Palworld free 'ultra' remaster is exactly what we've been wanting from Pokémon for years
At this stage, it’s unfair to call Palworld ‘Pokémon with guns’. Yes, it’ll always be clear where the Pocketpair team originally sourced its inspiration for the game, but Palworld and Pokémon are too entirely different beasts.
While both share monster-catching and taming elements, Pokémon is a turn-based RPG through and through, while Palworld has continued to celebrate its survival-adventure gameplay.
It’s perhaps a disservice to compare the two titles, but there is one thing that Palworld arguably does better: graphics.
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet was a low point for the hit Nintendo series, with shoddy textures and asset load-in times that you could have mistaken for being from the PS1 era.
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That’s not to say that Palworld is a graphical masterpiece, but it was a step in the right direction.
It is, however, a graphical masterpiece if you make use of the free ‘Ultra Graphics’ mod, which adds the kind of polish to the game we’re hoping to see Nintendo deliver in Pokémon Winds and Waves.
Created by NexusMods user Fr4nsson, Ultra Graphics does precisely what it suggests, boosting the game’s already decent visuals to create something really special.
“Enhances visuals with Lumen global illumination and reflection, extended view distance, dynamic shadows, and revamped lighting,” reads the mod’s description.
“Existing light sources are refined, while new lights are added to objects, skills and projectiles that previously had none, creating more realistic illumination throughout the world.”
You can get an idea of the kind of improvement this mod offers in the screenshot below.
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The mod is completely free to download, described by users as “the best”
It goes without saying that if you want to download it, you’ll need a PC copy of Palworld, as console modding isn’t quite yet the reality we hope it one day will be.
Already, over 35,000 Palworld players have made use of Fr4nsson’s creation, with plenty of testimonies rolling in.
“This mod is definitely the best lighting and volumetrics mod by far,” someone wrote, while another added, “Massive and immediate difference to the game’s fidelity - killer work, cheers man.”
One comment said, “The amount of work that has gone into the lighting, Lumen, shadows, and the huge number of individual light sources is genuinely impressive. It makes Palworld look dramatically better, especially at night and in interiors.”
It’s been a prosperous year for Palworld, with the game’s 1.0 version having launched in July, marking a brand new era for the game.
As for Pokémon, well, we’re hopeful about Winds and Waves based on its first trailer; you need only look at the water textures to see just what a graphical step up this is going to be from Gen 9.
Of course, a trailer isn’t quite certified proof that the final product will look just as good, but Winds and Waves won’t be held back by last-gen hardware - and that’s perhaps where Scarlet & Violet suffered.
For now, Palworld can provide our monster-catching fix until the next mainline Pokémon game lands next year, although you should really play Pokémon Pokopia too. It may be a cosier take on the formula, but it’s a GOTY-worthy one.