Palworld

Hands on: Palworld is a strange and obliviously cruel game that nonetheless shows effort and some real thought running through its core design. Consequently, the end result (so far) is an arguably-functional hybrid of several proven formulas that still can't help feeling like a tonal car crash.

But for me, well, I’ve played so many of these “punch a tree, get some wood, build a thing, repeat” games that I’m just not sure I’m willing or able to sink in the hours needed to level up and earn an assault rifle all by myself. My dream of shooting Pikachu with an AR-15 will stay just that, a dream, for now.

Hands on: The real problem with Palworld is less the derivative approach itself, than it is it's total shamelessness. It might be oddly refreshing to be so open about your cynicism, but it also has an impact on the player. Play Palworld and you won't feel like you're playing something made with thought, or craft, or an earnest team's best intentions. You won't feel admiration or wonder.

No matter where it falls on your moral compass, Palworld has given the static formula of Pokémon a clear shake-up, both mechanically and ethically. On a technical level, I can’t say it’s good. However, its sheer playability is carried by just how bizarre it is from moment to moment. It’s certainly not bad going for a game that many people dismissed as vaporware at best, or forecast to go the same way as Fntastic’s The Day Before at worst.