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[Draugoth]

Palworld, aka ‘Pokémon with guns’, is out now and already shooting to the top of Steam’s most-played games list. It’s early days of course but already it seems safe to declare the game a hit. And it’s going down well with players, too. On Steam, Palworld has a ‘very positive’ user review rating.

But some Pokémon fans are less than impressed, and that’s because of the clear and obvious similarities between Palworld and Nintendo’s all-conquering, family friendly gotta catch ‘em all franchise. Are Palworld’s Pals too similar to Pokémon? Are we in “rip-off” territory here?

As Palworld trends across social media, one vociferous debate cutting through the din revolves around this very question. For some Pokémon fans, Palworld is a shameless clone, and they’re letting the internet know it.

Here’s a snippet of the reaction:

​

Source is IGN

 

[Fake]

Fans should be worried about the shit state of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

The game is so fucking broken.

 

[AALLx]

Huh, interesting. You don't say? I bet the devs will have their minds blown when they find out they've been ripping off Pokemon all along.

 

[CamHostage]

Ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssshocking!

 

[Aion002]

 

[LakeOf9]

Was- was that not the point of Palworld?

 

[March Climber]

Do these guys think they're being internet sleuths?

 

[AALLx]

Was- was that not the point of Palworld?

Woah, hold on guys... that Palworld, it looks awfully familiar...

 

[Kssio_Aug]

It's obvious that they are using Pokemon more than just as inspiration. But some of these comparisons are just stupid.

Like... for real?

 

[MagiusNecros]

Fans should be worried about the shit state of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

The game is so fucking broken.

Last good Pokemon game was Gold and Silver.

Pokemon Legends was ok I guess.

Question is where were all these rabid Pokemon loyalists when Temtem came out? Or obscure stuff like Monster Sanctuary? Or champing at the bit on Dragon Quest Monsters? Or crying about Yokai Watch?

Can't say I'm too bothered about Survival Craft Pokemon with guns when nothing will ever top Shin Megami Tensei.

 

[adamsapple]

By jove, these guys have done it!

 

[BennyBlanco]

 

[LakeOf9]

Last good Pokemon game was Gold and Silver.

Pokemon Legends was ok I guess.

Question is where were all these rabid Pokemon loyalists when Temtem came out? Or obscure stuff like Monster Sanctuary? Or champing at the bit on Dragon Quest Monsters? Or crying about Yokai Watch?

Can't say I'm too bothered about Survival Craft Pokemon with guns when nothing will ever top Shin Megami Tensei.

I've only played Legends, but I really liked it, it was a great game. The other Switch ones look thoroughly unappealing though

 

[NecrosaroIII]

Pokemon ripped off Dragon Quest V, which ripped off Shin Megami Tensei

 

[cash_longfellow]

No shit…but Pokémon sucks now, sooo, what’s the gripe?

 

[The Cockatrice]

Pokemon fanboys are complete morons. No wonder we can't get any genuinely good Pokemon games anymore when they just buy any turd. Now they're crying over absolutely nothing. Jesus fuck, the Pokemon fanbase is more cancer than Undertales.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Does nintendo own all the copyrights and crap to draw stupid animal creatures? If not then the pokemon idiots can get over it.

 

[NuclearDiarrhea]

The best thing about this game so far is the meltdown it has caused in the Pokémon Community. Hope they get through this ok.

 

[Power Pro]

No shit…but Pokémon sucks now, sooo, what’s the gripe?

It doesn't suck...it's just not living up to it's potential. For all it's faults, there are aspects I really like about Scarlet/Violet.

 

[MagiusNecros]

I've only played Legends, but I really liked it, it was a great game. The other Switch ones look thoroughly unappealing though

Never played it but it's legit good. Stopped playing Pokemon since Sword/Shield. Cutting out my Nidoking is a big no no.

 

[cash_longfellow]

It doesn't suck...it's just not living up to it's potential. For all it's faults, there are aspects I really like about Scarlet/Violet.

That’s a valid argument! But to me a game that crashed so hard from what it was to what it is, makes it hard to respect it at all. I really see it the same way as Battlefield.

 

[BouncyFrag]

I love this so much. Lol.

 

[lughnasadh123]

Next you'll be telling me Lies of P was ripping off Bloodborne.

7/10 too much salty water.

 

[Three]

Not sure where the thread title comes from, it's not the title of the IGN article. they didn't accuse it of ripping it off. They, like everybody else, know it rips it off and they're showing how and which pokemons they've ripped.

 

[Holammer]

Pokemon ripped off Dragon Quest V, which ripped off Shin Megami Tensei

Roll back the tape and look at Dragon Ball & Dr Slump and we might find more similarities. Toriyama delivers.

 

[Tsaki]

Lmao these are all clear rip-offs. Nintendo about to feast

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

Nobody is getting sued, the designs are different enough.

 

[Danjin44]

Isn’t kind of the point? It meme game about Pokémon “like” using guns.

It doesn’t make any difference to me, the reason I chose Shin Megami Tensei over Pokémon because always like Demon designs waaaay more than Pokémon designs.

In fact I recently replayed GrimGrimore and I fucking LOOOVED monster designs sooo much…so much so I’m hoping Atlus bring Vanillaware to designs some Demons for them for next SMT game.

 

[Kilau]

"We did it guys, we exposed the copycats!"

 

[plip.plop]

 

[Swagballs717]

Did they not see Scarlet and Violet?

Honestly, Pokémon needs to be challenged. They've gotten too comfortable on their throne.

 

[Saber]

Pokemon fanboys rather prefer complain about everything their tiny brains think its a clone than complain about their own broken outdated Pokemon game.

Btw if anyone wonders, the game still have stutters, a few softlocks on raids and a new broken clone glitch.

 

[NoLootBoxDev]

Jokes aside, why was everyone calling "Pokemon with guns", there is an obvious inspiration taken from the Pokemon games...

 

[Dynasty8]

Nintendo fans will go to the extreme. Remember kids, competition is good.

 

[CamHostage]

It's obvious that they are using Pokemon more than just as inspiration. But some of these comparisons are just stupid.

Why is this stupid? Some design elements are commonplace and would appear on many types of cartoon creature design (especially when themed for certain biomes,) but the similarities here are far beyond coincidental or commonplace. The lines and accents are too often replicated to just be coincidence. There are artists who do work that is derivative and generic, and then there are straight-out tracers.

It's almost as if they kitbashed Pokémon models, and I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. It would make sense that these are modified Asset Marketplace or model rips they got online and then tweaked and pulled shapes from to make their own models.

They're not at all even hiding it. Supposedly, the choice to not be unique is even an intentional cloning of Pokemon, as the game has some kind of parody concept to it (though I'm not sure Parody Law really would be solid legality here?)

 

[Kamina]

 

[newtypepilot]

pokemon fans are batshit crazy but not as insane as Nintendo's lawyers LMAO

 

[Skifi28]

I wish they had the same energy for pokemon ripping off real animal designs, you know, those with actual feelings. Nintendo can't keep getting away with this.

 

[Danjin44]

pokemon fans are batshit crazy but not as insane as Nintendo's lawyers LMAO

Nintendo's lawyers:

 

[ssringo]

since I'm bored as hell as hell, I'm gonna be making a thread of this i think... Palworld design analysis trying to spot every pokemon they jumbled together

since I'm bored as hell as hell

 

[Dutchy]

What are the chances that the developpers used AI to easily mass-generate different kind of interpretations from already existing designs?

 

[DonJimbo]

At first i thought its Pokemon and they changed the Name because of the Brand belonging to Nintendo so it can be playable on non Nintendo Sytems

 

[Stitch]

 

[killatopak]

Laughs in SMT and DQ.

 

[DenchDeckard]

It's literally pokemon with guns....

That's the point.

Nintendo ninjas may strike

 

[Robb]

If there’s a possibility to sue someone you can bet Nintendo is already in the process of filing the paperwork.

 

[tomato shrub]

"We did it guys, we exposed the copycats!"

I hate all platform fanboys, trust me. But Nintendies are definitely the most "special" kind, with this case being only one of the smallest embarrassments.

 

[kazuyamishima]

Zelda fans smashed PS4 consoles due to Genshin Impact.

Will Pokémon fans start smashing PC’s due to Palworld?

 

[Von Hugh]

There are 1017 Pokemon. How the hell could this be even avoided?

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Maybe if the state of Pokemon wasn't so shit, a game like Pokemon Gun Palworld wouldn't be possible.

That said, the average Pokemon game sells 20+ million copies a release, so Pokemon Gun Palworld has a ways to go before it will get Nintendo's attention.