PAX East 2025: Shadow Labyrinth Reinvents Pac-Man

Okay, so here goes nothing — remember Pac-Man? The yellow dude gobbling dots? Yeah, well, someone decided to mix things up. Ever thought about giving him rocks to dodge? Maybe that’s not the best idea. But what if he showed up in some wild Metroidvania gig called Shadow Labyrinth? That sounds way more fun, right? So here’s what happened.

Picture this: I’m at PAX East 2025, holding a Nintendo Switch in handheld mode (because apparently that’s how the cool kids game now), while some other journalist tried it on a massive PC monitor. The game ties into the Amazon show Secret Level — which I honestly forgot to watch, oops. Anyway, back to Shadow Labyrinth! It’s smooth on PC but like driving a tricycle through pudding on the Switch. Big surprise there. But hey, they say it’ll run smoother on the mythical Nintendo Switch 2. Fingers crossed.

Oh, and if you’re wondering what the game is like—imagine gutsy platforming magic where you jump, dash, and sometimes turn into a wee Pac-Man, chomping down pellets and dodging buzz saws. Seriously, some bits were like a crazy dream I once had. Sorry if that was TMI. I had a go at a tricky section, but, uh, got nowhere. Conventions are fun but not where I discover my inner ninja. Need my cave for that.

Combat, oh boy. Think hitting, dodging, healing—the whole shebang. And don’t sweat it if you forget what button does what. There’s a handy-dandy move list on-screen. Plus, transforming Pac-Man into this giant monstrosity to inhale enemies? Jolly good stuff. There’s a parry mechanic that felt vaguely reminiscent of a Metroid boss fight. Or maybe I just love saying “parry.”

After beating a boss, I got a nifty laser attack—just what I needed to blast walls to smithereens. Later on, I ran into enemies you can’t just whack with a sword. So my buddy and I discovered you use a grapple hook to blow them up like balloons. I’ve heard it’s a nod to Dig Dug. Kinda wish there’s Galaga stuff lurking somewhere.

Oh, mark your calendar—July 18th! That’s when Shadow Labyrinth drops for all these platforms: Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. Three fancy editions, with prices starting at $30. The one with a black light map secret-sleuthing thing? Pure genius for under a hundred bucks.

Walking away from the chaos that was the convention floor, I felt a strange mix of excited and, well… confused? A Metroidvania mash-up featuring Pac-Man and Bandai Namco cameos shouldn’t really work, but you know what? It kinda does. And anything with a whiff of Hollow Knight is right up my alley.