Latest news with #PAXEast2025
Business Mayor
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Mayor
Shadow Labyrinth might just pull off its oddball elevator pitch
45 years after the release of Pac-Man, Bandai Namco is finally answering the age-old question: 'How would it play as a 2D Metroidvania?' Surely you've all been wondering that, right? Well, ask no more because we'll soon have an answer to that head-scratching question with Shadow Labyrinth on July 18. At PAX East 2025, Digital Trends went hands-on with the upcoming game and chatted with Seigo Aizawa, producer at Bandai Namco, about Pac-Man's new look. Aizawa showed us how the oddball game is more true to Pac-Man's core tenets than it looks at first glance. It may be a gritty Metroidvania with intense boss fights, but this is still the same maze-navigating eat-em-up you've been playing for decades, albeit in a very different light. In Shadow Labyrinth , players wake up in a strange world where everything is trying to kill them. The only thing aiding their survival is a Pac-Man-like creature that gives them abilities and guides them through a savage planet. Amazon's Secret Level episode starring Pac-Man serves as a prequel to Shadow Labyrinth , and watching it will give players a better understanding of what to expect. 'To expand our audience, we wanted to make something new,' Aizawa tells Digital Trends. 'We wanted to get people who never played a Pac-Man game to play [ Shadow Labyrinth ]. When we thought about the concept of the game, 'Dark Pac-Man' came up. When you think about a dark atmosphere and a maze concept, [the] Metroidvania [genre] matches it perfectly.' Shadow Labyrinth is especially fast-paced for the genre. Every attack must be executed with a plan in mind. But that's not to say Shadow Labyrinth isn't a Pac-Man game at its heart still. There's still a maze for players to run through, you just won't see it from a bird's eye view. Instead, players navigate 2D environments and you have to figure out where they're going as they explore. Pac-Man's tendency to eat everything in sight plays a role here too, though in much more sinister fashion. After players are done chopping up your enemies, they can perform an action that essentially turns you into a Pac-Man Kiju that lets them eat their foes to gain abilities. Aizawa revealed that this was by design, as the game needed three key pillars for which Pac-Man is known for: eating, mazes, and power ups. That's not the only thing my Pac-Man companion can do. As I was making my way through mazes, I was presented with paths that had rails on them. The only way to cross them was to turn into that iconic yellow sphere from the arcade classic. The catch was that the rails were packed with all sorts of traps that were trying to kill me. If I wanted to make it through alive, I needed to evade them. While the Shadow Labyrinth itself is a new location, it still connects to a familiar universe. Bandai Namco decided to toy around with the UGSF (Universal Gaming Simulation Framework), a narrative device that the company uses to connect many of its games. A clear example of this appeared towards the end of my demo. After defeating the main boss, I uncovered a Dig-Dug easter egg that played a bit of the game's music. Bandai Namco Aizawa says that this is just one example of how all of the games are connected thanks to the UGSF. Shadow Labyrinth takes place in a distant future, whereas Dig Dug took place 3,000 years before this game. As players progress through the story, they'll find remnants of other beloved Bandai Namco properties. Sometimes these will be simple winks and nods to other games, and other times they'll play a bigger role in the story. The overall gameplay doesn't disappoint based on what I've played so far. There's a clear sense of Metroidvania progression that gives players plenty of new abilities to unlock, changing their tool set. The boss fights are engaging clashes against larger than life monsters and the platforming almost feels like a game of its own. Every aspect of it is working for me so far, which is a pleasant surprise considering how left-field the pitch is. Shadow Labyrinth is dark, edgy, and grim, but still very much a Pac-Man game at its core. As different as it is from anything else in the series history, I'm still having fun exploring mazes and eating enemies at the end of the day. Shadow Labyrinth is taking a big swing and hopes to capture a new audience with its latest iteration of Pac-Man. From what I played, Bandai Namco may just pull that off with something entirely new. Shadow Labyrinth launches on July 18 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Business Mayor
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Mayor
Mafia: The Old Country was inspired by The Godfather and Sicilian knife fights
Table of Contents Table of Contents The passage of time Knives out During PAX East 2025, 2K revealed its latest trailer for Mafia: The Old Country . The latest entry in the long-running crime series will deliver familiar mob action that fans have come to expect, but it's bringing one big change too. Rather than taking place in America, players will now get to run wild in Sicily. Shortly after the trailer was revealed, Digital Trends sat down with members of the Mafia development team to chat about the latest installment. The team tells us why it decided to take the series to Italy and revealed how the Sicilian setting changed the game. One big impact that the shift had? Knife fighting. Lots of knife fighting. The Mafia series has a long history of putting players in the cement shoes of various mobsters from the 20th century. The majority of its installments up until now take place all throughout America, primarily on the East Coast. That's all while telling a compelling story with characters to which players typically get attached. Mafia: The Old Country is looking to shake things up. Game director Alex Cox had a simple elevator pitch for the latest entry. 'The way we described this from the very beginning was Mafia meets The Godfather in 1900s Sicily,' Cox tells Digital Trends. 'That's the internal phrase we used when talking to other developers, because it gives you a really clear image in your head of what the game is immediately.' Nick Baynes, studio president at Hangar 13, reassures fans that it will be a 'classic Mafia mob story.' The only difference is that it'll take place in a 'brand new, beautiful location.' One of the many things that has Baynes excited is that it's a prequel to the other installments. That's because he sees it as 'a great jumping on point' for new players. Hangar 13 / 2K Games Both setting and time are crucial to The Old Country . Since it'll be taking place in the early 1900s, players will see the transition from one era to another. That's by design, because the passage of time plays a major thematic role in the story. 'It's a period of change in Sicily,' Cox says. 'There's a big number of Sicilians at that time who started to emigrate to America. That's something we've tried to reflect on through the whole creative development from the story and mechanics as well.' Baynes says that players will begin to notice this as they play through the game. He points to the world's streets as an example, explaining how players will quickly notice how some roads in-game are better suited for horse travel while others are clearly made with vehicles in mind. As they progress further into the story, players will begin to see horse roads slowly being phased out in favor of ones built for cars. The team really wanted to focus on combat this time around, making it feel more dangerous. Every bullet counts, which is why the devs implemented a looting feature that players can perform after combat. Ammo preservation is paramount, so some dirty scavenging is required to stay alive. Players won't just mow down rivals in shootouts, though. Knives play an important role in combat this time, as blades come with distinct abilities. The addition of knife dueling isn't just a twist for the sake of change; it ties back into the story and setting. Read More Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy surpasses 20M copies sold 'Sicily has a knife-fighting tradition, and it's something we felt was quite iconic for the idea of Sicilian gangsters,' Cox says. '[Knife Dueling] is a special gameplay mode, where certain characters will appear as bosses, and you have to fight them to death with your knife.' This is probably the only time we visit a location like this in the Mafia series. Getting this right was so important that the team sent a few members to Sicily to meet those who make traditional Sicilian knives and watch how these knife fights would play out in real life. It wasn't just a cool field trip for the team, but important research to make sure that the combat felt as accurate to its inspiration as possible. That bleeds into a larger theme with The Old Country , as Italian authenticity was the goal. The team wanted to ensure that players got a unique cultural experience while still staying true to the Mafia identity. ''How is it different to play in Sicily?' It's the knives, the location. We're having combat in Greek ruins and in catacombs under the ground. Locations that are very distinctive to Sicily. We have horse chases [where you] jump onto cars.' 2K It was essential to create this sense of adventure because it may be one of a kind. 'This is probably the only time we visit a location like this in the Mafia series,' Cox says. Since The Old Country isn't in an urban environment like previous titles, it allowed the team to 'go heavy' when it came to leaning into the 'thrilling adventure vibe.' The team is putting in a lot of work to ensure that Mafia: The Old Country respects Sicilian culture while still creating something that fits in the Mafia universe. You can see all of this for yourself in the new trailer, which features glimpses of knife fights and the new setting. Even if you're a Mafia newcomer, The Old Country seems like it will be a strong starting point that functions both as an entry to the series and a portal to another era. Mafia: The Old Country launches on August 8 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Digital Trends
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
Mafia: The Old Country was inspired by The Godfather and Sicilian knife fights
Table of Contents Table of Contents The passage of time Knives out During PAX East 2025, 2K revealed its latest trailer for Mafia: The Old Country. The latest entry in the long-running crime series will deliver familiar mob action that fans have come to expect, but it's bringing one big change too. Rather than taking place in America, players will now get to run wild in Sicily. Shortly after the trailer was revealed, Digital Trends sat down with members of the Mafia development team to chat about the latest installment. The team tells us why it decided to take the series to Italy and revealed how the Sicilian setting changed the game. One big impact that the shift had? Knife fighting. Lots of knife fighting. Recommended Videos The passage of time The Mafia series has a long history of putting players in the cement shoes of various mobsters from the 20th century. The majority of its installments up until now take place all throughout America, primarily on the East Coast. That's all while telling a compelling story with characters to which players typically get attached. Mafia: The Old Country is looking to shake things up. Game director Alex Cox had a simple elevator pitch for the latest entry. 'The way we described this from the very beginning was Mafia meets The Godfather in 1900s Sicily,' Cox tells Digital Trends. 'That's the internal phrase we used when talking to other developers, because it gives you a really clear image in your head of what the game is immediately.' Nick Baynes, studio president at Hangar 13, reassures fans that it will be a 'classic Mafia mob story.' The only difference is that it'll take place in a 'brand new, beautiful location.' One of the many things that has Baynes excited is that it's a prequel to the other installments. That's because he sees it as 'a great jumping on point' for new players. Both setting and time are crucial to The Old Country. Since it'll be taking place in the early 1900s, players will see the transition from one era to another. That's by design, because the passage of time plays a major thematic role in the story. 'It's a period of change in Sicily,' Cox says. 'There's a big number of Sicilians at that time who started to emigrate to America. That's something we've tried to reflect on through the whole creative development from the story and mechanics as well.' Baynes says that players will begin to notice this as they play through the game. He points to the world's streets as an example, explaining how players will quickly notice how some roads in-game are better suited for horse travel while others are clearly made with vehicles in mind. As they progress further into the story, players will begin to see horse roads slowly being phased out in favor of ones built for cars. Knives out The team really wanted to focus on combat this time around, making it feel more dangerous. Every bullet counts, which is why the devs implemented a looting feature that players can perform after combat. Ammo preservation is paramount, so some dirty scavenging is required to stay alive. Players won't just mow down rivals in shootouts, though. Knives play an important role in combat this time, as blades come with distinct abilities. The addition of knife dueling isn't just a twist for the sake of change; it ties back into the story and setting. 'Sicily has a knife-fighting tradition, and it's something we felt was quite iconic for the idea of Sicilian gangsters,' Cox says. '[Knife Dueling] is a special gameplay mode, where certain characters will appear as bosses, and you have to fight them to death with your knife.' This is probably the only time we visit a location like this in the Mafia series. Getting this right was so important that the team sent a few members to Sicily to meet those who make traditional Sicilian knives and watch how these knife fights would play out in real life. It wasn't just a cool field trip for the team, but important research to make sure that the combat felt as accurate to its inspiration as possible. That bleeds into a larger theme with The Old Country, as Italian authenticity was the goal. The team wanted to ensure that players got a unique cultural experience while still staying true to the Mafia identity. ''How is it different to play in Sicily?' It's the knives, the location. We're having combat in Greek ruins and in catacombs under the ground. Locations that are very distinctive to Sicily. We have horse chases [where you] jump onto cars.' It was essential to create this sense of adventure because it may be one of a kind. 'This is probably the only time we visit a location like this in the Mafia series,' Cox says. Since The Old Country isn't in an urban environment like previous titles, it allowed the team to 'go heavy' when it came to leaning into the 'thrilling adventure vibe.' The team is putting in a lot of work to ensure that Mafia: The Old Country respects Sicilian culture while still creating something that fits in the Mafia universe. You can see all of this for yourself in the new trailer, which features glimpses of knife fights and the new setting. Even if you're a Mafia newcomer, The Old Country seems like it will be a strong starting point that functions both as an entry to the series and a portal to another era. Mafia: The Old Country launches on August 8 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
