Summary
The smashing success that “Pokemonwith guns"Palworldhas been having since its early access release is sure to spark some interesting conversations about its comparison with the all-famous Japanese monster-taming franchise, especially given its similarities withPokemon Legends: Arceus.Pokemongames have been innovating on the series' formula quite a lot with recent entries, and while that is a big part of what makes each new generation such a hit, the franchise could use some competition - and in a sense,Palworldis exactly that. Although the core gameplay loop ofPalworldandPokemongames differ dramatically, a possiblePokemon Legends: Arceushalf-sequelor full-fledged second game could draw comparisons withPalworldthat work both ways.
Palworld’s open worldcan be quite rich and rewarding to explore, which the game actively entices players to do given its survival approach. In fact, contrary toPokemonwhere battling with the critters and training them tends to be the main focus,Palworldhas many other elements to it that range from building structures and creating encampments to using Pals to get resources or even sell them. These may all be elements that anotherPokemon Legendsgame decides to adopt, and with an open-world setting to share, it may be tough to handle all the possible similarities and differences withPalworld.
How Palworld and Pokemon Legends: Arceus Sequel May be Two Sides of the Same Coin
Why Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Sequel is in a Rough Spot After Palworld
Palworldis not the be-all, end-all of monster-taming games, but the hype surrounding it has made it so that thePalworldvs.Pokemoncontroversyis being dismissed by many because Pocket Pair’s title is considered enjoyable regardless of where its Pals' designs may come from.Pokemon Legends: Arceusis not a survival game, at least not in the traditional sense of the genre, and the only elements that get close to it are the crafting mechanics and wild Pokemon attacking players.
Still, not only a sequel may decide to explore these aspects further, but it could very well create a spin-off series where catching Pokemon is not necessarily the main goal any longer. If it does, comparisons toPalworldwill likely follow, but this is something another Pokemon Legends game may not escape in any case.Palworld’s combat and catching mechanicscould very well be compared toPokemon Legends: Arceus' throwing items like Sticky Globs at wild Pokemon to stun them and then using Poke Balls to catch them. An actual combat system where players can use weapons to chip away at wild creatures' health and then catch them seems unattainable, but it’s whatPalworlddoes.
It’s worth noting that both Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Palworld make use of Alpha Pokemon and Alpha Pals, respectively. While the feature was first seen in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, a sequel may draw comparisons to Palworld’s version of it.
Why The Palworld vs. Pokemon Comparisons Work Both Ways
This doesn’t mean thatPokemon Legends: Arceus' sequel should have its own combat system, as it would be a massivePokemontradition to break, considering the mainline series has never included ways to have players directly harm wild creatures. However, the increased player agency inPokemon Legends: Arceuscompared to most mainlinePokemongames is comparable to that provided byPalworld, and the analogy may not always play in favor of Nintendo’s property.
A new Pokemon Legends: Arceus game has not been confirmed just yet, but if and when it pops up, Palworld will inevitably become one of its biggest points of contrast.
There may be comparisons between the nextPokemon Legendsgame andPalworldin terms of open-world approach, gameplay mechanics, and even things like character creation or critter designs. Much likePalworld"stole” Pokemon designs, it’s likely that a newPokemon Legends: Arceusgame will be under scrutiny for the same reason, although there would be no reason for Nintendo to go that route. More importantly, any major changes to how the game flows, be it survival elements or adjustments to the classicPokemonformula, may draw unwanted attention to howPalworldhandles all of it.
Pokémon Legends Arceus
WHERE TO PLAY
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is an action RPG video game set in the Hisui region, a place from the distant past in the Pokemon world. Players will explore this new region, inspired by ancient Japan, and study the behaviors of wild Pokemon. With the ability to sneak up on them and throw Poké Balls, players can catch Pokemon to add to their collection.The game features a new combat system where players can choose between a speedy agile style or a powerful strong style to take on wild Pokemon and other trainers. Players will also learn about the mythical Pokemon Arceus, who plays a key role in the game’s storyline.
