Shadow Labyrinth was provided by Bandai Namco for review. Thank you!
We all know and love Pac-Man, they are one of the staples of the video game industry. The game is well known across the world, and it's hard to imagine that formula being changed up for whatever reason. However, Bandai Namco decided to do just that. When I first saw Shadow Labyrinth, I was perplexed and intrigued. I have seen Pac-Man brought into puzzle games, platformers, and even saw him join in fighting games like Super Smash Bros. Now, he was going to join the Metroidvania space, and for his first outing in the genre, it's a great game, but it will require some patience.
Story-wise, Shadow Labyrinth has a cool concept. As a direct sequel to the Pac-Man episode of Secret Level from Amazon, you are Swordsman No.8, summoned by a mysterious floating yellow orb named Puck. You will have to ascend the Black Tower while trying to figure out why, who you are, and what Puck actually is.
It was a difficult story to follow, and it was hard to keep track of everything going on, but I love how different this feels to other Pac-Man games. The grittier atmosphere and tons of help make this experience feel more compelling, and while I wasn't 100% sure exactly what was going on, it didn't take away from the experience overall.
Shadow Labyrinth excels in its presentation, which continued to wow me the more I played. The mix of broody, vibrant landscapes mixes really well with the character models and animations, which make me think of Paper Dolls. There were some truly beautiful set pieces I found running through the multiple different biomes of the spacious metroidvania-esque map, and the fluidity of the animations of both ourselves and the enemies made it just a joy to experience. Presentation-wise, it feels top tier.
As for the gameplay, it can be a hit or miss at times. There were times I really loved the combat, fighting monsters left and right with my assortment of melee attacks, but then there were times that I would just get annoyed. The bosses, in particular, while gorgeously animated with unique designs, were more obnoxious than enjoyable. The bosses don't feel as engaging or strategic as I hoped, and would usually involve just dodging attacks, slicing, dodging, slicing, and getting their stun meter up so I could slice them for 5 seconds in a row instead of 1.
Still, even though it's a lot of slashing and dodging, which can feel like Souls-like games sometimes, it was still solid. You have your basic sword slashing that can attack in any direction, and that will be the most-used skill. We do have other attacks, like a slower punch that can stun enemies, and we can transform into a giant mech for periods of time, but a majority of combat will be dodging and basic attacks. It is fun in short bursts, but I found it to feel very monotonous once I started encountering more and more enemies that wouldn't go down with a single hit.
The progression systems feel a bit on the basic side, but they get the job done. The Ora that you pick up is used to buy new perks and direct upgrades for your stats, like extra attack damage and a larger ESP bar. We can also get new ESP Skills, which are basically secondary/special abilities. They can range from grenades to more powerful sword strikes and can really help when in a bind.
This is a Metroidvania through and through, and Shadow Labyrinth encompasses it nicely. We have a pretty large map to explore, full of different pathways to take, and as you find new tools and get new abilities, you can circle back and see what those previously unreachable paths have at the end of them.
The way the world and progression are designed makes this feel like a great fit for the genre, and even though there's little to no instructions on where to go and the map can be extremely tough to read, it feels unabashedly like a Metroidvania through and through. I also appreciate that there are some platforming and combat challenges sprinkled in, though some platforming could feel a bit difficult to control. At times, it can feel a little too precise, like when on rails with Puck and jumping around, or a little too floaty, like when jumping from smaller platforms as the Swordsman. It never hits that sweet spot in the middle, but it got to the point where I wanted to throw my controller from frustration either.
One thing I consistently found interesting to see was how Bandai Namco would interpret the Pac-Man universe and fill out the world of Shadow Labyrinth. There are constant references, from the more obvious ones like Puck resembling Pac-Man and the colorful ghosts being one of the main bosses that we will fight, to the way the ghosts will disappear when they leave, and the sounds PUCK makes when he grabs Ora. It was enjoyable to see all the references and point them out, which gave me a sense of connection to this new, gritty world of Pac-Man.
Shadow Labyrinth runs like a dream on the Steam Deck, and I wouldn’t have expected anything else. The 2D metroidvania always looked like the perfect fit for portable play, so I’m happy I can confirm that it is. It can run at 90 FPS and around 8-9W battery drain for over 5.5 hours of battery life on the OLED Steam Deck.
I did notice some spots where the framerate and battery drain would spike, like when first waking up at the beginning of the game, but these times were far and few. The majority of the game runs flawlessly, and it mode than earns its Verified badge.
The only options we have in-game are audio settings, language, and changing control bindings.
The game doesn't have 16:10 resolution support, but it does have cloud saves and solid controller support. There are no HDR settings.
Shadow Labyrinth is a solid game that has a couple of nuisances stopping it from being a must-have. It has great Metroidvania mechanics and an intriguing story, but the combat can feel a bit monotonous and difficult. The platforming can be a little bit dodgy as well, sometimes feeling too strict or too loose at different times. Even still, it never disrupts the flow of the game much, and I would still consider it a fun game. If you enjoy metroidvanias, this will be a welcome addition to your library, but there are moments that may feel a little unfair.
The game is also flawless on the Steam Deck without any issues. It runs at 90 FPS and under 9W battery drain, which is just perfect. This is an easy Best on Deck game.
Our review is based on the PC version of this game.
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Shadow Labyrinth is a solid metroidvania, but it requires some patience to complete. However, it is near flawless on the Steam Deck!
