10 Incredible Recent RPGs That Surprised EVERYONE

Even though Pokemon has inspired many copycats, few seemed to emulate the brand more brazenly than Palworld. In fact, both properties have such a similar aesthetic, it's easy to mistake one for the other. As a result, it was no surprise when Pocketpair's cutesy project was accused of being a lazy Pokemon clone, which led to plagiarism allegations, a lawsuit, and death threats.

Palworld was surrounded with such hostility, it was surprising to learn the property wasn't a rip-off at all. Although the Pals' similarities to Pokemon are unmistakable, the gameplay and structure are drastically different. Palworld may be an RPG, but there's more focus on survival, monster-taming, crafting, and base-building. The game makes heavy use of satire and shock humour, further contrasting itself from Nintendo's adorable IP.

The combat is very different since you can arm your Pals with weapons and battle alongside them. More importantly, Pals are more helpful than Pokemon, since they have a range of cool abilities to help you outside the battle arena.

Due to the legal disputes and the relentless antagonism Palworld suffered, it's remarkable how it became one of the best-selling PC games within a year.