As many Palworld players on PS5 are painfully aware, the game is currently suffering from some severe auto-saving issues. This critical Palworld auto-save bug has been causing players to lose hours of in-game progress, and is no doubt prompting many to put their copy of Palworld on ice until it's resolved. Luckily, there's a slew of similar titles on PS5 that are worth checking out in the meantime.
There are a number of factors that contribute to Palworld being a special game: its survival-crafting gameplay loop is familiar, but well-tuned, making it both approachable and compelling in the long-term, while its legally questionable Pokemon-esque premise provides a strong X-factor. As such, those seeking similar experiences would be best served by exploring other survival-focused games with a strong core gameplay loop, which also aren't lacking in the X-factor department. Considering Palworld's clever blending of the creature-collecting and survival sim genres, adopting a bifurcated view of potential replacements may be for the best.
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The Best Games Like Palworld On PS5 Right Now
For Those Who Love the Colony-Management and Survival Elements of Palworld
- Enshrouded
- Medieval Dynasty
- Conan Exiles
- Valheim
- Palia
- Frostpunk
- The Forest
- Grounded
- V: Rising
For better or worse, the survival-sim genre has been flooded with ambitious projects both big and small over the past several years. The high stakes of the genre, coupled with the possibility for nearly endless gameplay scenarios and forward growth, makes it a naturally appealing space for many, and there's a good deal of diversity among such titles, for what it's worth. But the question is, which survival games are best for Palworld fans?
Well, for those who enjoy Palworld's cooperative multiplayer elements, the likes of Enshrouded, Valheim, Conan Exiles, The Forest, Grounded, and V: Rising are well worth checking out. These games follow a formula that is quite similar to Palworld's, with players actively controlling their avatar and collecting resources through repetitive tasks, rather than assuming a birds-eye perspective and god-like omniscience. For fans of Palworld's combat emphasis, games like V: Rising and Valheim may be particularly suitable alternatives.
Then there are the more strategic or community-focused survival games, like Medieval Dynasty, Frostpunk, and Palia. These titles might be a good fit for the home-makers of the Palworld community—those who like nothing better than cultivating a thriving, comfortable, and efficient base of operations. Palia definitely falls into the more "cozy" side of the genre space, while Frostpunk and Medieval Dynasty are more complex and stressful. Either experience could serve a fan of Palworld, depending on their preference.
For Fans of Palworld's Quasi-Pokemon Formula
- TemTem
- Slime Rancher
- Bugsnax
- Persona 5 Royal
- Monster Sanctuary
A seemingly ever-relevant subject of discussion is Palworld's similarity to Pokemon. Once referenced as a common joke (the game was dubbed "Pokemon with guns" long before its early access release), Palworld's parallels with Nintendo's seminal series have led to real-world litigation. Indeed, Palworld is similar enough to Pokemon to provoke a lawsuit from Nintendo, so it's safe to say that fans of the former will find a lot to love in other Pokemon-adjacent games.
Games like TemTem and Monster Sanctuary are perhaps the closest that one can come to a Pokemon gaming experience outside the titular franchise itself, centering on collecting various monsters for the purposes of battle, traversal, and puzzle-solving. However, they both have enough mechanical, stylistic, and narrative distinctions to avoid feeling stale or derivative. Meanwhile, Bugsnax and Slime Rancher offer more low-key, meditative gameplay, while still centering on the act of creature-collecting. Then there's Persona 5 Royal, a story-driven RPG that nevertheless features compelling monster-collecting and upgrading systems. It, along with several of Atlus' other modern Megaten games, might appeal to fans of Palworld's creature-management loop.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 71 /100 Critics Rec: 58%
- Released
- January 19, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Violence
- Developer(s)
- Pocket Pair, Inc.
- Publisher(s)
- Pocket Pair, Inc.
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- Xbox Series X|S, pc
WHERE TO PLAY
In this game, you can peacefully live alongside mysterious creatures known as Pals or risk your life to drive off a ruthless poaching syndicate. Pals can be used to fight and breed, or they can be made to work on farms or factories. You can even sell them or eat them.
Survival: In a harsh environment where food is scarce and vicious poachers roam, danger waits around every corner. To survive, you must tread carefully and make difficult choices...even if that means eating your own Pals when the time comes.
Mounts & Exploration: Pals can be mounted to traverse the land, sea and sky—allowing you to traverse all kinds of environment as you explore the world.
Collect all kinds of exciting Pals to fight, farm, build, and work for you in this completely new multiplayer, open world survival and crafting game!
- Cross Save
- yes
- Number of Players
- 1-4 (Co-Op); 32 Players Server Limit
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- yes
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Shooter, Survival
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
- How Long To Beat
- 36 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 6 GB (February 2024)
