A good story, fun characters, an interesting world with facisnating world building. A fantastic battle system. It's a shame Cassette Beasts didn't get as much hype as Palworld is getting.
Not to shit on Palworld or anything, I just feel that half the attention it's getting is a little ... unearned...
I think Palworld got all the attention because of the Unreal Engine 5 graphics and the gun memes. It's not nearly as polished or Pokémon-like as Cassette Beasts. Its success also proves that people are lying when they're saying they prefer Pokémon 2D sprites because of their charm, compared to lifeless 3D models. Because Palworld's 3D models are even worse than Game Freak's.