Palworld was released in Early Access in 2024 to wild success after the developer, Pocketpair, announced the game in 2021. It was a Pokemon-inspired open-world game with crafting, resource gathering, and gunplay. It was unlike any monster-catching game before, and it’s now available on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox systems.
Palworld is still in Early Access, but despite that, Pocketpair has announced a spinoff game with no release date added after the first trailer. Palworld: Palfarm looks like a more relaxed game, taking place in an area called the Palpagos Islands. Given the footage already shown and what the Steam blurb says, there is quite enough to be excited about.
Pals Can Talk
Is This Animal Crossing?
The trailer starts with a speech bubble, which then reveals a Cattiva talking. The dialogue and design make it look a lot like an Animal Crossing game. Furthermore, Cattiva talks about paying off a debt in their new village, which is basically the plot of most Animal Crossing games. However, Cattiva isn’t the protagonist, as the player is a human who moves to this island as well. While Cattiva’s words are mysterious, it at least proves that Pals can talk in the game, and players will likely be able to interact with various Pal characters.
The Top-Down Perspective
A Less Complicated Gameplay Style
There’s something about top-down games that is inviting to players who are not accustomed to 3D environments. Some can feel overwhelmed by 3D, which could be why top-down life sim games like Stardew Valley do so well.
Players can explore their town and the surrounding areas from a top-down perspective. Through the game’s description and the trailer, it’s also apparent that there are different seasons, showing things like trees with orange leaves and a snowy village. Players can even build a snowman in the winter, which looks like a fun gameplay mechanic.
Farming Activities
And Non-Farming Activities
Players are, of course, going to be doing a bit of farming around their village. A life sim wouldn’t be complete without farming activities like growing crops. Pals can be seen being sheared for wool and laying both normal eggs and eggs with Pals inside.
Beyond farming, players can also go to the mines to look for minerals, fish, or chop down trees. They’re normal life sim mechanics, but it’s good to see them return in this game. Otherwise, fans of the genre could be upset.
Multiplayer And Marriage
Hand In Hand
Marriage is a mechanic found in many life sim games, along with RPGs. Stardew Valley and My Time at Sandrock are two big examples, but even older games like Dragon Quest 5: Hand of the Heavenly Bride had marriage options.
There’s one brief clip in the Palfarm trailer that shows two characters getting married. It’s not known whether this is an NPC villager or if it is another player. What is known is that the game will support some type of multiplayer, according to the Steam page. There is also a shot in the trailer showing three humans riding Pals. So, mounts are also confirmed.
The Shops
Some Normal, Others Mysterious
Along with talking Pals serving as NPCs, there will be shops players can visit, which are also run by talking Pals. There is a florist, a blacksmith, and even the returning black market merchant from the main game. This merchant is the only character shown holding a gun, which is odd considering guns played a big part in the teaser trailer for Palworld. How money will work in Palworld: Palfarm is a mystery, along with how many more shops will be added in the game’s initial release, be it in Early Access or full.
Pals Can Still Be Caught
How Will It Work?
The fishing moment in the trailer shows the player catching a Pal. This could indicate that players can catch and tame Pals like the main game. The trailer also showed the moment that a Pal laid an egg. The biggest clue to this returning mechanic is at the end of the trailer, wherein an NPC is shown being caught.
It’s framed like a cutscene, so perhaps it was a joke for the trailer. If this does mean players can catch NPCs, that’s huge, as it means being able to manipulate mechanics like the shopkeepers. It’s fun to think about, but it’s not confirmed how catching actually works in Palworld: Palfarm, other than that it is returning in some form.
Combat Is Still An Option
But No Eating Pals
There is nothing in the trailer that shows combat. However, the Steam page confirms that combat will be returning, as there will be raiding untamed Pals roaming the island. In Palworld, all combat is action-based, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be action-based in Palworld: Palfarm.
As mentioned above, one mysterious merchant is shown holding a gun, which could mean gunplay will return. It will be exciting to see how the game handles combat from a top-down perspective. RPG fans would assuredly love to see how a Palworld game would handle turn-based gameplay.