Shadow Labyrinth

Pac-Man is a fairly unique game in that the 1980 original is still fun to play. But since its release, Namco (now Bandai Namco) has tried to modernise the concept to keep Pac-Man relevant, and it has rarely succeeded very well. Never bad, but nothing memorable either.

Actually, it wasn't until Pac-Man vs from 2004 and Pac-Man Championship Edition from 2007 that I really had fun with Pac-Man again, and after that it's been quiet again. Until now. Shadow Labyrinth is a Pac-Man game in disguise, where the yellow pill popper plays a big role as a sidekick, where the adventure is actually a metroidvania with clear Hollow Knight connections.

It's far from a perfect game, but there's a love here that's hard to just wave away, and during the review period I often found it difficult to put the controller down after finding yet another secret I couldn't quite get to. In addition, the developers have cleverly snuck Pac-Man into the gameplay where one of my character's characteristics is to be able to transform into a Pac-Man that can travel along walls and objects as long as there are contact surfaces that make it possible. The fact that there is also currency (for upgrades) along the way makes my little Pac-Man happily gobble them up on the same premise that he ate pills in 1980. This is phenomenally fun and feels cleverly implemented and if anything I would have liked more of it.

Shadow Labyrinth throws me straight into a gothic and unexpectedly dark world without any introduction. I am brought to life as Swordsman No. 8 by a talking Pac-Man called Puck who seems to need my help. However, I am not the first person he has asked and it seems that my mission has been failed by many before me - which makes me realise that I am not exactly indispensable. Quite the contrary.

Puck has a very clear goal, but he is reluctant to share any details about what it is I am actually expected to do while I learn the initially simple basics. There are opportunities to walk, dash, duck, jump and punch things - and as I said, turn into Pac-Man. Gradually, more aspects of the story are thrown into the mix in an admittedly obfuscated, yet intriguing way that leaves me curious much of the time about what has happened, where I am and what Puck wants to achieve... is the character even good or am I aiding evil?

Shadow Labyrinth is fairly traditional in design, featuring save points, rooms I can teleport between, and the ability to upgrade things like attack power and how much life Swordsman No. 8 can have, as well as new skills. It would be easy to complain that it's so basic, but to be honest, it's mostly felt liberating to have a game free of gimmicks other than a very clever implementation of Pac-Man gameplay in a metroidvania. Pac-Man also makes itself felt during the boss fights, which end with a huge black and burgundy Pack-Man with an evil aura consuming the enemy I just defeated and gaining a new ability.

Gameplay-wise, it's a joy to play Shadow Labyrinth with an agile and fairly fast character who never gets stuck in stuff and heaves himself up to ledges above as I jump towards them. It gives a sense of agility without taking away the feeling of full control, and the combat is exemplarily clear. There's never a question of what to do once you've seen the enemies' movement patterns (there could have been several different enemies though). In addition, a little later in the adventure you get the opportunity to transform into a mech called Gaia, which is the gaming highlight of the adventure precisely because it is so incredibly powerful.

In the end, the rating stays at a solid seven because Shadow Labyrinth is a bit smaller than it should have been and feels a bit budget when it comes to the graphics. And while I appreciate its basic and gimmick-free gameplay, it feels a little too sparse. A little more depth to the game would have been nice. But if you want a cosy metroidvania that cleverly ties into gaming history thanks to Pac-Man and is no longer than you can manage on your holiday, it's definitely worth checking out, especially if you're planning to spend your holiday in the hammock with a Switch 2 in your hands.