When I first discovered that the Secret Stage episode primarily based on Pac-Man was truly a backdoor pilot for a sport primarily based on an all-time basic, I need to admit I used to be a bit sceptical. Nonetheless, each good factor I heard about Shadow Labyrinth since then has been true, with Bandai Namco knocking it out of the park with its darkish and gritty sci-fi reimagining of the evergreen character.
As I leapt, swung, crawled, and dashed by means of Shadow Labyrinth’s myriad ranges and environments, I used to be left with the nagging feeling that I had barely scratched the floor of what this 2D platformer needed to provide. Even on ranges the place I used to be as thorough as I might have presumably been, I used to be sure that there was a secret that I had missed mendacity simply out of attain.
Bandai Namco has really lived as much as the “labyrinth” a part of its newest launch, with ranges that appear to fold in on themselves, their pathways taking its new protagonists in numerous instructions whereas cleverly misdirecting them on many events. Furthermore, these ranges comprise a wonderful roster of enemies, bosses, and traps, making traversing them as difficult as its fight.
“You start with a primary sword combo that you should utilize to whittle down enemy well being bars whereas the ACTIV arm permits for a punch assault that fills up a stun bar quicker than your slashes.”
Shadow Labyrinth is enjoyable, plain and easy. Whereas there are minor annoyances at sure factors, they’re shortly forgotten within the grand scheme of issues as Swordsman #8 and Puck (as Pac-Man known as on this journey) slowly uncover the mysteries of the world they’re in and study extra about one another.
Braving A Harmful New World
A fast and action-packed opening sequence acts as a tutorial, with a younger boy taking part in on what seems to be lots like a Nintendo Swap 2 abruptly teleported to a mysterious planet. He finds himself within the sneakers of a Swordsman and after a short battle with alien mechs, comes throughout Puck who acts as his information.
Puck is seemingly imprisoned on this planet for causes unknown to the Swordsman, whom he refers to as Swordsman #8, a reference to the backdoor pilot. You’re then shortly launched to the ESP Sword, Ora which acts as the sport’s foreign money, the Nano ER which serves as a really restricted therapeutic merchandise, and the ACTIV prosthetic arm which helps you discover ranges in some ways.
“Evading enemy assaults with the precise timing through the dodge button is as vital as staying on the offensive.”
From there, you start your journey with Puck main the way in which, taking over enemies and managers whereas tackling mildly difficult environmental puzzles. The distinctive artwork model and distinct areas are a visible deal with whereas the sport maintains a buttery clean framerate. I didn’t encounter a single dropped body or glitch throughout my time with Shadow Labyrinth, and the general expertise is sort of polished.
That’s a large benefit because of its mechanics, each in fight and whereas exploring the world.
Working With What You Have
Whereas Shadow Labyrinth doesn’t actually lean into the problem of Soulslike titles, its problem lies in its mechanics and the style wherein Swordsman #8’s talents are unfold out over the primary story, making coping with its enemies a really rewarding problem to beat. You start with a primary sword combo that you should utilize to whittle down enemy well being bars whereas the ACTIV arm permits for a punch assault that fills up a stun bar quicker than your slashes.
Evading enemy assaults with the precise timing through the dodge button is as vital as staying on the offensive. Nonetheless, dodging takes a bit out of your ESP (or stamina), requiring you to be prudent and good in its use. The flexibility to remodel into an enormous mech referred to as GAIA quickly turns into out there, and you may then start to eat downed foes to replenish the bar wanted to activate this capacity.
“Whereas there are smaller checkpoints, they solely save your progress and act as quick journey hubs, filling up your well being however not the Nano ER.”
Making issues extra difficult is the truth that you’ll be able to solely take three or 4 hits earlier than it is advisable heal. With just one therapeutic merchandise out there to you within the early sport, avoiding harm turns into a prime precedence, a pattern that carries on whilst you achieve entry to extra heals per run. It doesn’t assist that the Miku Sol, which act as your checkpoints and refill your well being and therapeutic gadgets at the price of respawning all primary enemies, are unfold far and vast throughout a degree.
Whereas there are smaller checkpoints, they solely save your progress and act as quick journey hubs, filling up your well being however not the Nano ER. Quick travelling from any level on a map requires that you simply spend ORA to buy a selected merchandise from out there distributors within the area, including a layer of technique to a mechanic that different titles take as a right. It’s fairly the good contact contemplating how exploring a degree performs out.
Managing Menaces
You journey by means of every degree, fastidiously combating off threats whereas navigating hostile environments with controls which may have a little bit of a studying curve however quickly change into second nature. The problem lies in selecting your battles fastidiously between checkpoints, conserving your restricted assets for more durable encounters and naturally, selecting up upgrades.
Spending ORA to enhance your assault energy or to increase your ESP bar might sound costly at first, however you’ll shortly discover that you’ve greater than sufficient of it at your disposal as you don’t lose any of it upon dying. What’s extra, constantly consuming downed enemies utilizing GAIA ensures that you simply even have sufficient crafting supplies to buy equippable perks which add nifty functionalities to Puck, making issues simpler in the long term.
“It’s a gameplay loop that shortly turns into addictive, and your time with Swordsman #8 and Puck shortly turns into a cycle of fashionable platforming and methodical fight.”
Nonetheless, you’ll quickly uncover that these benefits soften away within the face of the sport’s bosses. Each important boss and area boss is an absolute ability test, requiring that you simply study their assaults and reply accordingly whereas taking calculated dangers so as to whittle away at their well being. The boss designs are unimaginable, with one very memorable foe controlling the battlefield with a menacing glare, daring you to assault simply in order that he can parry your strikes and retaliate with reckless abandon. Discipline bosses additionally respawn after you die a couple of occasions, requiring you to take them down once more – all of the extra cause to be cautious and environment friendly along with your assets.
It’s a gameplay loop that shortly turns into addictive, and your time with Swordsman #8 and Puck shortly turns into a cycle of fashionable platforming and methodical fight.
Fashion and Substance
The distinctive visible model and wonderful gameplay on provide in Shadow Labyrinth is made even higher by Bandai Namco’s delicate nods to different franchises from its library whereas wonderful callbacks to the unique Pac-Man video games make for an journey that I discovered fairly laborious to place down.
NPCs within the sport are as mysterious because the world they inhabit, with every having ties to Puck’s murky origins which might be slowly revealed as you make your means by means of the story. They’re a stable addition to the general expertise, and I discovered myself very curious as to what position they performed in Puck’s imprisonment or how they tied into his life earlier than that.
“The music throughout boss fights deserves a particular point out, with a few tunes I will surely add to my work playlist if that’s a risk.”
Nonetheless, the platforming sections involving Puck are an space that Bandai Namco must tweak in future updates. Puck strikes fairly easily alongside rails marked for that very objective, seamlessly transitioning between Pac-Man mode and the Swordsman when the necessity arises. Nonetheless, leaping between platforms required the very correct use of my left-stick and sometimes did not launch the character within the path wherein I wished.
Whereas I initially attributed the inaccuracy to stay drift on my controller, testing it out on one other one revealed that the issue was part of the sport’s design. It might probably get fairly annoying to maintain leaping on and off a railed platform, making an attempt to get to a ledge, just for Puck to launch himself straight right into a wall. That type of trial and error has no place in a sport that’s in any other case extraordinarily polished.
Fortunately, the audio design is sort of wonderful, with enemies making nearly lovely noises as they try and put an finish to the Swordsman whereas bosses are made all of the extra menacing within the course of. The music throughout boss fights deserves a particular point out, with a few tunes I will surely add to my work playlist if that’s a risk.
Total, Shadow Labyrinth’s reimagining of Pac-Man is a straightforward promote and is bound to maintain its gamers entertained for a very long time after they embark on the grand journey that Bandai Namco has crafted. It would even stay with them lengthy after they roll the credit on its intriguing story, too!
Simply bear in mind to take your time studying its controls, and discover each nook and cranny that you simply discover.
This sport was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.
