Summary
Pocketpair’sPalworldis already one of the most successful games of 2024, as it combines elements of the satisfying creature-collecting of thePokemonseries with the exploration ofThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildand the rather demanding survival mechanics of games likeARK: Survival EvolvedandRust. Those who have experienced or even witnessedPalworldfirsthand have noted its clear inspirations, fromPokemontoBreath of the Wild, but even being inspired by some of the biggest franchises in gaming history, it still tends to fall short in some areas.
Despite theenormous success ofPalworld, it hasn’t been without its issues. While this is expected, as the game is currently in early access, there are issues nonetheless. One issue, in particular, is very reminiscent of one ofBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom’s most common criticisms, and while it could be argued that it belongs inPalworldsimply due to the expectations set by the game’s genre, it is one of the many cited balance concerns that desperately needs to be addressed during its early access period.
Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s Weapon Durability Is One of Its Most Controversial Features
Even those who have yet to playThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildor its sequelTears of the Kingdomknow of the controversy surrounding each game’s frustrating durability mechanics. Undoubtedly designed as a way to keep players going after better weapons in each game,BotWandTotK’s durability mechanicsare largely looked down upon, as even some of the best weapons in the game can be lost forever once they are broken.
Nintendo attempted to provide a solution toBreath of the Wild’s durability criticisms withTears of the Kingdom’s Fuse abilityand a rather hidden way of repairing items, but many fans still felt the durability system was mostly unnecessary. Others saw it as a unique and justifiable method for encouraging players to keep seeking out more weapons, but the vast majority continued refusing to validate the feature. Now,Palworld’s durability system seems to be following suit.
Palworld’s Durability Mechanics Are Reminiscent of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s
Item durability is a very common feature in the survival genre, so on the one hand, it makes sense thatPalworldwould have it. However, the argument is not that durability should be removed fromPalworldentirely, but that it could be improved throughout the game’s early access period. Currently,Palworld’s durability mechanics are a bit too close to those ofBreath of the Wildand its sequel, and judging by how much criticism those two games have received for the feature, perhaps it would do well for Pocketpair to reevaluate the rate at which items require repair in its creature-collecting phenomenon.
Palworld’s Equipment is Just as Fragile as BotW and TotK’s
At the moment,certain items inPalworld, like its weaponsand armor, essentially require constant repairs. Obviously, this largely depends on how often the items are used and/or damaged, but other survival games are arguably a bit more lenient in this area and allow players to use similar items for a significantly longer time before repairing them. Armor feels especially weak when attempting to withstand the attacks of Pals only a few levels higher than the player. Even some ofPalworld’s early tools, regardless of being the worst tools in the game, often require repair before one resource node can be fully harvested.
Despite the balance issues thatPalworld’s current durability mechanics create, it’s likely Pocketpair has already noted this, and it may eventually update them accordingly. ManyPalworldfans have made suggestionson the game’s Steam community discussion page about how to improve the game’s durability mechanics, so the hope is that Pocketpair will see this if it hasn’t already and make the appropriate changes. Even still, the durability imbalance could be seen as a rather minor issue in the shadow of everythingPalworldgets right.
Palworld
WHERE TO PLAY
In this game, you can 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!
