Summary
Palworldcame somewhat out of the blue to take the gaming world by storm early this year, and developer Pocket Pair was likely caught a bit off guard as to just how popular the survival crafting and creature-capturing title proved in its opening months. Since its early access release on Steam and Xbox Game Pass,Palworldhas garnered impressive, and in some cases, record-breaking numbers of concurrent players and sales, showcasing that many gamers are clearly enjoying what it has to offer.
The title has also seen itself surrounded by some controversy, facing criticism and accusations of plagiarism, particularly regardingPalworld’s resemblance toPokemon,as well as other open-world crafting and survival entries likeARK: Survival Evolved. Though it remains to be seen at this time what might come of that, players continue to pour hours into the game exploring, crafting, and finding more pals. While it has many robust features, there is one that could be added in the future that would round out an existing one.Palworld’s possible inclusion of dynamic weather systems and related random events could elevate its expansive world to even more immersive and engaging levels.
As it is still in the early access period, Pocket Pair has noted that plans are in place formorePalworldupdatesin the course of the year.
Palworld Adding Dynamic Weather and Random Elemental Hazards Would Be a Perfect Evolution of its Existing Scope
Palworld Already Emphasizes Environmental-Specific Equipment and Extreme Biomes
Among the existing and extensive array ofcraftable gear and items inPalworld, some of the most important come into play when venturing outside the more temperate areas and into the coldest mountain reaches or the scorching volcano and desert sections ofPalworld’s map. Certain sections of the land like these demand players to create the correct clothing and support items to protect against the elements, adding another factor to consider when setting out to explore and gather resources. Lacking the proper insulating gear for these intense environments will swiftly see players' characters dropping in health and in need of a hasty retreat to safer areas or the nearest fast travel marker.
This is a design feature that has been seen in a variety of other open-world games with large and diverse maps, with some of the most recent high-profile examples being the two latestLegend of Zeldatitles, Breath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom. Players may also recall the case ofJust Cause 4, which centered around each of its biomes being dominated by an intimidating weather event, like a roving tornado and never-ending blizzard, that required the requisite skill and planning to endure, which is somethingPalworldmight take a cue from in this regard.
A Dynamic Weather Cycle and Related Events Would Make Palworld’s Landscape More Varied and Reactive
Palworldhas a day/night cycle that affects other facets, such as which pals appear at certain locations and/or times, as well as visibility for rare upgrades. Given that, its lack of a weather system and/or randomly occurring elemental events at present seems like a missing piece of the puzzle.
Adding in weather-related obstacles (like intense rain or a blinding sandstorm) that could appear in an instant in unpredictable ways would complement this. With its focus on temperature mechanics and related items to mitigate them, it feels like a natural evolution to add dynamic/random weather events along withPalworld’sother promised features, as it would go a long way to increasing gameplay variety and immersion to a large degree.
