Pac-Man World 2: Re-PAC

I went into Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac expecting a nostalgic trip through a delightful yet flawed 3D platformer of my youth. Instead I got a lovingly re-imagined overhaul that exceeded my expectations in every way. This is now just an excellent 3D platformer with no need for qualifiers. Level design is varied with a nice gradient of difficulty and one-off mechanics in nearly every level. Every good idea from the original has been preserved and everything around it has been improved. While it isn’t technically an incredibly long game, it is dense with content and replayability. The Switch 2 version itself runs great outside of a rare technical hitch. Last but not least, they credit the entire original design team. The biggest negative I can give to Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac is that it makes it very hard to go back to the original.

While it may not rewrite the rules of mascot platforming, Pac-Ma World 2 Re-Pac understands the formula of the genre. It’s a bubbly, colorful, and entertaining ride that will satisfy both fans of the original and anyone who has a deep nostalgia for the era of gaming when action like this ruled.

I don’t want to let my moan about the final boss overshadow the review. There’s still a fun game here, and a lovely remaster of a well-loved platformer. The things it does well — the personality of Pac-Man, friends, and enemies in the cut scenes, the variety in the gameplay — shine brightly. For those with nostalgia for the original, I’m sure you’ll enjoy your ‘Re-Pac’-aged version. It’s been made with love. For non-fans, however, this is a more difficult purchase to justify. Arguably, the price is a little steep for what’s on offer, and some lingering retro-frustrations in the execution of the 3D platforming and boss fights might sit badly with an audience expecting a game with the finesse of more modern alternatives. Sure, even Donkey Kong Bananza has its share of cheap deaths, but the truth is Pac-Man World 2: Re-Pac isn’t in the same league. Short, sweet, prettified, retro, and not for everybody; those are the keywords here.

Having enjoyed the first Pac-Man World remake, I went into the sequel with pretty high expectations. What I wound up with was another well-made remake, and sure, it’s definitely a platformer of its time, but it proved to be a fun and nostalgic trip with plenty to see and do. Bring on Pac-Man World 3 Re-Pac, I say!

Despite what PAC-MAN WORLD 2 Re-PAC lacks, it’s still a really fun and solid game that’s well worth the $29.99 launch price. There’s a lot of fun content to play through that has the charm that late 90s and early 2000s platformers were known for. I just think PAC-MAN is meant for much more now, and Bandai Namco has the opportunity to strike and create a really memorable platformer with PAC-MAN WORLD 2 Re-PAC as a foundation or example for the future. That’s after a potential PAC-MAN WORLD 3 remake, of course.