An odd combination of Pokémon and Arc: Survival Evolved, Palworld was one of the biggest new releases of early 2024. It was also one of several games featured at Monday’s Xbox Showcase, with Pocket Pair announcing a major update this summer.
Palworld showcases new Japan-inspired locations
Monday’s trailer shows a Palworld player and one of her Pal’s arriving in a new region. Inspired by Japan, the location features a Shinto temple, complete with traditional torii gates, surrounded by a forest of cherry blossoms. Another location in the trailer features giant mushrooms rising from a tropical rainforest.
Each new Palworld location also features at least two new Pals for players to battle and collect. A majestic peacock-like Pal struts among the cherry trees while a dog-like pal meditates on the temple grounds. Meanwhile, the mushroom fore is home to dinosaur-like tall mushroom Pals and adorable little ninja frogs.
The mushroom Pals don’t appear very dangerous, though Palworld fans get a few glimpses of the other three in action. The fog carries a stick that it can use to launch energy projectiles. Based on the trailer, the stick may double as a melee weapon. The dog Pal also has ranged attacks, while the peacock showed off its short-raged area-of-effect ability. The latter sees large and very pointy rocks shoot off from the ground in a circle around the Pal.
Nicknamed “Pokémon with guns,” Palworld launched in early access in January. Despite some initial controversies, the game was a massive success for developer Pocket Pair. While player numbers have predictably dropped off after the initial bump, this new content may bring players back to the game.
