Summary
It didn’t take long for Pocketpair’s creature-collecting survival gamePalworldto reach an unprecedented state of notoriety for borrowing features from other franchises.Pokemonis the series thatPalworldis most known for mirroring, particularly in its Pokemon-like creatures known as “Pals.” In fact, since it went into early access,Palworldhas received consistent backlash for itsPokemon-esque features, butPokemonisn’t the only source ofPalworld’s inspiration.
The influence of Nintendo’sThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildand its sequelTears of the Kingdomcan be found all overPalworld’s open world, even down to its brief piano cues between loading screens. Its map is also reminiscent of the games ofZelda’s new era, as it includes discovered fast travel points and the ability to add various markers to indicate other points of interest. However, despite whatPalworlddoes take fromBotWandTotK, there is one feature it has not included that Pocketpair should consider implementing as it continues to update the game during early access.
Palworld Needs a Tool Like Tears of the Kingdom’s Purah Pad
The Purah Pad isTears of the Kingdom’s version of the Sheikah SlatefromBreath of the Wild, and the two function very similarly. Of their various functions, there is one often underutilized feature that makes exploration in Hyrule much more efficient — and it would do the same forPalworld. For starters, players can open a scope on the Sheikah Slate and Purah Pad that allows them to view long distances. They can also place up to six colored pins on the ground to mark locations on their map without ever opening it. As bothBotWandTotKare full of secrets to discover, it’s easy to get distracted, so these pins are all but necessary.
Currently, players can place markers on their map inPalworld, but only while the map is open. While this is indeed helpful, it could be even more so. While exploringPalworld’s enormous open world, players are likely to spot points of interest from a distance, like the multitude ofLifmunk Effigiesthat glow bright green at night. Chances are very high that they will see multiple points of interest simultaneously, but because they can only place markers on the map while it is open, they have no choice but to open the map and place a marker near each POI’s approximate location. As such, if they were able to use a scope as inBotWandTotK, they could mark the exact location of those POIs for later retrieval.
Palworld Players Could Track Items and Pals with a Tool Like the Purah Pad
One helpful feature of the Purah Pad is the ability to track monsters, materials, and even theTears of the Kingdom’s mini-dungeon Shrinesonce it has been upgraded. This would undoubtedly find a home inPalworld, as there are countless Pals and items to find. The ability to track collectibles, materials, or even Pals would makePalworld’s sprawling open world feel a bit more manageable, especially considering there are already over 100 Pals to find and Pocketpair plans to add more as it takes the game through its early access period.
Despite the lack of certain helpful features,Palworldremains an exciting adventure forPokemonveteransand newcomers alike, as well as fans of the survival and crafting genres. However, if Pocketpair wants to continue embracing its shameless borrowing of other games' best features inPalworld, it might consider adding something akin toTears of the Kingdom’s Purah Pad to increase the value of exploring its vast and whimsical open world.
Palworld
WHERE TO PLAY
In this game, you’re able to peacefully live alongside mysterious creatures known as Pals or risk your life to drive off a ruthless poaching syndicate. Pals can be used to fight and breed, or they can be made to work on farms or factories. You can even sell them or eat them.Survival: In a harsh environment where food is scarce and vicious poachers roam, danger waits around every corner. To survive, you must tread carefully and make difficult choices…even if that means eating your own Pals when the time comes.Mounts & Exploration: Pals can be mounted to traverse the land, sea and sky—allowing you to traverse all kinds of environment as you explore the world.Collect all kinds of exciting Pals to fight, farm, build, and work for you in this completely new multiplayer, open world survival and crafting game!
