Games have come a long way since Pac-Man, but what about Pac-Man himself? What has he been doing lately? The yellow ball is back on July 18th in a brand-new game, but not in the form you might expect. I had the opportunity to try out the new Bandai Namco game, Shadow Labyrinth, ahead of its release next month.
Shadow Labyrinth is a new action platform game developed by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It is a dark twist on the classic Pac-Man game, partly developed to celebrate its 45th anniversary. Play as Swordsman No. 8 and his companion PUCK as you are dropped onto a mysterious planet. It’s a futuristic world where it’s eat or be eaten. Can you conquer the enemies within and become an apex predator to escape this world? In this preview, I got to play through three different areas of the game. I started with the Land of the Fugitives. Next, I made my way through the Frontline Base, and finally, I experienced a boss battle in the Bosconian Ruins. For those itching to play the game without any spoilers, I must say: beware! Light spoilers ahead!
Once I had started the game, I realised that Shadow Labyrinth is structured like most action platformers. You are given access to a map containing giant, interconnected areas full of secrets to discover and enemies to fight. Entering the Land of the Fugitives made this clear from the outset. Not far from where I spawned, I encountered a village with NPCs to talk to and a shop where I could buy items. Nothing out of the ordinary for this type of game. However, when I started exploring the wild areas around the town, things became more interesting. I fought my first enemy using a combination of basic sword skills and more specialised abilities. It’s also worth mentioning that the game uses a perk system that makes your character easier to use the more you fight and the further you progress. For example, equipped perks can pick up items dropped by enemies or let you restore energy faster. You will need all the help you can get in these savage lands because the environment itself can be challenging. There are even hidden passageways scattered around. I found some hallways that ended in destructible walls, which led back to places I had already explored.
However, things took a weird turn when I discovered another power of No.8 in the next area, the Frontline Base. He could turn into the iconic yellow Pac-Man himself. Although the game refers to this as ‘turning into PUCK’. When you come into contact with a D-Line (a rail surrounding a platform), you can transform and perform a faster-paced form of platforming because, in this form, you automatically move forward in true Pac-Man fashion. Combined with the classic arrangement of jumps and an air dodge, this made the swordsman very fluid to control in and out of combat. The end of this area was also a nod to the source material, as a major enemy waiting for me was modelled on Pinky, the pink Pac-Man ghost.
This game doesn’t just borrow elements from the classic arcade game featuring the yellow dot. This was evident in the last explorable area, the Bosconian Ruins. Here, I faced a boss who challenged my newly discovered combat skills. The masked monster was reminiscent of a classic horror/beat-’em-up game: Splatterhouse! Fortunately, No.8 had one more trick up his sleeve. PUCK isn’t his only transformation; he can also become a giant mech as big as the boss: Gaia. This form, together with ESP attacks and equipped skills, made the fight challenging yet enjoyable.
If you want to experience this unique and layered action platformer for yourself, you’ll have to wait just a little while longer. Shadow Labyrinth is released on 18 July for PC, Xbox, PS5 and Nintendo Switch, and Switch 2. I am, however, curious to see how this Pac-Man spin-off will influence the future of the series. Will this be a one-off? Or will we see more variations on the all-time classic?
