Highlights

  • Palworld's successful launch emphasizes open-world exploration, survival crafting, and monster collecting.
  • The game faces criticism for underdeveloped human NPCs.
  • Pocket Pair could enhance the game by introducing more unique, named NPCs for quests and expanding lore and characters.

Pocket Pair's Palworld has had quite a successful launch thus far. Released in January of this year, Palworld's blend of open-world exploration, survival crafting, and monster collecting loops has drawn in some record numbers of players and sales since then. Although still technically in its early access period, its various existing mechanics already form a solid backbone for even more content, and Pocket Pair has promised several upcoming additions.

Indeed, while some of the initial controversy around Palworld and Pokemon's resemblances has somewhat died down, the studio continues to address player feedback and add more features and tweaks regularly, building on the gameplay foundations and plot elements already in place. And though players can encounter some helpful human NPC figures during their explorations and endeavors in Palworld's lands, along with confronting various hostile faction members, the former is something that could use a bit more fleshing out and robust buffering to create a fuller experience.

After being highly requested, players will eventually be able to check out Palworld Arena , the upcoming PvP mode, though it is not currently planned to be part of the major updated schedule for this summer.

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Palworld's Enemy Factions Need to Go Back in the Oven

Palworld's early access leaves factions and towers critically underdeveloped and more lore, let alone gameplay, is needed to flesh them out.

Palworld Should Introduce More Friendly and Fleshed-Out NPC Allies

Palworld's NPCs Are a Little One-Sided Currently

Players can come across a variety of NPCs throughout Palworld's Islands. However, in almost every case, they come off as bland and stilted, with ​​​​​no real personality and only the most basic story attached to them. None of them have actual names, and when interacted with, many only offer tutorial-like dialogue or general hints about where to find specific supplies. There are merchants to be found in places like the Small Settlement, Duneshelter, and occasionally in the wilds, but again they function mainly as trade resources and not much beyond.

Certain aspects of Palworld 's lore also seem to heavily imply a plethora of interesting characters, who have uncovered deeper facts and other mysteries about its surreal lands, who leave open many possibilities of expanding Palworld' s history and ongoing tale further via these and perhaps other similar figures in the future.

How Palworld Could Provide More Unique and Personable NPCs

Understandably, a major focus for Pocket Pair is to keep introducing more Pals. But along with this, perhaps some actual named and important NPCs are in order. The studio could look at adding in some that would act as quest-givers for standard tasks like gathering some resources or finding specific Pals, offering players new or unique rewards like more blueprints and/or rarer items for completing them. It feels almost as if a few of the present NPCs are primed to do this, but the ability/feature simply hasn't been added in just yet.

One exception so far to the above can be found in Palworld's Tower bosses, who have both names and at least some semblance of characterization, even if it's just in their appearance and partner Pal that players must contest against in their efforts to liberate the towers. As Palworld continues to introduce new elements, including Raids, one possibility might be to expand on existing NPCs who could then assist players with these and other tasks.

Even if they may serve as only temporary companions, they could be given interesting backstories, for example, perhaps by being former members of enemy factions who have changed their ways and now provide aid to players. Regardless, it would serve Palworld's design and plans for expansion well if new friendly NPCs were brought into the mix, or existing ones were overhauled to be less one-dimensional and offer more engaging gameplay and intriguing story aspects.