A breath of fresh air is how I would describe Palia. In my opinion, it is a combination of The Sims 4 and Stardew Valley, offering what we desired from both games— an open-world, MMO setting.
It strikes the perfect balance between adventure, lore, house decorating, farming, collecting, crafting and adventure. As you journey into the city and connect with its citizens, you return home with knowledge and newfound friendships. You can build and expand your housing plot while uncovering the mysteries of Palia.
I have already spent multiple hours playing it; I was fortunate to be part of the second beta wave. So far, I’ve had an absolute blast with the game. Singularity Six, the developers, describe Palia as a Cozy Sim MMO, a description I wholeheartedly agree with. “Cozy” perfectly encapsulates the essence of this wonderful online simulation.
The Charm of Palia
The game is deeply rooted in farming for materials, selling treasures, and building your dream home. Some might find gathering trees a tedious task, but I have always been a fan of games like Rust and Ark. So, I feel right at home with the open world gathering system. In addition, Palia possess a feature I didn’t know I needed in life, climbing.
Each in-game character holds lore to explore, along with an underlying story that I am yet to fully uncover via a questline. All citizens possess action bars that must be nurtured for friendship progression. Additionally, you can engage in romantic relationships with (I believe) up to two citizens.
I also want to mention how easy it was to connect with friends. Palia already has a solid foundation to build upon. The house customization process was straightforward and easy to understand. Moreover, the initial storyline does an excellent job of immersing you right into the game. It doesn’t linger with a drawn-out introduction story quest, which, personally, I appreciate. I’m not a big fan of lengthy intros, so that’s another positive for me.
Literally, my only complaint is about the sound of mining and chopping down trees. The sound becomes significantly quieter during the action. Once the resource is fully harvested and drops to the ground for collection, the sound of it hitting the floor becomes loud again. I prefer a robust sound during these activities because it gives me a sense of engagement with the task at hand. I understand it might sound like an odd thing to critique, but, as I mentioned earlier, that’s genuinely the only issue I’ve encountered so far.
It’s one of those games where you can hang out and relax with friends in a peaceful, casual setting. Embark on adventures together or collaborate to help friends build their homes. If you’re a fan of Stardew Valley and The Sims 4, I strongly recommend giving this game a try.
The most exhilarating aspect of this game for me is that we are merely at the initial stages, and I can’t wait to witness how Palia will evolve over time.
