Shadow Labyrinth, the new metroidvania/search-action platforming game loosely inspired by Pac-Man, is out now. First debuted unassumingly in the Secret Level anthology of animated shorts, Shadow Labyrinth takes the idea of Bandai Namco’s beloved mascot (and its first arcade game hit as Namco) to a dark intrepertation.
In Shadow Labyrinth, it’s consume or be consumed as players must navigate a maze-like 2D side-scrolling world (a labyrinth, one would say) and discover the mysteries that lies on this planet as Swordsman No. 8 accompanied a by a familiar looking companion named Puck.
Yes, it is based on Pac-Man. The bosses in Shadow Labyrinth are loosely based on the Ghosts. And you can bet seeing Pac-Man iconography throughout this brooding adventure. Outside of Pac-Man, expect homages to Namco’s backlog of arcade classics including Dig Dug, Bosconian, Splatterhouse, and Galaga make an appearance one way or another in Shadow Labyrinth.
Japan-based publishers rebooting their established franchise with an edgelord sheen was a big trend in the late 2000s up to the early 2010s. Bomberman and Devil May Cry were famously rebooted for an edgier audience to the dismay of its core fans. But with Pac-Man barely existing today as a modern video game, Bandai Namco has managed to pull its dark reimagining without not much fuss.
Shadow Labyrinth is out now on PS5, PC (Steam), Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.