Is Palworld like Pokémon?

Palworld immediately caught the eye upon its reveal by earning the fan title of “Pokémon with guns,” but just how similar are the two games?

Attention is now focused on Palworld’s imminent release, set to be announced this week. And while it has been a while since the trailer, which detailed multiplayer features and character customization, we already know a fair bit about the upcoming title.

You may be wondering just how similar Palworld is to Pokémon and what traits the two games share, as well as any major differences, so we’ve highlighted some of the biggest here.

Palworld and Pokémon similarities

Palworld shares many similarities to Pokémon, the biggest of which is of course hunting around for creatures to add to your collection and catching them—with new Pals being registered to your Paldeck, a clear nod towards the Pokédex in Pokémon, after being captured in Pal Spheres, which are very similar to Pokéballs.

Other similarities include the typings of Pals in Palworld, with types like Water and Fire directly comparable to Pokémon, and you can also breed Pals in Palworld just like you can in the Pokémon series.

Although not a staple in every Pokémon game, Alpha Pals in Palworld are similar to the Alpha Pokémon in Pokémon Legends: Arceus and Lucky Pals are rare variants in Palworld that have a lower chance of appearing, which are similar to Shiny Pokémon.

Palworld and Pokémon differences

Though there are similarities between Palworld and Pokémon, there are also some huge differences—the most notable of which is the ability to use guns in fights against Pals, with some Pals even being able to wield weapons themselves when they fight alongside you.

Pals also have many more uses in Palworld than their Pokémon counterparts, as they can be used for building, farming, and other labor tasks. Pals can also be killed and sold on the black market, whereas your creatures in Pokémon only faint and cannot be parted with for illicit gains.

Breeding also works differently in Palworld to Pokémon, from what we’ve seen so far, as this is the best way to gain stronger Pals, and you can breed different types of Pals together to create new Pals. While this feature is popular in the fan-made Infinite Fusion Pokémon game, it has not been replicated in the main series.