Asier Celarain

They nailed what Pokémon should have been — plain and simple. When I say “they did it,” I mean Palworld delivers that satisfying mash of creature collecting and freedom I kept hoping for. It hits the tone I wanted: familiar but fresh, with enough surprises to keep me invested without feeling like a straight copy. There’s a real sense of joy in finding and using pals that feels like the core of the whole experience. Second update completed: 01/07/2024 at 08:20 with 163 pals in the paldex. That timestamp feels like a little achievement stamp — a snapshot of the grind and progress. Hitting 163 is a milestone for me, and it shows how much time I’ve poured into tracking down different pals. The update itself felt meaningful too; finishing it and checking the paldex after made the whole journey feel worthwhile. Overall I’m proud of that number and what it represents. It’s not just a stat — it’s dozens of encounters, experiments, and small victories. I’ll keep playing to see how far I can push that paldex, but for now, this update and the 163 are enough to make me smile. If you want a game that captures what catching and collecting should feel like, this one comes pretty close.

Really good game for exercising; it'll take me a really long time to finish.

Path of Exile 2 feels way harder than Diablo 4 to me, and honestly that’s not a compliment — it’s just a difference in what I enjoy. I like how Diablo 4 moves you along toward the endgame with a steady, satisfying sense of progression. With PoE2 I kept running into slower pacing and harsher moments that made the journey feel more like a slog than an adventure. Difficulty can be fun when it tests you in interesting ways, but here it often just felt punitive and interrupted my flow. Leveling up a character in this Early Access build did not feel fast or easy. I finished the three acts and three cruel acts that are available, and by the time I hit mapping I already felt fatigued. The gains came in smaller increments and progress felt grindier than I expected — for me that undercut the enjoyment I get from building toward a powerful character. I’m someone who appreciates momentum in an ARPG, and PoE2’s current rhythm didn’t click with that preference. All that said, this is my personal take — I can see how others might appreciate the higher difficulty and longer grind. For me, though, the current early access path just isn’t delivering the forward momentum and variety I want from an endgame-focused action RPG.