ThePokemonfranchise has inspired numerous games in the monster-collecting genre over the years, but none look to be as bizarre as the upcoming indie titlePalworld. Often described as “Pokemonwith guns,“Palworldblends elements of several genres aside from monster collecting including open-world exploration, survival-crafting mechanics, and third-person shooter gameplay. While many curious fans ofPokemonand the monster-collecting genre are tentatively interested in this title, the recent announcement of its early access period beginning in January 2024 comes at a poor time if the game wishes to stand out from its inspiration.
Palworldwas first revealedback in Summer 2021 from developer Pocketpair, and its trailer immediately captured audiences with its wild, over-the-top approach to the monster-collecting genre that includes seemingly everything but the kitchen sink. While many were intrigued by the concept of mixing cute Pal creatures with shooter gameplay, the promise of those elements on top of a multiplayer, open-world game with survival and crafting elements seemed too good to be true. AlthoughPalworldsuffered a series of delays pushing its release from 2022 to 2023 and now finally to early 2024, it still may have a rough road ahead due to its unfortunate early access release window.
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Palworld’s Early Access Launch May Have to Compete with Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s DLC
Players looking forward to seeing whatPalworld’s “Pokemonwith guns” gameplayis all about will finally have the opportunity to do so when the game launches in early access in January 2024. However, this may not have been the best timing for its release as it will likely have to face direct competition with its much more popular inspiration asPokemon Scarlet and Violet’s DLC is set to release around the same time.Palworldis obviously a much smaller title compared to the gaming juggernaut that isPokemon, so it would be a shame to have its launch eclipsed by the series it looks to emulate.
The Hidden Treasure of Area ZeroDLC forPokemon Scarlet and Violetis set to launch in two waves, with The Teal Mask slated for Fall 2023 and The Indigo Disk set for Winter 2023. While specific dates have yet to be revealed, it’s likely that The Teal Mask will see a release sometime between September 2023 and November 2023. The Indigo Disk’s release date is a bit more up in the air as Winter 2023 could mean December, but it could also extend as far out as January or February 2024.
If The Indigo Disk hits the later end of its winter release window, it’s likely to draw a lot of attention fromPokemonand monster-collecting fans that would otherwise be given toPalworld. Despite just being DLC for the existingPokemon Scarlet and Violetgames,The Hidden Treasure of Area Zerolooks to offer enough new content to renew hype for the Gen 9 games and potentially stave off any challenge from similar competing titles. Even ifPalworlddoes offer a new twist on the genre, it may not be enough to garner the attention Pocketpair is looking for from an audience that will likely be preoccupied with a much larger offering.
Palworldis already in a strange situation where it seems to be promising a lot of features that have yet to be shown meshing well together, but it still has enough of a following to be featured in showcases likeSummer Game Fest 2023. An untested game of this scope going up against the titan that isPokemonseems like a recipe for disaster, and better off releasing during a lull in thePokemondevelopment cycle to hold fans over until the next big release. Its success could be riding entirely on when The Indigo Disk DLC releases, which is ultimately out of Pocketpair’s hands.
Palworldlaunches in early access in January 2024 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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