Ex Resident Evil dev says Palworld "crosses lines that should not be crossed"

As Palworld developer Pocketpair handles legal challenges from Nintendo over patented game mechanics, it's also come under fire from ex-Capcom developer Yoshiki Okamoto in a new YouTube video that accuses it of breaking boundaries that should be considered sacred. Since becoming one of Steam's most popular games ever at launch, Palworld has done a good job of establishing its own, standalone brand among the best survival games, setting it apart from the Pokemon-like designs that initially gave it notoriety. However, former Street Fighter 2 producer Okamoto, who also worked on the likes of Resident Evil, Dino Crisis, and Devil May Cry, isn't happy with it.

In his new video [translated via YouTube], Okamoto says he "can't help but be curious about Palworld every time new information comes out," adding that he believes it to be "a game that crosses lines that should not be crossed." He even goes as far as saying, "I strongly feel that I don't want the world to become one in which this is accepted." He explains that, should Palworld win its defense against the Nintendo lawsuit, he worries that such perceived infringements might be accepted in future cases as, "It's okay because it sold well," or, "It's okay because it was interesting."

Since the lawsuit, Pocketpair has made some key changes in response to Nintendo's patent claims, including the removal of the Pal Spheres and adding a glider in place of flying with your Pals. Okamoto notes that Palworld spent a long time in early access, and that Pocketpair has "started making efforts to become a new Palworld," which is why he wants to talk about the topic now.

Okamoto does note that he hasn't played Palworld, "so I can't really say anything about the game's content, I'm just watching videos. Even if someone recommended it to me, I have no intention of playing it or spending money on it." He smiles, saying that he might be considered a 'hater' but that having haters means you're getting attention, and that he understands that there are many fans of the game. "Haters are the flip-side of having fans, so in a sense they've become established."

Should Pocketpair reach a settlement with Nintendo, then Okamoto would consider Palworld "a game that is officially fine to play." In the meantime, however, he believes it's unacceptable to support it while it's in the process of legal action. "Playing it means you are supporting it, so please don't buy it." He even predicts that such a deal may be struck, suggesting that's why Pocketpair felt comfortable announcing its 1.0 launch. He worries, however, that success for Palworld might open the door to more imitations of games such as Mario and Zelda.

Most of the comments responding to Okamoto's video disagree with him. Some users point out that his own works borrow concepts and ideas from other games. Street Fighter 2 bears similarities to Konami's Yie Ar Kung-Fu, while Monster Strike, the hugely popular mobile game created by Okamoto, can be compared to its older rival Puzzle and Dragons.

Other commenters aim criticism at Nintendo for their recent patent on summoning mechanics, which has come under fire for being a system that predates the Pokemon series across many other games. Some say that if buying Palworld means supporting Pocketpair, then they will choose to do exactly that.

In the meantime, we've rounded up the best Palworlds mods to enhance your experience, along with the best open-world games on PC right now.

Now that it's become an established property in its own right, how do you feel about Palworld's genesis? Drop into the PCGamesN community Discord server and let us know what you think.