Palworld allows you to capture humans, as is the case for creatures called Pals. Surprisingly, the game specifies that it is “inhumane” to do so, even though there is no concern with animal abuse.
By amplifying certain Pokémon gameplay elements, Palworld will revive the subject of animal abuse in video games. A subject which is very linked to Nintendo’s star franchise, since we recall that PETA never misses the opportunity to denounce the image sent back by Pokémon. Palworld, a real commercial success, goes even further: cute creatures are captured, often in the likeness of animals, to be exploited. We can make them work, sell them, kill them, cut them up… In a cynicism that can send shivers down the spine.
But imagine that Palworld don’t stop there. Indeed, players quickly discovered that it was possible to capture humans as well. Just throw a sphere at them, knowing that the chances of succeeding are quite slim (Numerama can confirm this after five failed attempts).
What to do with the humans we capture in Palworld?
The capture of humans in Palworld could stop at the simple dubious joke, supporting the fact that we are free to do many things in this irreverent game. But the reality is much more morbid: if we manage to capture a human, we can treat him like any Pal. That is to say: make him work in his camp, make him fight, sell him or even, outright, make meat out of him. Palworld can therefore fall into highlighting abuses such as slavery or cannibalism.
Pocketpair still takes some precautionary measures regarding this gameplay element that it could have avoided by preventing the capture spheres from working on human characters. A hypocritical notification appears when one achieves one’s goals. It states: “ A captured human. On Palpargos Island, capturing humans in the Palspheres is considered inhumane. » In short, the developers are trying to free themselves a little by making you face your responsibilities and your morals. Of course, this prevention does not exist for the Pals, which gives a very shaky playing philosophy: “ Torturing animals is okay, but humans are a bit limited. »
Note that this content which could be very shocking did not prevent Palworld to be sold with a PEGI 7 rating — assigned to games with “ very moderate scenes of violence “. According to information from Frandroid published on January 24, the studio may have lied to be undervalued. Today, it displays PEGI 12 certification on the Xbox market, in line with the attributions of other organizations (USK 12 and ESRB Teen). And when we see that he has no problem showing slavery, we say to ourselves that it is still too unrepresentative of what he really is and that he would rather deserve a PEGI 16.
Subscribe for free to Artificielles, our newsletter on AI, designed by AIs, verified by Numerama!