- Publisher: Bandai Namco Games
- Release Date: Jul 18, 2025
- Also On: Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Switch, Xbox Series X
- Summary:
- Developer: Bandai Namco Games
- Genre(s): Action, Platformer, Metroidvania
- # of players: No Online Multiplayer
- Cheats: On GameFAQs
- More Details and Credits »
Score distribution:
-
Positive: 4 out of 14
-
Mixed: 10 out of 14
-
Negative: 0 out of 14
-
Jul 17, 2025Shadow Labyrinth is a simple and solid game that feels more like a thank you than anything else. Fans of the genre it now calls home, as well as fans of Pac-Man, get to enjoy a whole new take on the series and the world they belong to. The visuals add to the nostalgic feeling while still adding a new world and experience for players to fight their way through. There's satisfying Metroidvania combat and exploration, a new story to experience and a ton of references to games that we all know and love within this universe.
-
Aug 3, 2025It has a slow start, but soon after, it picks up. The world can feel hollow and monotonous, but it can also be a delight to explore. The visual identity starts to fade away, but it’s able to give love to the game it’s based on. When the difficulty spikes, it can be annoying, but also extremely rewarding. I died a lot, I got lost a lot, I got stuck a lot, but I also couldn’t stop playing. Shadow Labyrinth may be rough around the edges, but it is also one of the most interesting Metroidvanias I have played in a while—one I know I will keep playing for quite a while.
-
Jul 18, 2025All in all, Shadow Labyrinth is an ambitious reimagining of a classic franchise that works much better than it has any right to to. That said, the presentation is still a bit rusty, and it’s really difficult at times. I hope you’re prepared to spend six tries to get past almost every boss and nasty platforming section.
-
Jul 22, 2025Shadow Labyrinth is a sold Metrovania experience but fails a little on its execution.
-
Jul 17, 2025Shadow Labyrinth isn’t a bad game by any means, it is just one that carries with it a sense of missed opportunity and sometimes that stings a little more.
-
Jul 21, 2025Shadow Labyrinth is such a fascinating reinvention of PAC-MAN that completely changes the concept of what a PAC-MAN game can be. It’s a completely unapologetic, brutal reimagining that fully commits to this vision. It pays off in its best moments, whether you’re fighting a huge boss or weaving through some difficult platforming, but the punishing early game and confusing design choices really weigh it down. It’s far from the most flawless Metroidvania, but if you can stomach the difficulty, it’s a compelling new PAC-MAN experience.
-
Jul 23, 2025Shadow Labyrinth starts strong by doubling down on the weirdest pivot an old and beloved video game character has ever made, but 30ish hours later, I struggle to find any element of this metroidvania that wasn't done better somewhere else years ago. The MAZEs, where it’s ironically the most like its cardinal inspiration, are rad re-imaginings of the original Pac-Man formula that could make a decent game all by themselves. Everything else, from the exploration made tedious by a lack of direction and annoying checkpointing to the one-note combat that adds very little nuance outside of mashing and bashing, makes playing Shadow Labyrinth a largely dull experience. Sitting through the dialogue and sorting through this story were my greatest challenges, as my brain wandered its seemingly endless maze of lore chasing the ghosts of the intense, affecting promise teased by the Secret Level short this unexpected adaptation is based on.