It was effectively confirmed back in September last year via a recruitment notice that Krafton was working on a mobile title based on Pocketpair's Palworld. Palworld, of course, hit a peak of 2.1 million concurrent players on Steam, securing its spot as the third-highest in Steam history. Given that Krafton is the developer behind PUBG, which holds the second-highest spot on that same list, the collision of these two titans was bound to spark some serious anticipation.

Well, the curtain has finally been lifted on Krafton's Palworld Mobile at their booth. I managed to get my hands on it to see how it stacks up against the original and whether it still packs that addictive charm. It is fair to say that the game has undergone quite a few changes to fit the realities of the mobile platform.

After you clear the initial character customization, you are greeted by the iconic trio of cute Pals. Shortly after, the popular character Zoe Rayne pops up to guide you through the ropes.

Early gameplay follows the familiar rhythm: you build a primitive workbench, craft a stone axe, and start chopping wood. As you scavenge new materials, you unlock tools like stone pickaxes and wooden clubs. Keep in mind, crafting these requires spending tech points earned through leveling up.

Then comes the real meat of the experience: the frantic, hands-on battles and capturing of Pals. You can unleash a wooden club on a cute Cattiva and hurl a Pal Sphere to snap them up. The Pal Box is your home base for storage, and you can assign Pals to assist with tasks, or just spend a cheeky moment petting them to boost their affection.

Since this isn't the PC version, Krafton has implemented several quality-of-life additions. Most notably, there is an auto-move and combat assist system. Hit the quest button in the top left, and you are whisked away to the objective. Don't get too comfortable, though—once you are in the vicinity, you will have to take the reins yourself.

The combat assist feature handles basic skirmishes automatically. However, it is not particularly clever at dodging enemy attacks, so I would suggest avoiding it during tougher encounters. There is also a toggleable 'Capture Mode'; turn this on, and you can whale on an enemy without their health dropping below 1. Pair this with the auto-throw function for Pal Spheres, and the whole process feels incredibly streamlined.

One major shift from the original is that you cannot directly control individual Pals. Instead, they function like standard skills, with powerful boss Pals serving as your ultimate moves. When triggered, the Pal leaps into the fray to execute their attack. Just be warned: if you get hit while they are out, you still take damage.

The demo gave us a glimpse into major content like the Penking boss fight, dungeon crawls, and multiplayer raids. The field boss Penking relies on ice-based abilities and clear area-of-effect attacks. If you keep the pressure on, the boss eventually enters a weakened state.

Unload your skills on a weakened boss to deal massive damage and trigger a groggy state. During this window, they drop orbs; picking these up restores your health and rapidly recharges your ultimate gauge. It is a vital mechanic to master when your health reserves are running low.

I also had a look at the dungeon content. It functions like a wave-based challenge where you clear out smaller, non-capturable Pals before facing the boss. Effectively, these dungeons are purpose-built for farming boss Pals.

The dungeon boss, Penking, mimics the original’s behavior with its lunging attacks and heavy hits. You can counter this by using your own Penking ultimate, matching its icy charge skill. Once you whittle down its health, you can capture it or harvest resources.

Palworld Mobile does a commendable job of distilling the core essence of the original into a portable format. The tricky controls are smoothed over by auto-move and combat assists, and the capture mode makes snagging those elusive Pals a breeze. I am genuinely curious to see how the final release pans out.