Game Freak is best known for its work on the Pokemon franchise, but the developer has worked on several other games through the years. Last year, the studio teamed up with WonderPlanet, Inc. to release a new game in Japan. Naturally, this left fans in other regions feeling somewhat jealous. Less than a year later, that game has now received a surprise global release, along with a slightly altered title. Pandoland is being billed as a “casual adventure RPG,” in which players explore a vast world and take on dungeons as they search out new friends for their travels.
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Pandoland will take players across 6 different continents. Players will uncover new areas as they explore the game’s open-world and disperse the clouds covering it. In addition to new friends to find, the game also features several treasures throughout. As players befriend new companions and uncover new treasures, they’ll gain greater strength. Pandoland has some multiplayer elements, including the opportunity to cooperate and even compete through PvP battles. A trailer for the game’s English version can be found below.
Pandoland is available today on iOS and Android devices. Unfortunately, there is no indication that this game will be made available on console or PC. While Nintendo Switch would seem like a safe bet to those less familiar with Game Freak’s past titles, there’s no guarantee of that; for example, Tembo the Badass Elephant skipped Wii U and 3DS in 2015, only releasing on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. It’s entirely possible Pandoland could remain exclusive to mobile devices, so those interested in playing the game have no other options for the time being.
In celebration of Pandoland‘s global release, the game will be giving rewards to players. Anyone that successfully adds a friend will receive an SR Ticket, and a second one will be obtained for those who invite 10 more. However, these rewards will only be obtained after those invitations are completed. For anyone looking to play the game with a friend, this is a pretty good excuse to get someone else to sign up. Since the title is free-to-play, it might not be too difficult to enlist a friend!
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Now that Pandoland is available globally, it will be interesting to see if it attracts fans of Pokemon, or a different audience entirely. From everything shown of the game, this looks a lot different from the norm for Game Freak, but the developers have often talked about their desire to explore new and different concepts that aren’t tied to the franchise. Some of those games have been better received than others, but it’s interesting to see what the studio comes up with when it’s not focused on new installments in the Pokemon franchise.
Do you plan on checking out Pandoland now that it’s available globally? Have you played any of Game Freak’s non-Pokemon games? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
