- Reaction score
- 1,697
Let's be honest, if Pokémon were real today, we'd have Pikachu power stations, Poliwraths flushing fatbergs from our sewers, Piplups cleaning crime scenes, and a rentable Chansey subscription service from healthcare providers. Maybe I'm just being cynical, but even the premise the games present—that we'd primarily just make them fight each other for sport—seems optimistic, a beautiful lie that we accept because we can't resist collecting things. Palworld is a take on Pokémon that truly accepts our brokenness, and its smash success has perhaps proved quite how steeped in sin we all really are.
Palworld has exploded across the internet like a self-destructing Electrode, and the shockwaves of its arrival are sparking a lot of debate. From shaky accusations about the use of generative AI and model copying, to heated arguments about its similarities to Pokémon overall, it's certainly getting people talking. One of the things the two series definitely have in common is that they both have, at their core, pretty disturbing premises—but at least Palworld doesn't pretend it doesn't.
I've been into Pokémon since I was tall enough to reach the booster packs at the till. But even back then, as I watched Ash fighting to keep Charmander's tail lit in the cartoon and felt proper emotions for the first time in my young life, I sensed the irony. Saving a little monster just to enslave it and then force it to battle for your entertainment and clout… it's fairly twisted. The series has always had to bend over backwards to convince you that you're not a terrible person, that it's totally fine that you don't just leave these weird and incredibly powerful creatures to live their lives.
Palworld on the other hand, leans into the darkness. There's something about its almost nihilistic perspective that I can't help but like. There's a twisted frankness to it. You can give adorable creatures guns, force them to mine stone and chop lumber, and utilise their individual powers for purely selfish reasons. At least I know where I stand. There's no convincing anyone that the bleak destiny you have set out for these Pals is for their own good. From the moment you've opened the game and punched a Chikipi to death… you've seen yourself become the villain.
www.pcgamer.com
Palworld has exploded across the internet like a self-destructing Electrode, and the shockwaves of its arrival are sparking a lot of debate. From shaky accusations about the use of generative AI and model copying, to heated arguments about its similarities to Pokémon overall, it's certainly getting people talking. One of the things the two series definitely have in common is that they both have, at their core, pretty disturbing premises—but at least Palworld doesn't pretend it doesn't.
I've been into Pokémon since I was tall enough to reach the booster packs at the till. But even back then, as I watched Ash fighting to keep Charmander's tail lit in the cartoon and felt proper emotions for the first time in my young life, I sensed the irony. Saving a little monster just to enslave it and then force it to battle for your entertainment and clout… it's fairly twisted. The series has always had to bend over backwards to convince you that you're not a terrible person, that it's totally fine that you don't just leave these weird and incredibly powerful creatures to live their lives.
Palworld on the other hand, leans into the darkness. There's something about its almost nihilistic perspective that I can't help but like. There's a twisted frankness to it. You can give adorable creatures guns, force them to mine stone and chop lumber, and utilise their individual powers for purely selfish reasons. At least I know where I stand. There's no convincing anyone that the bleak destiny you have set out for these Pals is for their own good. From the moment you've opened the game and punched a Chikipi to death… you've seen yourself become the villain.
Palworld is the Pokémon this sinful world deserves
We're the real (pocket) monsters.
www.pcgamer.com
