Shadow Labyrinth didn’t make the perfect first impression, although I’m not speaking in regards to the recreation itself. The idea of a gritty reboot of Pac-Man first reared its unusual head in Secret Level, an anthology that turned notable video video games into animated shorts that principally felt like prolonged commercials. And that’s precisely what the episode “Circle,” which reimagined Pac-Man as a blood-soaked survival story, turned out to be. However as off-putting because the episode was, it seems that the premise really works for a Metroid-style motion recreation.
For individuals who didn’t watch Secret Degree, Shadow Labyrinth places you within the function of an unnamed, hooded swordmaster, who awakens to seek out himself inside some form of darkish alien labyrinth. He’s greeted by a floating drone named Puck, who serves as each a information and a accomplice to outlive on this treacherous world. Puck, of course, is Pac-Man.
For probably the most half, the sport performs quite a bit like a typical Metroidvania. It’s a side-scrolling recreation that’s heavy on motion, like Metroid Dread, and as you defeat bosses and acquire gold, you’ll slowly broaden your arsenal of expertise, which opens up the sport additional. The twisting, maze-like map is filled with useless ends that you may’t discover till you get the appropriate skill, which embody staples like a double soar and grappling hook. You can even craft varied upgrades, each everlasting and momentary, so you’ll be able to customise the character to your liking. It’s a satisfying loop of exploration, fight, and problem-solving (normally involving some form of platforming sequence), punctuated by tense, elaborate boss fights that rely quite a bit on sample memorization.
I may very well be describing loads of different video games right here, however there are just a few components that make Shadow Labyrinth distinctive. And it principally has to do with Puck. Scattered all through the labyrinth are rails that Puck can trip on, form of like Pac-Man transferring his manner by a basic arcade maze. It’s paying homage to Samus’ morph ball skill, besides it’s relegated to predetermined areas of the map. In a while, there are precise Pac-Man mazes to play by, too, full with pellets and ghosts to eat.
The sport is at its finest if you’re rapidly swapping between Puck and the swordmaster, both to navigate a difficult platforming sequence or defeat enemies. In a single early boss battle, I used to be in a position to make use of a rail on the ceiling to keep away from projectiles, after which drop behind the enemy for some fast sneak assaults. Early on, Puck and the swordmaster acquire the power to quickly fuse collectively to create a power-up that’s form of like a mech go well with, which you need to use to devastate most enemies and even keep away from environmental hazards. Oh, and if you’re a mech, you’ll be able to eat your enemies to realize supplies wanted for these vital unlocks.
One of many good issues about Shadow Labyrinth is that, in contrast to the animated quick that preceded it, it doesn’t overdo it with the grim tone. It might probably get a bit bloody if you’re slicing by creatures, however it’s not gratuitous. The truth is, very similar to Dread, the oppressive tone creates an fascinating form of rigidity, one which makes the uncommon moments of respite really feel particularly welcome. That stated, the cutscenes are self-serious and convoluted, and there are foolish moments the place Puck turns into big and eats the corpses of bosses, however these are principally simple to disregard if all you need to do is discover a posh map, Metroid-style.
That’s actually what the sport presents. The fight is stable, the platforming is difficult, and the bosses are thrilling. And fortunately, the tone principally doesn’t intrude on the expertise, whereas the Pac-Man theme brings simply sufficient new so as to add an fascinating twist for these well-versed in Metroidvanias. Secret Degree could have been a industrial, however it was a fairly poor one: it missed what really makes Shadow Labyrinth value enjoying.
Shadow Labyrinth launches on July 18th on the PS5, Xbox, Nintendo Change, and PC.