Shadow Labyrinth Review, Gameplay Impressions, Videos and Top Features

Shadow Labyrinth from developer Bandai Namco Studios sits on the extreme end of the bar when it comes to reinventing a franchise. 

Shadow Labyrinth is...a Pac-Man game. That sentence alone might throw off observers who haven’t been paying attention ahead of the game’s release. 

When one thinks of putting a new twist on Pac-Man for the iconic series’ 45th anniversary, the mind doesn’t usually go right to a possible 2-D action adventure romp.

Yet the offering is impossible to ignore, not just for the historical context, but once the game gets in motion. Slamming Pac-Man elements into a Metroid design with a Prime Video-aligned story for good measure makes Shadow Labyrinth one of the more intriguing releases of the year.

Graphics and Gameplay

Shadow Labyrinth, visually, is a fun, colorful romp through a variety of levels. 

The game doesn’t set out to shock players in this sense, as the art style is very formulaic in a Metroid sense, arguably without the really distinctive stuff found in similar sidescrollers like say, Hollow Knight. 

But that’s not meant to undersell it here, as the game looks fantastic in motion and some great sound design, including the tried-and-true Pac-Man noise when the Puck eats dropped currencies, really brings the whole package together.  

Shadow Labyrinth is, otherwise, very much a Metroidvania in the way it asks players to proceed through levels, then backtrack with new abilities and items when possible. A useful map user interface (UI) is a must in games like these, and the one found here is solid, complete with the ability to put down markers. 

Traversal itself feels fantastic with the right amount of challenge. A grapple hook, mech and other things help in this area. The same theme extends to combat. 

On that front, players team with Puck to explore the world and throw down with enemies. They can dodge attacks with a dash or parry, while much of the gameplay loop centers around managing an ESP gauge that drains. 

Stackable abilities and new skills make this all the more enthralling, as it won’t be long before players start getting Metroid-like features such as damaging enemies while dashing.

It is a little counterintuitive that a red flash on an enemy attack can be parried, while a blue flash can only be dodged. But it’s not terribly hard to adjust over time. Some enemies and encounters can become wars of attrition and time investments, though, due to health pools and the need to manage the gauge. 

Some of these gameplay elements were done long, long ago in Metroid, but their fun factor doesn’t stop and an added Pac-Man flavor to it all keeps things interesting. Puck can set off on its own for unique gameplay elements, although some of them can simply feel like Samus going off in her morph ball. 

At its core, Shadow Labyrinth looks good, feels good and is fun, though, accomplishing its goals in this area. 

Story and More

Shadow Labyrinth has an interesting tale, in more ways than one. 

On a meta level, the game was technically previewed during a Secret Level episode called “Circle” that garnered some nice reviews. Whether players understood it was technically an advertisement at the time is another story entirely. 

As far as game narrative goes, Shadow Labyrinth impresses, too. 

Puck was sent to the game’s planet long ago to topple an AI intent on solar system domination and has been stuck in a stalemate while attempting to summon help like the player’s character. Players then enter the fray and follow some nice narrative beats from there.  

Beyond those basic story beats and main tale, little things like talking to NPCs throughout the experience opens up new conversation trees and even quests. 

Believe it or not, the game also loops in more lore than one might expect because it is technically part of the UGSF timeline. While obscure and perhaps not recognizable to many who will pick this up, the effort is appreciated and the nods to games like Dig Dug certainly get a salute. 

Overall, progression feels really rewarding, as it’s a pleasure to unlock and experiment with new ESP Skills and Perks. Some are as simple as say, the ability to throw out grenade-like items. Others get more complex and combining different features while trying to progress through areas and/or fights is a fun time. 

Shadow Labyrinth runs well for what it is, too, and comes with a nice suite of tweakable options in the menus. 

Conclusion

Shadow Labyrinth isn’t going to be putting itself up there in the Metroidvania Hall of Fame with the likes of Hollow Knight and other heavyweights. 

But what Shadow Labyrinth does accomplish is offering up a fun, rewarding time for fans with even the slightest interest in the genre. 

Perhaps more compelling than anything, again, is the fact that this has the Pac-Man lore built into it. For that reason alone, it’s worth exploring. And it’s equally tantalizing to think what might come next after this. 

Until then, Shadow Labyrinth feels like it will be a hit, especially with the benefit of time as it blips on the radar of more and more people. The appeal is there, as is the fun exploring and gameplay backing the enthralling premise.