend of concepts, making it more than just a mere copy. The game has received praise for its graphics, achieving a very positive user rating on the digital game store Steam, based on 40,000 reviews.
Despite its acclaim, Palworld has not been without issues. Players have reported lags, freezing, and other technical problems, prompting the developers to acknowledge the presence of serious bugs and promising information about fixes soon. The game is currently in early access, allowing players early access to an unfinished version while enabling developers to raise funds for further refinement.
In a statement on Monday, Palworld’s developers acknowledged receiving 50,000 inquiries and assured players that they were actively working on addressing the reported issues. Fans remain optimistic, with many expressing excitement about the game’s potential and looking forward to future updates.
Palworld’s unexpected success has led to comparisons with major franchises like Pokémon, but its unique combination of monster collecting, open-world survival, and crafting elements appears to have struck a chord with gamers globally. As the developers work on resolving initial challenges, Palworld continues to dominate gaming conversations, leaving fans eager to see how the game evolves in the coming weeks.