Shadow Labyrinth

Final WeaponMrSpacePan

Shadow Labyrinth is a 2D action-adventure Metroidvania that is also a re-imagining of Pac-Man, taking place in a dark sci-fi world of classic Namco arcade games. The classic Pac-Man gameplay works surprisingly well in this new format. It has a slow start, but once it clicks, you are treated to a great Metroidvania. The difficulty can get quite high, and while not everyone likes that, I loved how rewarding the game felt. It needs a few updates to sort things out, but it's still a great time—...

Worth PlayingCody Medellin

7/10

Shadow Labyrinth is a 2D action platformer and a genre-twisting alternate take on the iconic Pac-Man.

Pure NintendoKirk Hiner

7/10

I had high hopes when starting Shadow Labyrinth that the game would be as bizarre as presented in its announcement trailer. I'm happy to say it is. But I'm unhappy to say it also gets caught in what should have been avoidable traps of the 2D action/platformer genre.Read More

Console CreaturesBobby Pashalidis

7/10

Shadow Labyrinth is an idea with immense potential, but it has some growing pains to work through first.

MonsterVineLuis Gutierrez

Explore, fight, die, repeat. This quickly became the cycle I found myself in while playing Bandai Namco‘s 2D Metroidvania Shadow Labyrinth. This game shouldn’t work on paper because it contradicts everything we’ve known about Pac-Man since its creation in the ’80s. However, in practice, it evolves into something rather unique, as the team takes the franchise in a bold new direction that is both challenging and engaging.

GameSpewKim Snaith

6/10

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.

SectorSKmatus_ace

5/10

The new Pac-Man game is a dark variation on the well-known franchise, based on one part of the Secret Level series. However, the game does not live up to its potential.

Game InformerCharles Harte

5/10

Why did they make a Pac-Man Metroidvania? It's an unavoidable question at the heart of Shadow Labyrinth, but one I ask with genuine curiosity. The game is Bandai Namco's attempt to transform Pac-Man, one of the most iconic video games of all time, into a more modern genre, but it's wrapped up in such a perplexing, peculiar wrapper that by the time I reached the end of the maze, I was just as confused as when I entered. Shadow Labyrinth is uneven, overstuffed, and often frustrating. It has dec...

Playstation UniverseJames Davie

5/10

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.

GameSpotRichard Wakeling

5/10

Shadow Labyrinth takes the fascinating premise of blending Metroid with Pac-Man and fumbles the execution, offering a bland narrative with one-note combat and tedious exploration

IGNJarrett Green

5/10

From exploration made tedious by annoying checkpointing to the one-note combat, Shadow Labyrinth is a largely dull adaptation of Pac-Man's gritty Secret Level episode.

GamesticBerenhardt

Unscored

Sadly, Shadow Labyrinth is a game I’ll quickly forget. I often found myself forcing my way through it, with little motivation to keep playing. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend it—unless you’re a die-hard Pac-Man fan who also enjoys Metroidvania games set in a dystopian world.