So far... so generic.
Amazon’s gaming anthology video game series Secret Level is famous for two things: airing an episode about Concord after it was announced that the IP would be unceremoniously dumped by Sony, and shadow announcing an incredibly quirky new take on the 45-year-old PAC-MAN franchise.
Enter Shadow Labyrinth, a 2D Metroidvania-inspired platformer that very loosely takes the premise of PAC-MAN and turns things on its head. Here, you play the role of Swordsman No. 8, freshly awoken by PAC-MAN PUCK to navigate a maze and eat enemies (power pellets seemingly no longer required).
Secret Level was short on details of this mysterious reboot, and I’m slightly dismayed to report that a recent hands-on opportunity with Shadow Labyrinth did little to shed new light on the matter.
Our hands-on experience consisted of the same general area spread out over three different save files, allowing for the chance to explore and fight — though I didn’t experience any of the “rich lore” that was promised in an accompanying slide deck that also highlighted the inclusion of characters from fellow Bandai Namco IP like Slaughterhouse and Dig Dug.
You largely will control Swordsman No. 8, though PUCK is ever-present as you find your way through an area, occasionally allowing you the chance to transform into Mini-PUCK for further traversal options. PUCK is also useful for a Megazord-like transformation into something called GAIA, though I have no idea why. Transformed, you’re a giant beast that makes the dispatch of your enemies quite easy.
The Swordsman has a light and heavy attack, and special abilities that can be swapped out for another. In short, you can shield yourself from incoming attacks, or you can attempt to parry them. You can’t do both at the same time. You’ve also got a double-jump at your command to get to harder to reach areas, can grapple onto ledges to continue upwards, and has the ability to slide through narrow paths.
Onboarding was practically non-existent during my playthrough, so I can’t tell you why I was running around, why things were attacking me, or what my overall motivations were. Truthfully, things also felt extremely generic. PUCK and other Namco-inspired designs were all very robotic, though I run into many friendly NPCs who looked like they were ripped straight from the halls of Genshin Impact.
Despite lacking real driver to play, Shadow Labyrinth’s core seems solid. Platforming was easy to learn — once I knew what all the button combinations were to actually get around — but hard to master. Timed jumps and moving electric barriers raised the challenge even moreso, providing an experience akin to Prince of Persia The Lost Crown in fleeting moments.
Combat also shows promise — dropping into a series of challenge rooms, I was pitted against waves of low-level cannon fodder, then larger enemies, and then those larger still. Learning how to parry (which is way better than the shield) and when to save a life-restoring press of RT or a GAIA transformation for tricky bits was key to survival, and certainly helped when up against larger bosses.
Do I recommend Shadow Labyrinth at this point? Well, no… but I’m not prepared to write it off, either. Rather than something entirely bizarre with forced bits of nostalgia (a maze! A boss inspired by Pinky!), I hope that the overall package does a better job of explaining why it’s deserving of your time.
We don’t have long to find out — expect Shadow Labyrinth from 18 July 2025 on Windows PC via Steam, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PS5, and Switch.
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Shadow Labyrinth18 July 2025PC PS5 Switch 2 Xbox Series S & X
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