As soon as the Internet first got its first look at juggernaut-to-be Palworld, many began accusing it of looking a lot like, well, let’s not play that game — you know what I’m talking about.
Still, it seems as if it’s not enough to quench all that thirst for Pokémon content, as YouTuber ToastedShoes posted a video of a modded version of the game, replacing the pals with Pokémon and making the main character Ash.
Mechanics-wise, Palworld seems to remain essentially the same, but it feels like a weird new thing. It’s hard to avoid looking at Misty holding a shotgun and not think of the possibilities for a zombie apocalypse game set in the world of Pokémon.
The mod isn’t out yet for everyone, but Nintendo has shown they’re watching by immediately taking down ToastedShoes’ original announcement of the mod. ToastedShoes claims he wants to give people access to the mod as soon as he sees fit.
This mod gives me all sorts of mixed feelings. Hurting pals might feel weird sometimes, but we’ve known them for what, not even a week? Vanilla Palworld allows players the excuse that Pals are trying to usurp the place that Pokémon have in our hearts to instill great violence upon them. Pokémon, on the other hand, are the creatures most of us grew up loving and not wanting to 360º quickscope.
That’s why I feel much worse for laughing at the idea of clobbering a poor Wooloo to death and seeing it rolling down a hill like a ball than I would its Palworld counterpart.
The same goes for seeing Pikachus doing mining work. Shocking stuff — is what I would say if they were using their electric powers instead of those pickaxes.
Even though Palworld combines elements such as survival, building, gunplay, and the possibility of committing acts of unbridled cruelty, many still refer to it as just “Pokémon with guns”. That’s both reductive and dumb because the name Gunkémon was right there. You can now enjoy this wild ride on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox X|S.
