[Review] Palworld

Here's my review of a game I just dabbled in. As you can see from the attached photo, I didn't even really 'dip my toes' in. It was more like briefly holding it over the rising steam after the sauce evaporated, not even enough to get a whiff of the smell. That's about the extent of my 4 hours, but I'll review it anyway since I technically played it. I originally had no intention of playing this game, but my friends kept trying to convince me for like three months. They were like, "Seriously, please play it, it's so fun, why aren't you playing it? It's trending!" They really pushed me, so I eventually bought it and played with my veteran gamer friends. And honestly, the game really gives off that kind of vibe. So, what kind of game is it? Well, you gather resources, build structures, craft equipment, explore the map, catch 'Pals' like Pokémon, and level them up. That's the basic gameplay loop. But the way you catch Pals by beating them half to death and then throwing a ball... that's pretty wild. I haven't even played Pokémon, so I don't know if that's normal, but it feels a bit strange? And wait, even if we ignore that, you can breed them and even butcher them? Seriously. I don't think this game is for me.