Shadow Labyrinth

At a glance, Shadow Labyrinth may just seem like a startingly different take on Pac-Man for shock value, but it still follows the core tenets of the original game: mazes, creature consumption, player choice in navigation, and a power-up in the form of GAIA that effectively swaps the roles of prey and predator. Despite the gameplay systems needing some refinements, Shadow Labyrinth is a genuinely stellar action metroidvania that stands near the genre's best.

Shadow Labyrinth mixes old-school PAC-MAN with Metroidvania, and it works out surprisingly well. The story is mysterious, the exploration engaging, and the retro MAZE sections deliver a satisfying nostalgic kick.

Shadow Labyrinth is a dark metroidvania where Pac-Man eats your enemies and your nerves, but for some reason, you cannot stop playing.

Shadow Labyrinth earns the right to have its darker version of Pac-Man be taken seriously. Its solid exploration and combat mechanics make for an excellent game that gets further elevated by its fun integration and celebration of Namco history into its design. While at times the game can feel a little too bloated with ideas, it’s okay to overeat during a celebration.

Shadow Labyrinth is a very polished and well-balanced experience that is well worth the effort you will put into learning its mechanics.

Shadow Labyrinth is a bold and creative reimagining of PAC-Man, transforming the arcade classic into a Metroidvania full of personality. Set after the events of the Secret Level animated series, the story immerses the player in a sci-fi adventure with stunning visuals that blend high-tech and ancient cultures. The combat is also exciting, especially the boss fights, but it faces some control and balance issues. Still, the journey is worth it. A pleasant surprise and a brilliant new phase for PAC-Man.

Shadow Labyrinth is a fast-paced metroidvania that stands out for its atmospheric tone and the quirky presence of a yellow ball. Its most original features lie in the darker, sometimes unsettling narrative and the protagonist’s ability to transform into a futuristic Pac-Man, unlocking sections of the map designed to subvert typical genre expectations. While this creative twist adds freshness to a familiar formula, the game is held back by certain shortcomings: a lower-than-average difficulty, bosses that pose little challenge, a fairly predictable progression, level design that rarely surprises, and some stylistic inconsistencies. Despite these flaws, thanks to its fair launch price, it’s worth a try—especially for those interested in a more “accessible” metroidvania rather than a hardcore one.

Shadow Labyrinth gives birth to the Pactroidvania genre, giving a level structure as intricate as the name suggests, a deeper plot than anyone could have predicted and myriads of references. It is a game that absolutely should not be taken lightly, intended for both new players and long-time fans.

Shadow Labyrinth is a tremendously interesting reimagining of Pac-Man, adapting its mythology and gameplay to the standards of a fun and addictive metroidvania.

Shadow Labyrinth is one of the weirdest and most unexpected games that I've ever played. Despite everything, the formula just works and the sense of satisfaction from completing its brutally tough segments and exploring its variety-filled world is superb.

Shadow Labyrinth is a very interesting experiment from Bandai Namco. The game clearly has its flaws, but there's also a lot of potential here. If the developers have the opportunity to create a sequel, I'm sure they'll take everything that worked in this title and expand on it to deliver an experience that meets the goals the team surely had for this title.

Despite its clear structural issues and a level design that falls well short of other games in the genre — including some with smaller scope and budget — Shadow Labyrinth meets nearly all the expectations of a good Metroidvania. With bursts of comforting nostalgia reminiscent of the ghost-eating classic, rewarding exploration, and tight combat, the experience isn’t without its stumbles (some of which I’d consider amateurish), but it’s the kind of passion project we’d like to see more studios of Bandai Namco’s caliber investing in.

Shadow Labyrinth is a title that demonstrates potential in its mechanics, context, and story. However, everything is let down by the frustration of several different elements, such as the extremely large maps, the uneven combat, and more. It's a good game, and I hope Bandai Namco continues to experiment and polish this formula until they develop something truly special.

Shadow Labyrinth is a bold experiment that only partially succeeds: a compelling and demanding metroidvania, held back by frustrating design choices and an underwhelming narrative.

Shadow Labyrinth is a strange Metroidvania (in the best possible way) that sets itself apart through numerous references to Bandai Namco’s history, not just as easter eggs, but as core gameplay elements. It features a challenging yet fair difficulty curve, though its cryptic story starts off slow. While the environments can feel a bit repetitive, the game still manages to be engaging throughout.

Shadow Labyrinth is a celebration of the beloved Namco yellow ball brand, however it feels like a wasted concept with lacking visuals and a lacking story. This game has the potential to be a cool action game with interesting designs, but it needs more.

A bold metroidvania that places Pac-Man in a dark, narrative-driven world. Strong concept and solid fanservice, but held back by unpolished mechanics, uneven difficulty, and imprecise controls. Still, a unique and entertaining entry point for newcomers to the genre.

Shadow Labyrinth is a madness with a lot to say, but much like its mouthless protagonist, it can't always communicate as it would like, finding itself at the mercy of events. A little more quality of life wouldn't have hurt (even the markers you place on the map have to be unlocked), yet somehow there's a certain perverse charm that permeates the entire experience. And it's not just because Pac-Man has never been this dark.

Shadow Labyrinth is a dark sci-fi metroidvania with precise controls, creative power ups like a powerful mecha transformation and PAC-MAN possession mechanics. Its bosses shine, but its slow story and linear level design hold it back.

"Weird" is the word that best describes Shadow Labyrinth, a textbook 2D Metroidvania with a rather ugly aesthetic, a somewhat strange story and setting, and gameplay that doesn't stand out in any way, with a development that is surprisingly mediocre in its first few hours, but improves considerably in the final part. There are much better options within the genre, but if you're a REAL fan of this type of game and have already played all the important ones, we're sure you'll enjoy it. A title that, despite its shortcomings and lack of standing out in any way, has a "certain charm." In fact, we wouldn't be surprised if it ends up becoming a kind of cult title, one of those games that only grows stronger over the years, given time.

Shadow Labyrinth is a good Metroidvania with a well made, atmospheric setting, nice presentation, cool designed bossfights and appealing platforming that does not suffer, but also does not really benefit from the Pac-Man crossover. Because the fixed difficulty level is a little too high, we can mostly recommend the game to purists of the genre.

Shadow Labyrinth is an adequate Metroidvania with a good balance between platforming and combat as well as nice visuals. What drags it down is the obscure connection with Pac-Man, and certain gameplay elements that try to draw inspiration from that franchise. Classic as it may be, it just doesn’t work in an action game.

While the combination of metroidvania platforming and Pac-Man provides an interesting concept, the execution leaves something to desire. The inaccurate attacks, sparse save points and lack of direction, combined with irregular difficulty spikes, hinder the game more than they should.

Bandai Namco’s bold attempt to reimagine the core concepts of the beloved Pac-Man franchise as a modern Metroidvania shows promise but ultimately falls short of its full potential. Shadow Labyrinth delivers a dark, mysterious story and fast-paced combat, but brings little new to the table, leaning too heavily on the Pac-Man name to make an impact.

The best thing about Shadow Labyrinth is the unusual idea of transforming Pac-Man into a metroidvania and also a minigame that reinvents the classic format we know. The adaptation in itself is successful and the execution delivered a competent game, but one that lacks relevant highlights that make it above average in the genre, marred by unnecessarily long areas and low-quality visuals.

Shadow Labyrinth innovated within the Pac-Man games by boldly venturing into a dark and gritty direction no one expected. However, in terms of art style and substance, the game offers little that sets it apart in an already crowded market

Aside from a few original ideas, Shadow Labyrinth ultimately falls short as a Metroidvania. The combat is overly basic, the platforming gets repetitive fast, and the game is brutally difficult. Our advice? Just rewatch that episode of Secret Level instead.

Shadow Labyrinth is a perfectly fine Metroid riff. The level design, the pacing of new power-ups, and the mechanical satisfaction of mastering its different forms of precision-demanding motion make it both very easy and demanding to play.

Shadow Labyrinth shines among passion projects — not because it's a great Metroidvania, or being a great Pac-Man game, but its weirdness is enough to confirm that the old Pac-Man formula still works. Unfortunately, this great concept is stuck inside an unremarkable game, that still has a few good moments.

The Secret Level episode blew my mind when it came out and I couldn't wait to play a dark version of Pac-Man in a metroidvania setting. In the end, it’s a bog-standard metroidvania with a Pac-Man gimmick that does nothing new for the genre. The style was also not my cup of tea, as the contrasts between the background and the animation were too overwhelming and not very well implemented. Unfortunately, the show was much better than the game.

Shadow Labyrinth never rises above being an occasionally exciting metroidvania. Between the likes of Hollow Knight, Ori and others, there are just far too many better options available.

Shadow Labyrinth is a metroidvania based on an alternate Pac-Man universe that evokes mixed feelings with its striking aesthetic and ideas, but with a frustrating pace and shallow combat.

I was hopeful for Shadow Labyrinth when it was announced, but as I played the game a lot of that eroded over the hours and hours I spent with it. It’s not a bad game for sure, I’ve played far worse Metroidvania’s over the years, but it’s also not a great game, held back by some archaic design decisions, a mostly bland art design, and some frustrating control moments. There’s enjoyment to be had here, sure, but you really have to struggle through the low points in order to gleam out just a bit of fun from this one.

Pac-Man in a Metroidvania game? Yeah – Shadow Labyrinth is an intriguing use of a much-loved IP, but the end result leaves a little to be desired. There's fun to be had here, but frustrating design choices, such as a lack of checkpoints and healing options, mean it's a middling Metroidvania, outshined by plenty others in the genre.

Shadow Labyrinth is a mid-tier metroidvania featuring a few interesting concepts, but it quickly fades from memory after completion.

Shadow Labyrinth shows that it understands what it takes to be a solid Metroidvania, thanks to its varied environments and gameplay, but it lacks finesse and polish in its execution.

An uninspired effort to infuse nostalgic IP with edgy nonsense, Shadow Labrynth offers up some fine enough Metroidvania action but fails to give players much of a reason to care about it beyond sheer novelty. Tucked away in its sprawling maps are beacons of joy in the form of classic Pac-Man mazes, but there’s only a ghost of a game built around them.

Shadow Labyrinth is an admirable big swing that places Pac-Man in a strange new space. Unfortunately, while there are some fun elements taken from the arcade classic and a few neat ideas sprinkled in, the majority of the game is a by-the-numbers Metroidvania that doesn't quite come together. It feels like a game built to please Pac-fans and hardcore players that lap up the likes of Hollow Knight, but the end result is something that underserves both. It's not bad, but with so many incredible 2D Metroidvanias these days, this one doesn't quite do enough to measure up.

Shadow Labyrinth is undoubtedly an interesting experiment, starting from an idea we'd like to see explored more often: thoughtfully modernizing a past title, reviving the key ideas that led to its creation but incorporating them into a modern framework. It's a shame the execution isn't the best: beneath the pleasant nods to Bandai Namco's history lies a derivative Metroidvania, reminiscent of a bygone era. Navigating the labyrinths is simple, the combat lacks creative flair, the protagonist's power-ups lack impact, and even the original ideas haven't been perfectly implemented.

Shadow Labyrinth is built on a compelling concept—reimagining Pac-Man within a Metroidvania framework—but ultimately struggles to bring that vision to life. Although there are flashes of creativity and thoughtful design, they’re frequently undermined by clunky platforming, uninspired visuals, imprecise combat hitboxes, and a convoluted narrative that fails to captivate. What might have been a bold and refreshing reinvention instead becomes an uneven experience weighed down by its own ambition.

Shadow Labyrinth should have been so much more. I wanted my first impression of the game to linger. But the longer I engaged, the more my mind wandered to better Metroidvanias. Ones that either delivered pitch-perfect combat and exploration, or ones that tried something new. Shadow Labyrinth attempts to make a weird, novel Pac-Man experience but squanders the opportunity on sluggish pacing, exhausting checkpointing, and a map that severely needed a few bites taken out of it. Maybe Puck should just stick to ghost hunting.

An ambitious project that partially gets in its own way with an unattractive implementation. The interesting premise is offset by unmotivating gameplay.

Strangely, while Shadow Labyrinth is a solid Metroidvania that carries inspiration from various sources, it doesn't feel inspired because it leans too heavily on the nostalgia of Puck's Pac-Man sensibilities. Serviceable is the best way to describe Shadow Labyrinth because it's a competent experience and it might be satisfying if all you're looking for is a general Metroidvania experience.