The world of Palia is about to get a whole lot bigger. Not only is the fantasy life simulator game adding a new zone, the heavily foreshadowed and extremely ominous Elderwood, but the game will also be available on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X on May 13. According to a press release from developer Singularity 6, Palia has accumulated more than 6 million players to date, and the Elderwood will be one of the most transformative updates yet.
In Palia, the player is a human who has recently awoken from a long slumber. Humanity is returning to the world of Palia, which is currently occupied by purple-skinned elves, sophisticated golem AIs, and one capitalism-loving fat cat Grimalkin. Upon awakening, the player is adopted into Kilima Village and given their own homestead. Gameplay is divided into two major zones: either you’re heading out into Kilima and the nearby Bahari Bay to quest, explore, and find resources, or you’re at your homestead building up a farm and a cozy home. Singularity 6 have been regularly updating Palia since its launch to early access, and many of those small updates teased the upcoming Elderwood, which is a dense forest filled with magic and mighty beasts.
The Elderwood is tougher to explore than the other zones, as players must unlock each fast travel post. There is no combat, but hunters will have some new targets like the Ogapuu and the Shmole. The Elderwood is also host to Relics, a new equipment type that provides a passive buff to your entire party. Perhaps most importantly, the Elderwood will have a new villager to befriend, along with new resources, new recipes, and a reliable source of the rare Palium ore.
Palia is free-to-play, and has cross-save and cross-progression. While there are microtransactions, they only affect cosmetic items like pets and special outfits from the in-game shop; all gameplay can be accessed by simply playing the game. The Elderwood is our first step outside of the Palia Republic and into the greater world, and after exploring the existing zones and uncovering secrets, I’m excited to explore the Elderwood and continue Palia’s mysterious main quest.
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