‘Shadow Labyrinth’ Turns Pac-Man Into an Eldritch Horror Action Game

It takes a specific kind of marketing mind to imagine that a dark and gritty reboot of a beloved children’s character can amount to anything good. While the Golden Age of Comic Books ultimately gave way to edgier storytelling in the Seventies and Eighties, and everything from Steamboat Willie to Winnie the Pooh now has a blood-soaked live-action iteration (thanks, public domain!), the basic concept rarely offers more than shock value. What if this candy-colored icon of happier days was a killer?

The idea’s seen its day in gaming, too. Bomberman: Act Zero (2006) is one of the greatest cautionary tales about how slapping a more mature coat of paint on a classic character can end up tarnishing an entire franchise. But somewhere inside Japanese development studio Bandai Namco, the notion of making Pac-Man into an eldritch horror in time to celebrate the series’ 45th anniversary gained traction. The result is the upcoming side-scrolling adventure game Shadow Labyrinth (out July 18).

And honestly? Maybe the idea wasn’t so stupid after all.

Rolling Stone recently played about three hours of the all-new take on Pac-Man, and what we found was a surprisingly engrossing Metroidvania-style game that’s inherently ridiculous but works better than it has any right to.

What is Shadow Labyrinth?

Developed internally by Bandai Namco Studios, Shadow Labyrinth is a 2D side-scrolling action and exploration game that doesn’t actually star Pac-Man — at least, not as fans know him. Set in the year 3333 on a desolate alien world, players take on the role of the Swordsman, a somewhat blank slate character with minimalist features clad in a tattered cloak.

The Swordsman’s background is intended to be a mystery unraveled within the game’s story, but the groundwork for Shadow Labyrinth’s lore was previously laid in last year’s Prime Video anthology series, Secret Level, which set episodes in different game-inspired worlds. In the episode titled “PAC-MAN: Circle,” audiences got their first look at the world of the game through the eyes of a previous Swordsman (No. 7, preceding the game’s No. 8). It was also the first look at the new Pac-Man, whose voracious hunger and relentlessness more closely resembled an updated take on the creatures from the TV mini-series The Langoliers, based on the Stephen King story.

The game picks up with the next Swordsman, but unlike the 11-minute prequel short, Shadow Labyrinth intends to spend much more time fleshing out the plot. In the preview, the early stages of the game were omitted, leaving players to start further into the game after meeting Puck, the pseudo-robotic looking version of Pac-Man that serves as a partner and guide. The mystery of Puck’s origins and goals is to be discovered in the multi-hour epic featuring full towns of NPCs and sprawling regions to explore.

Fans of the Pac-Man series — or anyone who’s ever been forced to listen to a fan of the series like in the party scene from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World — will know that the character’s original Japanese name was Puck-Man (from the Japanese term paku-paku). Here, the moniker serves to differentiate the dark version of the mascot from the classic one.

Visually, the game’s art style feels more in line with an indie than anything produced by a massive company like Bandai Namco. Its characters, ranging from the Bosconian denizens to the grotesque enemies creeping about all feature a quaintly illustrated style and bop about with restricted animations, like a paper cutout gliding along the more static, detailed environment.

The Bosconians are important for another reason: fan service. While Shadow Labyrinth has been billed as a celebration of Pac-Man, it also incorporates tons of other deep-cut references to older Bandai Namco games like Galaga (1981), Dig Dug (1982), and Splatterhouse (1988). The Bosconians that players will meet and do quests for are a reference to (what else?) 1981’s shoot-em-up, Bosconian.

How does Shadow Labyrinth work?

Although most developers would like to avoid the term Metroidvania — which is now shorthand for any 2D platformer that features exploring a pseudo-gated open world with tons of backtracking required — there’s really no way to avoid it. Shadow Labyrinth fits the bill to a tee. But that’s not a bad thing!

The core gameplay loop will be familiar to anyone who’s played games like Metroid Dread (2021) or Hollow Knight (2017): move directionally through closed corridors, fighting enemies and solving platforming puzzles to find keys, and progress. Along the way, towns filled with NPCs will fill in the larger text and provide questlines to follow. There are upgrades to core stats and abilities, and multiple ways to maximize the synergy between the Swordsman and Puck.

For the most part, it all works pretty well, even for a subgenre that’s been thoroughly worn into the ground. Combat is fast and snappy but requires in-depth knowledge of its systems players will develop over time. An ESP gauge (basically stamina) determines how many actions can be done in rapid succession, and too many subsequent attacks or dodges can leave the Swordsman vulnerable. Enemies have pretty obvious weak points and can be parried into a stunned state that presents an opening, and larger enemies require quick thinking to find the right position without being overwhelmed by the mob.

Some of the combat systems can feel restrictive, even in the overpowered state of the character presented in the demo, featuring multiple higher-level abilities and tons of upgrades to health. For instance, block and parry are mutually exclusive, meaning that one of the two must be selected via a quick-menu in-game. It’s an odd design choice, especially for a game already stacked with forced menus like the map (which needs to be checked constantly).

Platforming sections, too, often feel hindered by a strange air of jankiness. Every game of this type requires learning the internal physics of how jumping and inertia work — Mario doesn’t exactly feel the way Sonic does in action, right? But with very strict internal logic about what constitutes a proper jump, and some very unforgiving windows to do it correctly, solving basic puzzles and dodging hazards can be frustrating. It often feels like a game less inspired by titles of the 1980s and more like one designed in the era, with all the bugs and warts.

Although a lot of the platforming and exploration can occasionally feel like a stilted chore, the game does shine when it commits to the Pac-Man aspect. Certain areas require the player to merge with Puck for on-rails, gravity-defying sections where the new Pac-Man reverts to his classic form. These sections play exponentially better than the base game, with a stickiness that tethers the player to walls and platforms, allowing them to focus more on precise timing than getting screwed over by a millimeter-off leap.

The game’s boss battles are also a high point. While the standard encounters often suffer from their chaos, the larger fights with massive singular enemies manage to focus the action on specific tasks like breaking down a boss’ shield or timely dodging of wave beams. In the demo, two bosses were present. The first is a multi-story, bugged eyed creature whose design is inspired by the gory horror game Splatterhouse. The second is a techno-suit-wearing version of Pinky, one of the ghosts players gobble up in the Pac-Man arcade game.

Both encounters precise use of parries, dodging, and strategic stamina management to overcome the enemy, and were easily the most riveting parts of the overall preview. Although a few deaths might be needed, these bouts felt like the best use of the game’s various combat abilities and bode well for what the final game could offer. After defeating the bosses, the terrifyingly feral hunger seen in the Secret Level short overcomes Puck, who in true Pac-Man fashion devours the corpses with jaw unhinged.

Will it be good?

It’s hard to say if Shadow Labyrinth will end up delivering a fully enjoyable package when it arrives later this summer. The fundamentals are there, with a grimly designed sci-fi fantasy world to explore, solid combat, and occasionally satisfying platforming. But there’s a roughness around the edges that — intentionally or not — creates some undesirable friction. In a landscape packed to the brim with options in this same vein, is the gritty Pac-Man schtick be enough to carry it for the long haul?

Although it’s easy to roll your eyes at the general premise, the design and intent of Shadow Labyrinth works better than it should. From what’s been shown so far, the game is at its best when it’s embracing its arcade-era roots rather than leaning into the more forced Metroidvania tropes. When the action clicks, it’s great — and the platforming sections starring the lemon-colored 2D pixel version of Puck become something to look forward to in an otherwise overly familiar exploration game.

While the hook of the game’s marketing is undoubtedly a massive WTF seeing a dark visage of a classic character, the real test for Shadow Labyrinth’s success will be whether it can balance its Jekyl with Hyde for the adventure’s full playtime, and shake things up often enough to avoid making people wish the experience were as enjoyable as its no-frills coin-up inspirations.

Shadow Labyrinth launches on July 18 for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.