Pokemon with guns? Everything you need to know about Palworld

Palworld is an upcoming RPG that’s been described as Pokemon-with-guns, but what exactly is this bizarre game? And more importantly, why are all those adorable creatures holding rocket launchers and assault rifles? Here’s everything you need to know.

‘Pokemon with guns’ is one of those phrases you never expect yourself to be writing in a professional capacity, but that’s become the go-to (and fairly accurate) descriptor for Pocketpair’s upcoming open-world title Palworld, which will probably look very familiar to fans of Pikachu and friends.

With its vibrant open worlds, adorable creature companions, and cute graphics, you’d be forgiven for thinking this is just another Pokemon lookalike. That is until the main character whacks out a sniper rifle and kills one of those adorable creatures or puts them to work making weapons in a factory.

You’ve got questions? We don’t blame you. With the game now confirmed to enter early access in January 2024, we’re taking a look at everything we know about the ‘Pokemon with guns’ game so far.

What exactly is Palworld?

Palworld was unveiled back in 2021 to plenty of chatter online, with the game’s first official trailer showing off a colorful world full of catchable creatures and landscapes ranging from fiery volcanoes to icy mountains. It’s not hard to see why it’s being compared to Pokemon.

The new RPG has been described as a “multiplayer open-world survival crafting game” that sees you not just catching the various Pals that inhabit this world, but also battling alongside them, using their abilities to farm or explore the land, and fighting off illegal poachers together. With guns, of course.

Pocketpair has explained that the game can be about “living a slow life” with your new Pal friends or “throwing yourself into life-and-death battles”, so it seems like there will be freedom to approach the game in whichever way works for you, whether that’s as a cozy life sim or as a fast-paced shooter.

Why are there guns in this game?

Honestly, we don’t quite know ourselves, but considering how aggressive some of these wild Pals look, we can only assume this world’s human population decided to turn to firearms to defend themselves.

Or maybe they’re just rotten people who love inflicting violence. Who knows!

What weapons are available in Palworld?

From the footage we’ve seen so far, all of the standard weapons you’d expect to be available in a shooting video game are here: Pistols, assault rifles, sniper rifles, rocket launchers, and even a hunting bow for the wannabe archers among you.

However, if you’d prefer to get up-close-and-personal with those wild Pals, it’s also been confirmed that you’ll be able to use melee weapons like baseball bats or even your own fists if you want to go au naturel. God bless those poor, adorable creatures.

What Pals can you catch?

Catching various Pals is likely going to be a key part of Palworld, so the good news is that there are going to be quite a lot of them to discover. Right now, we know there are going to be at least 96 of them, which puts it about on par with the amount of new Pokemon that appeared in Pokemon Sword & Shield.

From common cannon fodder like Pengullet and Cattiva to more fearsome creatures like Jetragon and Reptigneo, there’s a mix of unique designs and some that look very similar to fan-favorite Pokemon. Pals will also have familiar elemental typings like Water, Grass, Fire, Dark, and Dragon.

It looks like there are going to be several ‘boss’ Pals to fight too, including Lyleen (Queen of Lillies) and Boltmane (King of Thunder). These look a little bit like the powerful nobles in Pokemon Legends Arceus.

You can see loads of the Pals you’ll be able to catch and battle in the video below:

How is Palworld different from Pokemon?

There are plenty of obvious comparisons to be drawn between Pokemon and Palworld, but there are some interesting differences too (and we’re not just talking about the guns).

While the family-friendly Pokemon games encourage you to form close bonds with your creatures and treat them as friends, Palworld leaves things open to interpretation. In one trailer, we can see a human character using a poor sheep-like Lamball as a shield to defend themselves from an onslaught of bullets.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, the game’s creators have revealed that you’ll also be able to poach endangered species and force your Pals into manual labor. You can even eat your Pal if you get peckish – although this last activity is “forbidden by law”, apparently. It’s good to know there’s some level of order in this chaotic world.

Palworld also seems like it will put a much bigger focus on traditional RPG activities like farming and constructing buildings. You’ll be able to use each Pal’s abilities to help you out, whether that’s attaching an Electric-type Pal to a rod to stun your fish supper or getting a Water-type Pal to douse your crops.

Graphics aren’t everything, but it’s hard not to compare Palworld’s smooth visuals to Pokemon Scarlet & Violet and Legends Arceus, which are generally considered to be pretty ugly games. It’ll be interesting to see how Palworld runs in practice, but it seems fair to say that it takes the crown in this department.

While it’s unlikely that Palworld (or any game, for that matter) will ever be able to give the behemoth that is Pokemon a proper run for its money, it will be interesting to see whether its focus on guns and chaos and viral videos will be enough to make it stand out from the pack.