As an historic gamer (now 32), I’ve had loads of expertise enjoying Pac-Man. Throughout my pre-teen years, lots of my summer time days have been spent dropping quarters to my native arcade, making an attempt to succeed in the legendary “split-screen degree.” As a faithful fan of the franchise, I admittedly had reservations going into my PAX East preview of Bandai Namco’s new, unconventional take on the collection, Shadow Labyrinth.
On paper, Shadow Labyrinth shouldn’t work. Pac-Man as a darkish sci-fi metroidvania the place he turns into a large mech and shoots lasers out of his mouth feels like unhealthy gaming Wattpad fiction. But, that’s precisely what it’s…and Puck, Man, it was wonderful.
The story takes place shortly after the occasions of the Prime Video animated brief, Secret Wars, because the protagonist, the darkish and brooding Swordsman No. 8, wakes up surrounded by monsters and aliens. He quickly meets a mysterious determine often known as Puck, a yellow round creature who seems to be like he enjoys consuming pellets, fruit, and blue ghosts. After a quick introduction, the duo vows to work collectively by combining their distinctive talents of power and mobility within the hopes that they will navigate the treacherous world and survive the darkness that awaits.
That darkness is available in many sizes and styles, because the setting includes a handful of various biomes, every with distinct personalities, backdrops, and traits. No two mazes on this 2D journey can have the identical structure, and enemy designs and kinds will change relying on the area that’s being explored.
My preview began by putting me in an underground tech biome full of numerous melee, flying, and ranged enemy sorts that might solely exist underground, like bat-creatures and offended hedgehogs. Gameplay was easy and intuitive sufficient initially. Fight and dodging jogged my memory a number of the unique Castlevania titles, and its platforming components are akin to a love little one of Ori and the Blind Forest and Celeste, due to Puck’s means to grapple onto spots, including additional layers of maneuverability.
Combining the grapple with aerial assaults makes for attention-grabbing gameplay towards enemies, particularly when problem rooms come into play. Like many different Metroidvanias, Shadow Labyrinth has rooms that may seal off as soon as entered, requiring the Swordsman to defeat every combatant inside to unlock the room.
Enemies spawn in from all around the room, making an attempt to overwhelm with amount and selection, making for a bullet-sponge-like setting. I frantically grappled to keep away from floor foe costs whereas dodging flying enemies concurrently, failing to take action a number of occasions, and needing to respawn.
After getting the grasp of their patterns and placements, I grappled up and used melee assaults to chain actions within the air, then slammed my sword down from above on the enemies under, making for an immensely satisfying victory. Whereas I solely skilled two problem rooms on this explicit construct, I used to be impressed with how troublesome however rewarding every room was. However regardless of how a lot I loved this, the true fantastic thing about Shadow Labyrinth’s platforming and fight involves gentle when Puck turns into the controllable character.
The platforming ingredient of controlling Puck is each intelligent and nostalgic, because the Swordsman will morph into him and trip waves of electrical energy to assist them transfer round areas in any other case blocked by environmental hazards or inaccessible heights. Whereas driving the wave, you’ll transfer identically to the previous Pac-Man video games, however with an added twist.
Puck continues to be restricted to transferring left, proper, up, or down on the violet electrical energy line, however he’s not restricted to a lined grid and may cease, goal, and soar. Whereas this would possibly sound easy, it provides a brand new layer to motion and fight. Some problem rooms even function these strains, which can be utilized to execute sword assaults, creating a wholly new method to beating every room’s fight puzzle.
My favourite occasion of this occurred midway by means of the preview through the Kaiju boss battle (sure, you learn that proper). The combat is just like a problem room within the sense that it blocks off any retreat, however this time it’s a one-on-one combat, because the boss is far larger than Swordsman No. 8. To fight the scale distinction, Swordsman No. 8 can use Puck’s means to trip up the wall to not solely get a top benefit and deal additional injury to the enemy’s horn weak spot, but in addition keep away from huge laser assaults that may in any other case kill them each.
Because it seems, the boss isn’t the one one wielding a laser, which ends up in my different favourite, absurd second on this preview: Puck can flip into a large mecha named Gaia. Sure, this can be a Metroidvania Pac-Man sport the place you possibly can management a Gundam and combat Kaiju. Once more, this could not work, nevertheless it does so marvelously, leading to an epic crescendo to a fever dream of a boss battle and transformation.
Even after the boss battle ended, there was nonetheless lots to discover in Shadow Labyrinth. The very first thing I unlocked afterward was a pared-down model of Gaia’s laser means, which the Swordsman can use by holding down the cost button. Not solely is that this transfer nice for dispelling giant teams of foes blocking an space, nevertheless it can be thrown into assaults in areas just like the problem rooms to make for some pleasant combo kills.
Alongside the brand new energy transfer, I additionally unlocked a brand new location that includes one other unusually familiar-looking set of enemies that may start to drift by means of the extent towards me till they touched the bottom. At first, I used to be confused about how you can beat them, as hitting them with a sword wasn’t working.
It wasn’t till I began listening to the music and sound results and remembering why the enemies’ actions seemed so acquainted {that a} lightbulb went off: these are the Pooka from Dig Dug. Identical to the 1982 basic arcade title, the one option to destroy Pooka is to stun and inflate it when they’re materialized. After experimenting, it seems that utilizing Puck’s grapple means on them to knock them out after which utilizing it once more to inflate them is the one option to kill them.
That is simply one of many many references to Bandai Namco’s library of beloved arcade video games, because the story and setting of Shadow Labyrinth are set to incorporate loads of references and modernized takes on a handful of different iconic video games. Whereas there was no trace or point out of which one it could be, the builders teased that the war-torn world of Shadow Labyrinth itself will likely be a significant reveal because the narrative progresses.
When you had instructed me again then that sooner or later somebody would make a Metroidvania model of everybody’s favourite Puck Man, I’d in all probability assume you’re insane. After enjoying Shadow Labyrinth at PAX East 2025, that assertion might be nonetheless true, however I’m proper there beside you, having fun with the madness.
Whether or not it’s the fluidity of Puck’s grappling hook and wall traversal mixed with Swordsman No. 8’s uncooked energy and sturdiness, or the truth that Pac-Man can flip right into a mech that shoots lasers out of its mouth, all the things about this Metroidvania is absurdly enjoyable. The sport options one thing for everybody right here, because the platforming, fight, and puzzles every stand out on their very own as fulfilling experiences.
I implore you to droop your disbelief about how this weird idea may even work, and at the very least give Shadow Labyrinth a attempt when it’s launched, as this insane inventive guess by Bandai seems to be prefer it would possibly truly repay.