Game critic slams Palworld for missed opportunity, calls out Pokémon creator
The chief of staff for Dead by Daylight, Nathan S., has joined the chorus of voices criticizing Palworld, a creature-collecting survival game developed by Pocketpair. In a passionate LinkedIn post, Nathan S. pointed out the game’s performance and design flaws and emphasized that, while it has addictive qualities, Palworld lacks the “warmth” that money can’t fix.
He also criticized Pokémon developer Game Freak for failing to seize a similar opportunity and taking their dedicated playerbase for granted.
Nathan S. compared Palworld to the beloved Pokémon franchise, highlighting the emotional bond players form with their adorable companions. He argued that Palworld lacks the empathy and connection that makes Pokémon special, which cannot be remedied with mere content updates.
Although Palworld has experienced success across platforms, including Xbox Game Pass, Nathan S. acknowledged the game’s notable flaws. As a player himself, he expressed frustration with random crashes and lag. While he acknowledged that adding “warmth” might be a tall order, he hopes that Pocketpair will address the game’s other issues in future updates.
Notably, the similarities between Palworld and Pokémon have caught the attention of The Pokémon Company, which recently announced plans to investigate the potential infringement of intellectual property by Pocketpair.
