Few titles have taken the gaming world by surprise in Early Access like Pocket Pair's Palworld did earlier this year. The reason behind its meteoric rise is simple; fans of the Pokemon universe have since longed for an open-world game that encapsulates the spirit of the franchise, and Palworld took advantage of where Pokemon Scarlet and Violet failed through its similar Pal-catching premise and a unique base-building twist. However, titles need to stay relevant long after the release hype dies down, and this holds even more weight for Palworld with the likes of Hades 2 and Life By You making their debut in 2024.