Game review: Pac-Man World: Re-Pac (PS4 & PS5)

Earlier this year, Bandai Namco already gave '90s kids something to celebrate when it released Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series. This was a remake of the two original Klonoa games that were released for PSOne and PS2.

Well, Bandai Namco is at it again with the publisher now releasing Pac-Man World: Re-Pac. This is another remake that brings the 1999 PSOne original to modern audiences and platforms. For the purpose of this review, we played the remake on both the PS5 and PS4 consoles.

Most people will be familiar with the arcade Pac-Man game where the yellow protagonist has to collect pellets and swallow up the evil ghosts. The levels are simple as you are inside a maze, having to avoid getting hit by the colourful ghosts.

Pac-Man World: Re-Pac is much different because this is a 3D platforming game similar to the Crash Bandicoot series. Instead of having an open-world environment like Spyro the Dragon, all of the levels in Pac-Man are quite linear as you have to go from point A to point B while collecting lots of items along the way.

With this being a platforming game, Pac-Man World: Re-Pac actually has a small narrative to set the game in motion. In this game, the main bad guy is a huge metal Pac-Man named Toc-Man. Toc-Man and his goons have kidnapped Pac-Man's whole family for some reason. Due to this, you have to venture out as Pac-Man to rescue his entire family hidden in the levels.

What you will notice most about Pac-Man World: Re-Pac is the fact that the visuals are much better now in 2022. I remember playing the original Pac-Man World back in 1999, and the graphics looked pixelated and outdated on the PSOne. The remake makes the game look much smoother and brighter than ever before.

There isn't much difference in terms of visuals between the PS5 and PS4 versions. Both games load pretty fast, and I did not experience any glitches or bugs while playing them. If you cannot buy a new-gen console at the moment, you don't have to worry about the performance of the last-gen versions.

In terms of gameplay, Pac-Man World: Re-Pac is surprisingly challenging, thanks to the limited move set that Pac-Man has in this game. One of the worst attacks that Pac-Man has is throwing pellets at his enemies. This attack is pretty useless because it lacks any range, and it never hits the enemies when you want it to. Not to mention there is no targeting system either, so you won't be using this attack very often.

There are only two types of other attacks that are far more useful to Pac-Man. Most people will use the butt bounce attack. Not only can this be used to reach higher platforms, but jumping on top of enemies will kill them. Another attack is a type of sprint where Pac-Man can bulldoze through certain enemies at high speed.

However, the enemies in the levels aren't really the thing you will have to worry about most in this game. The one thing that will kill you the most is the multiple jumping puzzles and obstacles that will stand in your way!

The levels aren't too linear because you will need to backtrack sometimes in order to collect fruit or a key. Fruits usually give you access to locked doors that house special buttons. These buttons are important because you may need to press them to continue the level.

If you want to fully 100% the game, you will also need to find keys in some levels. These keys will allow you to free Pac-Man's family members who are locked up in a metal jail. You can actually complete the levels without saving your family, although you won't get the 100% requirement.

Each level also has optional maze segments that pay homage to the arcade classic. In mazes, you will avoid or eat ghosts while you have to collect every pellet in the level. You can also collect the letters of 'PacMan' in each level to further increase the game's longevity.

Aside from the normal levels, there are also several boss fights. Many of the earlier boss fights are easy because they all follow a certain pattern. Easily the hardest boss in the entire game is fighting Toc-Man himself. The main reason his fight is hard is that you need to survive three different phases, all with one life!

As much as I had fun with this game, the main disappointment is the fact that this is only a remake of one Pac-Man World game. Bandai Namco could have easily added Pac-Man World 2 and Pac-Man World 3, which originally came out for the PS2 over 20 years ago.

It is also worth mentioning that this game is challenging, so it's not as easy as it looks. While one playthrough will last you around 7 hours to finish, the game will take you much longer if you want to 100% the game. Getting all the trophies and achievements is also hard if you're up for the challenge!

While it's sad the rest of the series isn't included, I still had a lot of fun playing through Pac-Man World: Re-Pac. This game was a part of my childhood, and it was enjoyable to finally finish it. This game is worth playing if you want to play an enjoyable 3D platform game.

Verdict: 8.0/10