Palworld got the gaming world's attention with its promise to give Pokemon the one thing it was always missing: guns. Now its Early Access launch finally has a release date, and it's just over a week away.
On January 19, Palworld will enter Early Access on Steam, and Game Preview on Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, and the Microsoft Store. A press release lists the game's price as "TBD," but the console and Microsoft Store versions will be available through Game Pass if you want a low-cost way to try Palworld out. The news comes alongside a new trailer showcasing action, exploration, guns, and what appear to be the game's principal villains. (Surprise - they sure look like Pokemon gym leaders.)
While Palworld's Pokemon influences are unmistakable, it's not actually an RPG in the same sense. Instead, it's an open-world survival and crafting game where you can collect and train the titular Pals to fight alongside you, help you construct buildings and gather resources, or tend the farms back at home.
That all sounds pleasant and cozy, but you don't have to scroll far down Palworld's Steam page to see things start to take a darker tone. You can put your Pals to work as slave labor in factories, and they'll keep working "until they're dead" - after all, "there are no labor laws for Pals." If things get rough out there, you might also need to eat your Pals. It is, after all, a survival game.
I have no idea whether we should expect Palworld to be any good, but I'm just as mesmerized as anyone by this absurdly grim take on the normally cute and cuddly Pokemon concept. I simply need to see it for myself.
If you're looking for more games like Pokemon, you know where to click.
