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Whose team of cuddly comrades is stronger? Will my Ice-type crush your Dragon, or will you swap in a Fire Pal? Do all of your Skill Fruit match your Pal’s type, or did you switch things up? Palworld has great potential, but this early access title has a long way to go before it’s ready for PvP. Showdowns between trainers are a huge part of what made Pokemon successful, and many Palworld fans are clamoring for them to reach Palpagos Island. Sparkit might look like Pikachu, but right now, Palworld players are far from the Trainer level of Ash Ketchum. Since Pocketpair will eventually bring PvP to the game, let’s look at what needs to happen first.
Palworld and PvP Problems
Pokemon‘s first generation features 151 monsters, while Palworld‘s early access roster features 111, not counting species variations like Jolthog and Jolthog Cryst. In short, there are plenty of furry fellas to fight. Palworld‘s monster count is easily diverse enough for PvP. It also features nine elemental types and dozens of teachable skills. That’s not the problem. The issue lies in how players interact during battle. In Pokemon, trainers take a backseat while the player assumes direct control of their team. In Palworld, the trainer takes an active role in battle, leaving Palsto fight for themselves.
Much of the fun of PvP in Pokemon lies in selecting the moves your Pokemon will use. At the moment, that’s not a thing in Palworld, unless you’re riding a Pal or wielding one like Foxparks as a weapon. The inability to select moves seriously limits the amount of strategic flexibility that Palworld would have in PvP. I love watching my Depresso clash with other Pals, but those fights never feel controlled the way that Pokemon battles do. If I can’t choose between Spirit Flame and Nightmare Ball or Wind Cutter and Dragon Meteor, I feel like I’m losing out.
Trainers in PvP
Food buffs, passives, and Skill Fruit are strategically important. That said, letting pre-battle decisions determine outcomes in this way makes Palworld feel like an auto-battler. If I wanted that, I’d play Teamfight Tactics. In Palworld‘s defense, adding trainers to the fight does add strategy. I just don’t think it’s enough. There’s too little diversity in weapons and armor at the moment for the trainer’s loadout to matter. I dislike the idea of depending on the trainer’s skill with a gun as well. I want Palworld to feel like a monster battling sim, not a clay pigeon simulator where two players via to see who can lie up Woolipop with their iron sights first.
If Palworld wants to take the Pokemon approach to PvP, adding move selection is almost mandatory. If it wants to emphasize trainers instead, the game needs a large injection of new weapons and armor, each with its pros and cons. Better dodge or mobility mechanics would also help, as would restrictions on calling and retrieving Pals. Palworld has done well so far to set its mechanics apart from Pokemon, and it should continue to do so with PvP. How to do so without sacrificing fun is another matter.
Palworld is available for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in early access.
