Cozy MMO Palia enters open beta
Singularity 6’s Cozy MMO Palia enters open beta today after a rough closed beta marked by server issues that the developer says it is committed to fixing. After a week of being unable to log in to the game during the closed beta, I was able to jump in today without issues, and even ran into a friend already playing! So here’s what I thought of my first hour in the open-world game.
My experience during the closed beta
In my Cozy MMO Palia closed beta review, I praised the game’s cute fantasy world and engaging gathering and crafting mechanics, but was frustrated by the server issues that kept me from progressing past the first few tutorial quests. So I was pleasantly surprised when I was able to log in to the open beta without any issues.
Singularity 6 has been keeping players updated on server status and shared several bug fixes on Discord, but some players still experienced blocked progression, missing tools, and being trapped on their housing plot. Singularity 6 acknowledges the remaining issues but says it is working on resolving them.
I was able to play for about an hour without any major issues, even running into another player who was exploring the starting areas. I really enjoyed exploring the overworld and discovering all of the hidden areas and caves. I’m a big fan of rustic fantasy environments, and Palia delivers on that front with its wooden houses and riverside cabins.
The game’s crafting and gathering mechanics also prove to be engaging, as I spent most of my time exploring the various biomes to find materials for recipes. I also appreciate that the game does a good job of teaching players how to play – there are pop-ups for key mechanics like fast-travel and crafting, and there are even ‘cheats’ that players can use to complete their first tasks even if they don’t know how to craft or gather yet.
I’m also happy to report that my friend and I were able to travel together for a bit before splitting off to explore. I hope for more persistent world events in the future, but for now it’s nice that being in the same area as other players can have an impact on your experience.
If you’re looking to give Palia a try, you can download the game for free on the official website. A full launch date has not been announced, but the developer previously said a Nintendo Switch release is expected during the holiday season.
