A new Palworld trailer has been released, and it's a pretty heavy one. The new trailer delves into some of the darker aspects of this upcoming Pokemon-inspired creature collector, showing the ostensibly cuddly Pals assembling weapons and eating one another.
What's in the new Palworld trailer?
The new trailer shows the vast, beautiful landscapes of Palworld, as well as some of the things you'll be able to do in them. Although a Pal can be seen wielding a gun in the first trailer, this new one more clearly shows their proficiency with weapons, including a large yellow Pal firing a minigun. The trailer also shows Pals eating one another, ostensibly in the wild, as well as assembling guns on a factory line and being made to battle one another in an arena. There's also a rather disturbing scene in which the player is captured alongside their Pal and strapped to a table in a dingy basement. It's a clear attempt to subvert Pokemon's childlike wonder and whimsy with something altogether darker and more realistic. You can check out the new Palworld trailer here.
In an interview with the NME, Palworld developer Pocketpair explained its ethos for making the game. CEO Takuro Mizobe says he wanted to create an "imperfect game world" inflected with violence and exploitation. Players will be able to choose between being good to their Pals or exploiting them for labor, which could make tasks go quicker but will obviously damage the critters. It's pretty clear this isn't a happy-go-lucky creature collector like Temtem. Instead, it's trying to make a point about capitalism and the way in which innocent creatures are exploited for profit. Time will tell whether that message is well-conveyed or not.
When is the Palworld release date?
According to the official Steam page, the Palworld release date will land sometime in 2022. We don't yet know exactly when the game will launch, though. It's part of a sort of creature-collecting renaissance, which includes games like Monster Rancher 1 & 2 getting a re-release and indie efforts like Coromon harking back to the glory days of the Game Boy Advance. Palworld, however, is clearly trying to aim at a different niche, with its adult themes and darker gameplay mechanics.
Palworld is expected to release in Early Access some time in 2022. Gameplay-wise, it's an open-world action RPG with survival and crafting elements. Pocketpair says it was inspired by games like Ark: Survival Evolved and Rust, with trailers showing building automation and action-oriented combat. You can wishlist the game on Steam right now. We'll bring you more on Palworld, including a more specific release date, as soon as we get it.
What do you think of Palworld's dark, satirical take on the Pokemon aesthetic? Let us know in the comments below!
