Games worth discovering

Harvest Moon meets Animal Crossing in this cozy crafting MMO - Palia Quick First Impressions

17K View2023-08-05

Palia

8.3

Action RPGFarming SimCraftingRPGCasualMassively MultiplayerOnline Co-OpCharacter Customization

Get

PLAY IT OR SKIP IT?

Play it if you enjoy peaceful games, even if you’re not big on online multiplayer. Even though Palia is an MMO, it has more in common with life sims than games like World of Warcraft. It’s a laid-back game filled with relaxing activities, like farming, crafting, and fishing. There’s no combat, no fail states, and there’s never any time pressure, so I felt free to explore the game at my own pace. It’s filled with multiplayer activities, but I also had tons of fun playing solo. Palia seems like the perfect way to unwind or catch up with friends after a long, stressful day.

TIME PLAYED

I spent around eight hours in Palia’s closed beta, which gave me plenty of time to explore, farm, and build myself a house. My interactions with other players were pretty limited, but even though I was playing on my own, I was easily able to get help from others when I was hunting or working on quests. While I didn’t spend any real money, I also took a look at the premium shop. Currently, the shop only sells cosmetic items, so free players can enjoy the game without any constraints.

WHAT'S AWESOME

• Cooperative multiplayer. Palia can be played solo, but I had more fun when I connected to the community around me. When I didn’t have the materials I needed for a quest, I checked to see if any players could help me out. Within a few minutes, a complete stranger sent me everything I needed. Some trees were too big for me to chop down alone, but when I teamed up with other players, we were able to fell the tree in no time.

I never felt pressured to party up, but when I did interact with other players, it really felt like Palia was rewarding me for being a party of the community. Cooking and hunting could be challenging when I was playing solo, but when I had other players by my side, these activities were a breeze. Since it’s in closed beta, the current player base is pretty small, but when the game goes live, I think it could be a great way to meet new people and make friends.

• Tons of crafting and building. I knew that Palia had a crafting system, but I was pleasantly surprised by how robust that system actually is. There are eight skills in Palia—foraging, mining, fishing, gardening, hunting, insect collecting, and cooking—and every one of these abilities can be used to create new items and build a virtual life.

When I leveled up my foraging skill, I unlocked a recipe that allowed me to craft a sawmill. I used that sawmill to refine the wood I chopped into planks, and I used those planks to build my very first house. I was constantly unlocking new crafting recipes, and the huge selection of buildable items really made my house feel like my own.

• Friendship and dating mechanics. Palia encourages you to socialize with other players, but there are also tons of NPCs for you to interact with. Not only are the character designs great, but the dialogue is absolutely fantastic. I wanted to spend more time with just about everyone I chatted with.ﾠ

In addition to befriending the locals, Palia lets you romance certain characters. The dating sim mechanics are a unique addition for an MMO, but they seem like a ton of fun. There’s a great selection of romanceable NPCs, including elegant fashionista Jel and adorable nerd Jina. Best of all, there’s no need to limit yourself to a single love interest. Palia has a polyamorous culture, so you can date as many people as you’d like.

WHAT NEEDS IMPROVING

• No class system. I was a little disappointed to discover that Palia doesn’t have any sort of class system. Every player has the same skills and abilities. Since the game doesn’t contain combat, this isn’t a huge deal, but I wish characters could specialize in things like weaving or potion-making. MMOs are more satisfying when you can carve out a specific niche.

• It’s a little light on content. I didn’t run out of things to do in Palia, but it’s clear that the game is in its early stages. Some questlines ended a little abruptly, and there weren’t that many locations for me to explore. Thankfully, since the game is still in its beta stages, there’s plenty of time for the devs to add quests and expand the world.

💬 Will you explore the peaceful world of Palia, or do you prefer multiplayer games with a little more action? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

MMORPGThatKeptMePlaying

Mentioned games

8.3

Action RPGFarming SimCraftingRPGCasualMassively MultiplayerOnline Co-OpCharacter Customization

Get

Comments

Salwa RA

looks like utopia origin

2023-08-25

Dawn Restart:Survival

Hello, I am the independent developer of the game 《Dawn Restart: Survival》（The game features farming, simulation, card play, battles, exploration, survival, post-apocalyptic scenarios, construction, crafting, and more. It's a casual gaming experience.） Your promotional article is well-written, and I was wondering if we could become friends? I would appreciate it if you could contact me through email at [email protected] or on Discord at good#9200. If you have the time, please take a look at my game. Thank you very much.

2023-10-20