Bandai Namco’s bold new take on Pac-Man — the 2D action platformer known as Shadow Labyrinth — has a secret: Despite being a grim sci-fi, Metroid-inspired game that looks nothing like a traditional Pac-Man sequel, there’s actual real Pac-Man gameplay in here. A new trailer for Shadow Labyrinth reveals the Maze, a portion of the game that for shorthand purposes looks a hell of a lot like Pac-Man Championship Edition 3.
The core gameplay of Shadow Labyrinth has players controlling a mysterious warrior named Swordsman No. 8, who is accompanied by a Pac-Man shaped guide named Puck, battling to become the apex predator of an alien planet. But at certain points in Shadow Labyrinth, you’ll play honest-to-goodness Pac-Man maze levels that draw inspiration from the Championship Edition line of pellet- and ghost-chomping games. Shadow Labyrinth’s take on Pac-Man gameplay adds to the Championship Edition formula, with jumping, boost pads, giant ghost boss battles, and a variety of maze types.
In other words, if Shadow Labyrinth hasn’t quite done it for you thus far, it might be worth checking in on your feelings after watching the game’s new trailer.
Bandai Namco revealed Shadow Labyrinth at last year’s Game Awards. But before that, the game publisher teased a darker, bloodier take on Pac-Man in the form of an animated short in Prime Video’s Secret Level anthology series. Shadow Labyrinth doesn’t appear to be quite as gory as Secret Level’s “Circle,” but it’s definitely a swerve for Pac-Man.
Shadow Labyrinth will be released on July 18, for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.
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