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5 Things Palworld Does Better Than Pokemon Legends: Z-A
5 Things Palworld Does Better Than Pokemon Legends: Z-A Palworld dropped all the way back in early 2024 and proved to be an instant success story. Many in the gaming community saw it as a perfect learning lesson for Game Freak to push the Pokemon franchise forward, especially after the disaster of Scarlet and Violet. However, now that Pokemon Legends: Z-A is finally here, […] This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
Oct 17
Digimon Story: Time Stranger – Review
Digimon Story: Time Stranger – ReviewNo matter how you slice it, when it comes to the monster-catching JRPG genre, Pokémon reigns supreme. Games like Palworld and TemTem may have taken their shot at the crown, but they ultimately came up short against Pikachu and pals. Over the past two decades, the only contender that came close was Digimon in the early 2000s. To those of you who haven’t been keeping up with Bandai’s answer to Pokémon, it may come as a surprise that Digimon is still going strong. Admittedly, we haven’t been to the Digital World since the series’ first movie ourselves, but with Pokémon Legends: Z-A still a speck on the horizon, we felt like it was a good time to give Digimon’s latest outing a shot. Can Digimon Story: Time Stranger scratch our monster-catching itch? Story Set in modern-day Tokyo, Time Stranger puts you in the role of an agent of ADAMAS, an organization tasked with investigating mysterious anomalies. These strange occurrences cause the lines between the real world and the digital world to blur, causing Digimon to appear. During one of your missions, Tokyo is struck by the Shinjuku Inferno, a catastrophic event involving several powerful Digimon that devastate the city. In the chaos, you get caught in an explosion, but instead of dying, you’re thrown back eight years into the past. Upon realizing that the Shinjuku Inferno hasn’t occurred yet, your new mission becomes clear: find out what caused the event and prevent it from happening. The key to the mystery seems to lie with Inori Misono, a kind-hearted girl, and her bond with Aegiomon, a faun-like Digimon suffering from amnesia. Without venturing too much into spoiler territory, the story that unfolds sees you travel between Tokyo and the Digital World of Illiad, a vibrant realm ruled by the Olympus XII, twelve god-like Digimon, who play an integral part in the plot. Graphics The way Time Stranger presents itself is very much like an anime series, and that’s not just because of the character and monster designs. Cutscenes and special attack animations make use of dramatic camera angles and visual effects that add oomph. Combined with the vibrant color palettes and clean, cel-shaded character models, the game absolutely nails the overall look and feel of the franchise. The different biomes of the Digital World in particular stand out, with distinct areas ranging from a rustic mechanical jungle to the lively hub that is Central Town. In contrast, the depiction of Tokyo feels constrained by having to stick to a realistic depiction. It looks like it’s supposed to, but it’s missing the imagination and creativity that is present in the Digital World. The game runs surprisingly smoothly as well, with no notable slowdown or other visual hiccups. Sound If there’s one complaint we have about Time Stranger’s soundtrack, it’s that it doesn’t include the original Digimon theme song. Call us nostalgic, but that’s one earworm that still lives rent-free in our heads two decades on. What we get here in terms of music instead is a fairly typical anime-style JRPG soundtrack. While fitting with the game’s atmosphere, it isn’t particularly memorable. The game’s ambiance does a much better job at tying the soundscape together, with the background noise in Illiad in particular creating the feeling of a world that is alive and lived in. While the game’s voice acting is generally good, it’s inconsistent in that not every scene has voice work, and some scenes are only partially voiced, which is jarring. The player character isn’t even voiced at all, which makes for awkward scenes when their mouth moves and dialogue is shown on screen. Fortunately, the audio for the actual Digimon themselves fares a lot better, with battle cries and attack sounds in particular standing out as they add depth and impact to the combat animations. Gameplay We’ve played our fair share of non-Pokémon monster-catching JRPGs, from Coromon to Nexomon, but somehow the Digimon games eluded us until now. We can’t speak from the perspective of series veterans, but we can say that Time Stranger works great as an introduction to Digimon’s gameplay. There are many familiar elements here, of course, with the game being built around collecting monsters and using them in turn-based battles, but Digimon’s unique evolution mechanics and team-building system give Time Stranger an identity of its own. Time Stranger is inevitably driven by its narrative, but there is plenty of room for side quests and exploration, leading to a game that feels like it offers a lot of freedom. With over 450 Digimon available in the game, it makes sense that the critters form the heart of the game. Our own knowledge of the Digimon roster is limited, but seeing fan-favorite characters from the 2000s making early game appearances definitely put a nostalgic smile on our face. Adding Digimon to your roster requires you to battle a number of that specific monster. Once you’ve obtained 100% of their DNA, you can summon them, although the game recommends striving for 200% so that you can summon a more powerful version of the same creature instead. With such a huge roster and a myriad of systems, you might think that taking your team of up to six critters into battle would be a daunting affair. Fortunately, despite the strategic depth that Time Stranger offers, things are kept as accessible as possible. The combat UI is clean and easy to read, and you can instantly look up a wealth of information mid-battle if needed. You command three active Digimon at once, with three in reserve, should the front line fall. Meet specific requirements, and your Digimon can be Digivolved into its next form. You can De-Digivolve them too, so that you can then have them Digivolve into a different branching path. We feel like we’ve only barely scratched the surface when it comes to Digimon’s mechanics, with elements like the Attribute Triad, Elemental Affinities, and even Digimon Personalities all playing a part in how effective your team is. If you’re the kind of player who loves to take deep dives into efficiency and min-maxing a party, you’re going to love what’s on offer here. The game offers a higher difficulty level than Pokémon, with Time Stranger’s boss battles in particular acting as difficulty spikes. Grinding your Digimon to face off against these powerful opponents is made more manageable thanks to auto-battle options, adjustable battle speed, and even automatic training at the so-called DigiFarm. Time Stranger really aims to make everything as accessible as possible while still offering hardcore players plenty to chew on. It’s a philosophy that ties into Time Stranger being a very comprehensive Digimon game that everyone can enjoy. Even then, there is one Elephantmon in the room that we need to address: Time Stranger offers a sizable package, with the base game offering around 40 hours of content for €69.99. While that is a fairly standard price point for a game these days, this is further supplemented by more expensive Deluxe and Ultimate editions. The content included in these is so limited, comprising mostly cosmetics, that we’re confident saying that, for now, you’re best off sticking to the base game. Content worth playing may roll around with the Season Pass, but by the time that gets to the good stuff, the game may have seen a discount or two. Conclusion Agumon and Patamon may not be at the forefront of pop culture like they were in 2002 anymore, but moving away from the spotlight gave the Digimon series the room to breathe and Digivolve into something that is more mature and distinct from Pokémon, despite the obvious similarities in both series’ core gameplay. We’re still looking forward to Pokémon Legends Z-A, but Time Stranger both set a high bar for Game Freak’s upcoming title, and it got us interested in returning to Digimon’s back catalogue once we’re done exploring Lumiose City.
Oct 17
Nintendo Shared Statement on Generative AI Lobbying Rumors
Nintendo Shared Statement on Generative AI Lobbying Rumors Nintendo has published a statement on its official corporate social media account, where it addressed rumors of the company lobbying the Japanese government regarding generative AI. The company had to publish this statement after several rumors spread on social media. These rumors generally claimed that Nintendo was lobbying the Japanese government to protect its IPs from copyright infringements caused by generative AI. In the same statement, Nintendo also reiterated its intent to deal with any infringement of its IP rights, regardless of whether there are AI-related involvements or not. The latter point means that the company will also actively take down human-made content that infringes on its copyrights. Nintendo made the statement on its Japanese corporate account not only in Japanese but also in English . The tweets are also available to view right below: https://twitter.com/NintendoCoLtd/status/1974716195246088220 Even before publishing this announcement, Nintendo has been known for issuing takedown notices against unauthorized videos and fan-made PC game mods that feature its copyrights. The company had even filed a lawsuit against Pocketpair for alleged infringements of patents related to the Nintendo Switch-exclusive title Pokemon Legends: Arceus on the latter's multi-platform game Palworld . Pocketpair later released an update patch for Palworld that removed the legally risky features. The post Nintendo Shared Statement on Generative AI Lobbying Rumors appeared first on Siliconera .
Oct 6
Once Human x Palworld Crossever Event Announced, Kicks Off on October 30
Once Human x Palworld Crossever Event Announced, Kicks Off on October 30As part of this crossover, Once Human will get appearances by various Pals from Palworld, as well as a unique event-only island.
Sep 26
Once Human x Palworld collab is bringing exclusive map, Pals, cosmetics, and more this October 30
Once Human x Palworld collab is bringing exclusive map, Pals, cosmetics, and more this October 30NetEase Games has announced a major collaboration between its supernatural survival title, Once Human, and fan-favorite title Palworld. Scheduled to arrive on October 30, this exciting crossover will introduce beloved pals, an event-exclusive map, a new mechanic, and more. Meet your favorite Pals in Once Human and explore a unique island map Fans of both Once Human and Palworld have … The post Once Human x Palworld collab is bringing exclusive map, Pals, cosmetics, and more this October 30 appeared first on GamingonPhone .
Sep 25
Once Human x Palworld collaboration is bringing exclusive map, Pals, mechanic, cosmetics, and more this October 30
Once Human x Palworld collaboration is bringing exclusive map, Pals, mechanic, cosmetics, and more this October 30NetEase Games has announced a major collaboration between its supernatural survival title, Once Human and fan-favorite title Palworld. Scheduled to arrive on October 30, this exciting crossover will introduce beloved pals, an event-exclusive map, a new mechanic, and more. Get ready to meet your favorite Pals in Once Human and explore a unique island map Fans of both Once Human … The post Once Human x Palworld collaboration is bringing exclusive map, Pals, mechanic, cosmetics, and more this October 30 appeared first on GamingonPhone .
Sep 25
Palworld copies Pokémon round 2: farming sim edition
Palworld copies Pokémon round 2: farming sim editionThe post Palworld copies Pokémon round 2: farming sim edition appeared first on The Escapist .
Sep 25
ULTRAKILL brings hell to Palworld in a crossover event
ULTRAKILL brings hell to Palworld in a crossover eventIn a double whammy of Palworld news, Pocketpair, Inc. has revealed a chaotic new crossover event that brings the chaos of ULTRAKILL into the monster-catching survival title. Palworld’s Palpagos Islands are set to become a battleground as V1—the combat machine protagonist of ULTRAKILL—arrives along with weapons and gear straight from the ultraviolent retro FPS. The result is a surreal mashup where tranquility and carnage collide, creating new gameplay opportunities and unpredictable scenarios. For players new to both franchises, Palworld invites adventurers into a vibrant open world filled with crafting, construction, boss battles, and a high degree of freedom alongside loyal Pals, while ULTRAKILL offers nonstop, high-speed demon-slaying action where blood doubles as fuel. On their own, the two games couldn’t be more different—one celebrates peaceful cooperation and whimsical survival, while the other thrives on relentless destruction. The central question isn’t just how these worlds meet, but what chaos will follow once they do. Will blood rain on the Palpagos Islands, or will V1’s hellish might be tempered by the charms of life with Pals? As with today’s Palfarm announcement, no release date for the crossover event has been announced. Officially still in Early Access, with a V1 release expected in 2026, Palworld is available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. ULTRAKILL is available on PC via Steam.
Sep 23
A New Spin-Off, Palworld: Palfarm Is Announced By Pocketpair and It’s a Chill Farming Sim
A New Spin-Off, Palworld: Palfarm Is Announced By Pocketpair and It’s a Chill Farming SimAlthough Palworld is still in early access, Pocketpair has kept its foot firmly on the gas pedal and has announced a spin-off called Palworld: Palfarm.
Sep 23
Palworld: Palfarm Announced – Farming Spin-off Coming to PC
Palworld: Palfarm Announced – Farming Spin-off Coming to PCRun a farm together with your Pals, interact with various residents and much more in Pocketpair's upcoming cozy life sim.
Sep 23
Palworld Farming Spinoff Palfarm Announced
Palworld Farming Spinoff Palfarm Announced Hot off the heels of announcing the 1.0 launch window for Palworld, developer Pocketpair has announced a new spinoff called Palworld: Palfarm. As the name suggests, it's a farming simulator featuring the titular Pals. Although Palworld already has farming elements, Palfarm solely focuses on this aspect. Players move to an island to work alongside Pals to till fields, grow crops, craft tools, and cook dishes. Crops and other crafted goods can be sold or purchased at a market.   Some Pals offer unique skills to assist with farming, and players can increase their bonds with the critters by giving them gifts or speaking to them regularly. Players will also need to defend their farm from invading Pals looking to ruin their work. Palworld: Palfarm also supports multiplayer. The timing of this announcement is curious, given it comes after the recent reveal of Pokémon Pokotopia , a farming spinoff of the popular franchise with which Pocketpair is currently embroiled in a patent lawsuit . Palfarm's trailer even ends on a stinger showing the character tossing its Pal Sphere (the series' version of Poké Balls) to catch a monster, a mechanic Nintendo patented seemingly in response to Palworld's success, and one of the main patent violations cited in the suit.  Palworld: Palfarm has no release window, but it’s slated to launch on PC via Steam. 
Sep 23
Palworld: Palfarm Is a Spin-off Farming and Life Sim Game
Palworld: Palfarm Is a Spin-off Farming and Life Sim Game As part of its 2025 Tokyo Game Show announcements, Pocket Pair announced a farming and life sim game called Palworld: Palfarm . It will feature all of the Pokemon -like characters from the creature collecting game. Initial screenshots show farming, relationship building, fishing, shopping at legitimate stores and a black market, and fighting hostile pals. It is in development for PCs, and the Steam page is already live. In Palworld: Palfarm , the game seems to start like many farming and life sims, as we show up on an island and suddenly become part of the community by setting up our homestead on a vacant plot of land. By collecting Pals, you can assign them tasks on the farm to care for crops. However, some will be hostile and will attack, forcing you to defend your home too. During downtime, it will be possible to befriend Pals and people. Multiplayer is also possible, and one gif on the Steam page seems to show three people playing together at once. Here’s the first trailer for the game, which introduces some of the Pals who will play major roles in the adventure. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmurGwwjvGM Some initial screenshots appeared too: Images via Pocketpair This is the second Palworld spin-off game. The other is Pal World: More than just Pals. That is a visual novel dating sim . It started as an April Fools’ Day joke, but will become a real PC game. Palworld: Palfarm is in development for PCs. The post Palworld: Palfarm Is a Spin-off Farming and Life Sim Game appeared first on Siliconera .
Sep 23
Pocketpair Announces Palfarm, a Farming Spin Off of Palworld for PC
Pocketpair Announces Palfarm, a Farming Spin Off of Palworld for PCJapanese developer Pocketpair has announced Palfarm, a new spin off of its successful monster collecting title Palworld. Unlike the main game’s focus on survival and combat, this upcoming release centers… The post Pocketpair Announces Palfarm, a Farming Spin Off of Palworld for PC appeared first on TwistedVoxel .
Sep 23
Palworld: Why was it so hyped up!
Palworld: Why was it so hyped up!Few games have captured the imagination of players quite like Palworld. Developed by Pocketpair, this quirky open-world adventure mixes creature collection, survival, and straight-up chaos in a way that’s totally addictive. Players around the world are hopping in, making friends with creatures called “Pals,” farming, building bases, fighting off baddies — sometimes all in the…  Read More » Palworld: Why was it so hyped up! The post Palworld: Why was it so hyped up! appeared first on Blog | CyberPowerPC UK .
Sep 22
1.0 Palworld Release Date Set for 2026
1.0 Palworld Release Date Set for 2026 Pocketpair shared a general release date window for the Palworld 1.0 update. It will leave early access on consoles and PCs in 2026. The company also shared a video offering an update on the game’s progress. A sale is taking place too, though that is limited to the PC version of the game.  First, here’s the video going over the 1.0 release of Palworld and what people can expect in the rest of 2025 and 2026. The announcement noted progress will be a bit “different.” This will involve “cleanup” to fix bugs and issues during this year. The Winter 2025 patch will be smaller than the Feybreak one. The 1.0 update will also include a “massive amount of content.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEVIBHP37eM This came after a few other additions and hiccups while in early access. For example, a major milestone was the release of the Mac version of the game back in March 2025. Crossplay also appeared. However, bugs affected the build too. In July 2025, major CE-100022-5 and CE-100096-6 errors in the PS5 version meant that people needed to delete saves and start from scratch.  As for the sale, it isn’t a major discount. Palworld currently costs $22.49 on Steam , as it is 25% off until September 22, 2025. The PS5 and Xbox Series X versions are still $29.99 on the PlayStation Store and Microsoft Store . Palworld is in early access on the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and the release date for the 1.0 version will fall in 2026.  The post 1.0 Palworld Release Date Set for 2026 appeared first on Siliconera .
Sep 16
Palworld To Exit Early Access In 2026 With Major 1.0 Update
Palworld To Exit Early Access In 2026 With Major 1.0 UpdateAfter several major updates, Palworld is gearing up for its official 1.0 release in 2026. Fans can expect a polished game with new features and improvements. The post Palworld To Exit Early Access In 2026 With Major 1.0 Update appeared first on PlayStation Universe .
Sep 16
Palworld Launches Into 1.0 Next Year
Palworld Launches Into 1.0 Next Year Developer Pocketpair has announced that its hit creature-catching open-world survival game,  Palworld,  is finally launching out of Early Access and into version 1.0 in 2026. Palworld has been available in Early Access since January 2024, and centers on catching Pokémon-esque critters called Pals, which you can equip with guns to battle other monsters while aiding players in farming and crafting.  In a developer update video, Pocketpair promises that a “massive amount of content” is being planned for the 1.0 update. However, the studio also acknowledges it wants to clean up Palworld’s remaining technical bugs before it hits 1.0.   As such, the studio says the rest of 2025 will be “a little quiet from us” as it focuses on preparing the game for its full launch. Because cleaning up the game will be its primary focus, Pocketpair says its Winter update won’t be as big as last year’s Feybreak Island was, but stresses development will not slow down or scale back when it launches in full.   The 1.0 announcement comes amidst an ongoing lawsuit with Nintendo , which began last September. The lawsuit, filed by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, accuses Pocketpair of infringing on several patent rights. Pocketpair publicly shared three specific patents from the lawsuit on its website , revealing they were registered after Palworld’s EA launch and were likely done to target the game specifically. These patents cover systems for capturing characters in a virtual space, an aiming system for deploying capture items, and rideable characters. Nintendo and The Pokémon Company seek payments of 5 million yen (plus late payment damages) each. Pocketpair stated it aimed to “assert our position in this case through future legal proceedings.” Since launching into Early Access, Palworld has received five major updates introducing new Pals, raid battles,  an arena mode , new landmasses like Feybreak and the island of Sakurajima, new factions, and even a crossover with Terraria. Pocketpair has also introduced many quality-of-life improvements and mechanics, such as cross-play. Palworld is currently on sale for 25 percent off for a limited time on Steam. Palworld took the world by storm when it first launched into Early Access on Steam and Xbox Series X/S in January 2024, amassing over 25 million players within its first month of availability and becoming the third-biggest launch on Xbox Game Pass at the time. It even has a spin-off dating sim in the works.  Palworld is currently available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, and Mac. You can learn all about the game's origin and the history of its developer, Pocketpair, in our studio profile . 
Sep 16
Palworld Version 1.0 Set for 2026 Release, Pocket Pair Outlines Future Plans
Palworld Version 1.0 Set for 2026 Release, Pocket Pair Outlines Future PlansPocket Pair has officially confirmed that Palworld will leave early access and launch in its full version 1.0 in 2026. The announcement was made through the developer’s social media channels,… The post Palworld Version 1.0 Set for 2026 Release, Pocket Pair Outlines Future Plans appeared first on TwistedVoxel .
Sep 16
Nintendo’s ‘Summoning’ and ‘Battling’ Patent: What Does It Cover?
Nintendo’s ‘Summoning’ and ‘Battling’ Patent: What Does It Cover? The Nintendo-Palworld Lawsuit has reached a new turning point, as the former has managed to obtain a new patent that widely covers the mechanics of summoning and battling minions like Pokémon. On September 9, 2025, Nintendo received a US Patent No. 12,409,387, which is related to the “smooth switching of riding objects” mechanism. However, on […] This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
Sep 11
Nintendo And The Pokemon Company Given Big US Patent For Summoning And Battling Characters
Nintendo And The Pokemon Company Given Big US Patent For Summoning And Battling CharactersAmid the PalWorld lawsuit, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have just been awarded a new patent that will make things messier.
Sep 10
Palworld"Fight farm build and work alongside mysterious creatures called ""Pals"" in this completely new multiplayer open world survival and crafting game!"