Why is Palworld so Divisive? From Plagiarism Concerns to Rabid Fanboys
Within a short span of its official launch, Palworld has gathered more than 1.8 million concurrent players and positive reviews all across different platforms and launchers. To many, the game was supposedly a ripoff of classic Pokémon games. However, Palworld feels like the franchise’s spiritual successor to many.
Between harsh comparisons and criticisms from fanboys, the numbers tell a different story. It’s almost as if the community is trying hard to take down a game that promises fun to people who’ve been longtime fans of Pokémon, and are finding a reason to create controversy.
The gaming community is divided over Palworld and for good reason
Usually, when a title is similar to a popular franchise, gamers often put it into a genre and call it a day. For instance, Soulslike games have their own niche and there’s no denying that hundreds of studios are trying to make something like Elden Ring happen. However, with Pokémon games, it’s a whole different story.
From Twitter to Reddit, multiple social media platforms are discussing the game’s seamless inspirations from survival, RPG, and other categories of games. It’s almost as if the devs wanted to take the best parts of different genres and create an open-world survival game with Pokémon as a backdrop. Does it work? Well, that’s really up to you.
I went through the entire 111 list of Pals in Palworld to see what seems like a Pokémon rip off compared to not, because I’ve seen a lot of people talk about it but no full comprehensive list. Here’s what I found (it’s a lot)
— Cecilia Faepic.twitter.com/EPSpBvC9hD
(@CeciliaFae) January 21, 2024
If you haven’t yet stepped into the world(s) of Palworld, you might be up for a crazy ride. From crafting and building parts for a base to straight-up handing guns to your Pals, this game is everything that would make Pokémon a game for adults.
The blatant similarities between Pokémon’s different creatures and the Pals you find in Palworld are more than obvious. So much so that gamers and fans can’t help but roll their eyes, which may also be concerning for the devs who might have to fight a legal battle at some point if things don’t go right.
Does this pose a threat to the game’s future?
Let’s be honest, this isn’t the first time we’re seeing a copycat of a popular franchise. Especially one that has been powered up by Nintendo. On Steam alone, Palworld has earned ‘Very Positive’ ratings from over 72k+ reviewers. It’s hardly been a week since the game officially dropped, and this kind of success may make or break the title’s future, given the controversy that surrounds it.
On the lighter side of things, people are enjoying the comparisons as if it’s a freshly baked meme meant to kickstart 2024. Seriously, how do you fairly criticize a game that has Jigglypuff-looking creatures ready to fire bullets at will? Even with the important debates around the game’s plagiarism, the devs seem to be more focused on game, and recently presented the community with a roadmap.
This #Palworld plagiarism has gone too far
— Kaichinzupic.twitter.com/t1E2Nkk6hb
【ENVTuber】 (@Kaichinzu) January 24, 2024
The comparisons are as clear as day, but do they truly affect the game’s development process? It’s tough to tell since the title has barely been out and the internet seems to be having a tough time taking sides.
Do you think the comparisons are justified? Let us know in the comments below.
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