Shadow Labyrinth Reviews

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...

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—...

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.

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 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

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.

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

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.

I wish I could go back in time to the 80s, hit up an arcade and show someone playing the original PAC-MAN a glimpse of Shadow Labyrinth. Imagine it. Hey, you know that yellow cheese-wheel looking guy you’re guiding through a maze right now? Well, in 2025, he looks like this.

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.

When a developer chooses to take a long-running franchise and change its gameplay formula, it is a high-risk, high-reward situation. Taking Pac-Man and deciding to create a Metroidvania using the character is the risk Bandai Namco has taken to celebrate 45 years of the icon. Has that high risk come to fruition in Shadow Labyrinth? The answer is no.

Shadow Labyrinth is a very polished and well-balanced experience that is well worth the effort you will put into learning its mechanics. While its controls could use a bit of tweaking to perfect, it’s a game that showcases the best of Bandai Namco both literally and figuratively, and is one that I was delighted to play thanks to its story and excellent level design.

Mixing Pac-Man with Metroid seems like an enjoyably strange idea at first, until you realise just how bland and unimaginative the end result is.

Shadow Labyrinth is an intriguing and enjoyable take on the Pac-Man franchise. There is a solid Metroidvania there with it, but some design choices hold it back from being a truly great game.

Shadow Labyrinth is punishing in a way many will hate, but some will find irresistible.

A good Metroidvania trapped in the shadow of too many better ones.

Video games being self-referential is about as special as grocery store sushi, but Shadow Labyrinth is like how Kroger started dusting its spicy California rolls with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos crumbs. The team behind this monstrosity basically asked: “Pac-Man’s 45th birthday is here; what if instead of the usual stuff we made everything as weird and gross as possible?” And folks, these people succeeded. Shadow Labyrinth is a massive, complicated, stressful Metroidvania that is full of self-referential material presented in supremely unhinged (but shockingly narratively cohesive) fashion.

If you're intrigued by Shadow Labyrinth's fresh approach to Pac-Man, I recommend giving it a shot on Switch 2. It provides an intriguing narrative in a foreboding world with varied environments throughout, and PUCK proves to be a compelling character. The short bursts of Pac-Man-style gameplay help mix up the experience, and this is very welcome since the game never really delivers a 'wow' moment. Much of it has been done better elsewhere, but this is nevertheless a promising new direction for an ageing franchise; one I hope to see continue in the future.

Shadow Labyrinth is a great idea. However, poorly defined hitboxes, inconsistent mechanics, and over-inflated difficulty bog down what could have been a great experience.

Pac-Man has always been at home within mazes full of enemies trying to kill you, so the move to a Metroidvania doesn't feel like that big of a leap. Having said that, Shadow Labyrinth takes Bandai Namco's 45-year-old mascot in a wild new direction, placing him in a dark, sci-fi world that the casual onlooker may not realise is related to the arcade hero at all.

As a Pac-Man fan, I was looking forward to Shadow Labyrinth and now that I played it, I can easily say that it's one surprising Metroidvania.

All 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.

Shadows of Our Past

Shadow Labyrinth takes the classic Pac-Man formula and throws it into a dark, challenging world that’s more Dark Souls than arcade fun. This review covers everything you need to know about this unforgiving metroidvania – from its punishing combat system to its rewarding exploration, along with who should (and shouldn’t) consider picking it up.

The 45th anniversary of Pac-Man brings fans a unique take on the iconic series of games. Shadow Labyrinth takes on a new role for the franchise, bringing you into a new piece of the Pac-Man universe with a darker tone and a new genre. Players must use their abilities to survive, consume enemies and level Swordsman No. 8 to their highest potential.

Shadow Labyrinth is a dark and gritty Pac-Man spinoff that somehow manages to be one of the best Metroidvanias in recent memory.

Shadow Labyrinth is a 2D action platformer and a genre-twisting alternate take on the iconic PAC-MAN. As The Swordsman, you wake on a mysterious planet amidst relics of wars past. To survive you will discover secrets, consume your enemies, and grow from prey to apex predator. Switch 2 version reviewed. Review copy provided by company for testing purposes.