So, picture this: Pac-Man’s getting a total reboot. I know, right? Endless possibilities. You could do something wacky like Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures, where you throw rocks at him to make him move. Seriously, who thought that was a good idea? Or — hear me out — he’s a sidekick in this Metroidvania thing called Shadow Labyrinth. Sounds way cooler, doesn’t it?
Anyway, I got to try out an early version of Shadow Labyrinth at PAX East 2025. There I was, fiddling with a Nintendo Switch in handheld mode, while this other guy was on a PC with a big ol’ screen. Oh, and there’s an Amazon show, Secret Level, that’s a prequel. Yep, TV shows with games are a thing now. The game was running at 30 FPS on the Switch, which is kinda meh for Nintendo’s older tech, but hey, the PC was smooth at 60 FPS. What’s rad? The Bandai Namco folks said the Nintendo Switch 2 would handle it at 60 FPS. Fingers crossed!
So, what’s the game even like? Platforming and combat, the bread and butter really. You’re this dude, Swordsman No. 8 (why number 8? No clue!), and you do all the jumpy-jumpy stuff, with grappling points here and rails there. And bam, you turn into a tiny Pac-Man (PUCK?) to munch pellets and dodge buzz saws. And oh man, there was this intense platforming section — tried a few times then noped out. Who practices at a convention, anyway? I need my zen space!
The fighting bits were neat too. Like, there’s an onscreen move list because who remembers the buttons under pressure, right? You can slash, dodge, heal, shoot — even make Pac-Man massive to swallow enemies whole. Pretty wild, for sure. And there’s this parry move — totally nailed it against a major baddie. Felt like Metroid Dread’s boss for a second there. Anyone else see it?
After smashing the boss, you gobble it up, turning into a laser-spitting machine. Used it to blast through a wall in the next part — felt real superheroish. Then came this maze area with enemies immune to your sword. Cue my colleague’s epic moment: use the grapple hook to inflate them until they pop. Bam, like a Dig Dug shoutout. They told me other Bandai Namco Easter eggs are hidden in the game. Galaga? Rolling Thunder? Yes, please.
Mark your calendars, folks — Shadow Labyrinth drops July 18 on Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. Three versions: $30, $40, and $60. The special one has a black light to reveal secrets on the map (because why not?), and it’s a steal under a hundred bucks.
So yeah, this game’s got me curious. A gritty mash-up of Bandai Namco classics in a Metroidvania-style? It shouldn’t work in theory, but here we are. Inspired by Hollow Knight too? Count me in!
