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Metro
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Shadow Labyrinth review - Pac-Man meets Metroid
The Pac-Man episode of Amazon Prime show Secret Level is the inspiration for this strange new Metroidvania and its peculiar mix of influences. 2025 has so far been a good year for weird games, with plenty of unlikely oddities, including one featuring a boy stuck in a permanent T-pose and whose best friend is a singing giraffe, and the latest from Hideo Kojima where you take orders from a talking shop mannequin and fight ghosts by flinging a boomerang soaked in your own blood at them. It may seem a cliché but most of the strangest video games are made in Japan; those two certainly and so is this: a grim and gritty 2D Metroidvania that's also a secret Pac-Man game. As bizarre as that idea is it's worryingly reminiscent of Bomberman: Act Zero on the original Xbox, which reimagined the colourful party game as a dystopian nightmare and became infamous as one of the worst video games ever made. Shadow Labyrinth is nowhere near that bad, but then it's not actually that gritty either. It's inspired by a 10 minute episode of Amazon Prime Video show Secret Level, which reimagined Pac-Man as a sci-fi story about a starfighter pilot crash landing on an alien world and being manipulated by a malign Pac-Man. We haven't seen it, but we hope it was better than the game tie-in. Before we learned of the Amazon connection, we assumed the game had been inspired by the famous The Madness of Mission 6 fan art for Pac-Man, which you've probably seen on a T-shirt or two, if you've ever been to any kind of video game convention or similar event. That almost certainly would've been a lot more interesting than the vapid, cliché ridden sci-fi tale that is Shadow Labyrinth's actual backstory. Right from the start, the plot is filled with nonsensical sounding names and jargon, but the short version is you're a nameless swordsman who's been revived by a floating yellow orb called Puck, that anyone else would recognise as Pac-Man. (The name is a reference to the fact that the original arcade game was originally meant to be called Puck Man, until someone realised how easily the first letter of the word could be defaced.) After the brief, and very confusing, introduction you're immediately knee deep in Metroid homages, whacking weird alien bugs with your sword and practicing your 2D platform jumping. All of this is fine, although the bland and clinical-looking art style is immediately unappealing and almost makes it look like an old Flash game. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. The core gameplay is absolutely bog standard Metroidvania but the degree to which it copies the look and feel of Metroid, rather than Castlevania or anything more original, is strange and off-putting, given this is supposed to be a Pac-Man game. More importantly, Shadow Labyrinth is no Metroid Dread, and not only is it not as well designed or executed (the signposting is awful) but the only thing unique about it is the shoehorned in Pac-Man references. Like all Metroidvanias, there's a lot of exploration and backtracking in Shadow Labyrinth, as you pick up new abilities and weapons that then allow you to access areas you've previously seen, but which were inaccessible the first time round. That sense of slowly opening up the whole map, slowly peeling open its secrets, is the core appeal of the genre but this is a very uninspired implementation of the concept, with a hundred better example available elsewhere – especially from indie developers. You've probably already guessed, but one of the most important uses for Puck is taking over the morph ball role from Metroid, as you squeeze into places you can't usually fit. The Spider Ball upgrade, that allows you to stick to walls and tracks, is the real focus though, as you move along like the arcade game, eating little white dots along the way. There're more explicit recreations of the classic Pac-Man gameplay in a series of mini-games, which look and sound like the excellent Pac-Man Championship Edition games. They even use the same music, which only begs the question of why Bandai Namco didn't just make a new one of those, instead of wasting everyone's time with this Metroid nonsense. More Trending Having Puck combine with your character to become a sort of mechanical demon Pac-Man dragon sounds interestingly weird in theory but even that doesn't make the game any more fun to play. To add more salt to the wound, Puck is a very annoying character, and the whole game comes across as obnoxious and abrasive. When we say our favourite bit is the subtler references to other Namco classics, like Galaga and Xevious, it should give some indication of how much we enjoyed the majority of the game. Pac-Man has been around for 45 years and has aged better than most other golden age coin-ops, with the Pac-Man Championship Edition series keeping the core gameplay fresh and exciting even after all these decades. There's nothing fresh or exciting about Shadow Labyrinth though, the memory of which will linger for far less time. In Short: Mixing Pac-Man with Metroid seems like an enjoyably strange idea at first, until you realise just how bland and unimaginative the end result is. Pros: You have to get a long wrong to make a Metroidvania completely uninteresting and the sword-based combat is mildly engaging. The Pac-Man Championship Edition mini-games are fun. Cons: Once you dismiss the Pac-Man gimmicks the game has no notable ideas of its own and pales compared to better examples of the genre. Confusing and unengaging story, with ugly visuals. Score: 4/10 Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PCPrice: £24.99Publisher: Bandai NamcoDeveloper: Bandai Namco StudiosRelease Date: 18th July 2025 Age Rating: 12 Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Cyberpunk 2077 fans think new update secretly runs better on PS5 Pro MORE: The Drifter review – Australian adventure time MORE: RoboCop: Rogue City – Unfinished Business review – 20 seconds to comply
The Verge
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
A gritty Pac-Man reboot makes for surprisingly solid Metroid-style action
Shadow Labyrinth didn't make the best first impression, though I'm not talking about the game itself. The concept of a gritty reboot of Pac-Man first reared its strange head in Secret Level, an anthology that turned notable video games into animated shorts that mostly felt like extended commercials. And that's exactly what the episode 'Circle,' which reimagined Pac-Man as a blood-soaked survival story, turned out to be. But as off-putting as the episode was, it turns out that the premise actually works for a Metroid-style action game. For those who didn't watch Secret Level, Shadow Labyrinth puts you in the role of an unnamed, hooded swordmaster, who awakens to find himself inside some sort of dark alien labyrinth. He's greeted by a floating drone named Puck, who serves as both a guide and a partner to survive in this treacherous world. Puck, of course, is Pac-Man. For the most part, the game plays a lot like a typical Metroidvania. It's a side-scrolling game that's heavy on action, like Metroid Dread, and as you defeat bosses and collect gold, you'll slowly expand your arsenal of skills, which opens up the game further. The twisting, maze-like map is full of dead ends that you can't explore until you get the right ability, which include staples like a double jump and grappling hook. You can also craft various upgrades, both permanent and temporary, so you can customize the character to your liking. It's a satisfying loop of exploration, combat, and problem-solving (usually involving some kind of platforming sequence), punctuated by tense, elaborate boss fights that depend a lot on pattern memorization. I could be describing a lot of other games here, but there are a few elements that make Shadow Labyrinth unique. And it mostly has to do with Puck. Scattered throughout the labyrinth are rails that Puck can ride on, sort of like Pac-Man moving his way through a classic arcade maze. It's reminiscent of Samus' morph ball ability, except it's relegated to predetermined areas of the map. Later on, there are actual Pac-Man mazes to play through, too, complete with pellets and ghosts to eat. The game is at its best when you're quickly swapping between Puck and the swordmaster, either to navigate a tricky platforming sequence or defeat enemies. In one early boss battle, I was able to use a rail on the ceiling to avoid projectiles, and then drop behind the enemy for some quick sneak attacks. Early on, Puck and the swordmaster gain the ability to temporarily fuse together to create a power-up that's sort of like a mech suit, which you can use to devastate most enemies and even avoid environmental hazards. Oh, and when you're a mech, you can eat your enemies to gain materials needed for those important unlocks. One of the nice things about Shadow Labyrinth is that, unlike the animated short that preceded it, it doesn't overdo it with the grim tone. It can get a little bloody when you're slicing through creatures, but it's not gratuitous. In fact, much like Dread, the oppressive tone creates an interesting kind of tension, one that makes the rare moments of respite feel especially welcome. That said, the cutscenes are self-serious and convoluted, and there are silly moments where Puck becomes giant and eats the corpses of bosses, but these are mostly easy to ignore if all you want to do is explore a complex map, Metroid-style. That's really what the game offers. The combat is solid, the platforming is challenging, and the bosses are exciting. And thankfully, the tone mostly doesn't intrude on the experience, while the Pac-Man theme brings just enough new to add an interesting twist for those well-versed in Metroidvanias. Secret Level may have been a commercial, but it was a pretty poor one: it missed what actually makes Shadow Labyrinth worth playing. Shadow Labyrinth launches on July 18th on the PS5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Shadow Labyrinth release date and when you can play the bizarro Pac-Man metroidvania
The Shadow Labyrinth release time has been confirmed by developer Secret Level and will be consistent across all platforms, including the Nintendo Switch, with one key exception The eerie and sinister interpretation of Pac-man's lore, Shadow Labyrinth, is preparing for its debut on various platforms, including the much-anticipated Nintendo Switch 2. Do you remember Secret Level? We barely do, despite it having its moments. The Prime Video anthology series had a plethora of peculiar ideas about the video games it featured, with the origin of Mega Man receiving a spotlight and a new story involving a mash-up of different properties serving as the most buzzed-about episode, largely due to the surprise appearance of some Helldivers. However, one episode did manage to raise eyebrows. A dark, sticky and warped version of Pac-Man was unveiled in the episode titled Circle, which reimagined the iconic yellow character as a demonic and savage parasite that manipulates its host into becoming a vessel for its insatiable hunger for all living things. It's an utterly bizarre reinterpretation of what is essentially a pixelated ball navigating a simple maze, but it certainly grabbed attention – and now it's set to grab even more as its video game adaptation, the metroidvania title Shadow Labyrinth, is nearly upon us. It's slated to launch on multiple consoles, but most notably, it will be part of the Nintendo Switch 2 2025 line-up. Here's wishing it the best, especially as it's launching close to the release date of Donkey Kong Bananza. The game fully embraces its concept, challenging you to navigate a maze teeming with monsters and horrors, battling your way to the end of what is set to be – you've guessed it – a labyrinthine journey. But when exactly does it drop? Here's everything you need to know about the Shadow Labyrinth release date. Introducing All Out Gaming Introducing All Out Gaming, a dedicated gaming brand providing the best gaming news, reviews, previews, interviews and more! Make sure you don't miss out on our latest high-quality videos on YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook, where we'll be posting our latest reviews, previews, interviews, and live streams! You can also subscribe to our free All Out Gaming newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories. Shadow Labyrinth release date The release date for Shadow Labyrinth is scheduled for Friday, July 18 at midnight local time, excluding most US timezones. This information has been disclosed on the game's page on the PlayStation Store. This midnight timing is consistent across all timezones except in the United States, where the game will become available at 12am EDT nationwide, resulting in a 9pm PDT / 11pm CDT launch time on Thursday, July 17. It's a somewhat perplexing arrangement, but at least players across the US might have the opportunity to start playing the game simultaneously with their mates on the other side of the country. After all, uncovering this peculiar world and deciphering all its mysteries is likely to be a hefty task, so we might require some intellectual reinforcement.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Secret Level' sound editor Matt Yocum on using the ‘punchy aesthetic' of video game audio for new animated series
'One of my favorite parts of my job is the variety,' says Matt Yocum about the diversity of projects on which he has served as sound editor. An Emmy Award winner for The Last of Us, he has worked on both television and film, from live action to animation. 'Animation really does stand out amongst the herd of other possible choices,' says the designer, because 'you're not necessarily tied to any 'natural conventions.' You're able to bend things and go further and manipulate sounds in different ways and be more exaggerate.' Yocum has brought that approach to the Prime Video animated series Secret Level and discussed the show as part of our Meet the Experts: TV sound panel. A self-professed gamer, Yocum delighted in taking part of Secret Level, which he describes as 'an immense undertaking.' He explains, 'Although they're all animated, each episode is in its own genre and has its own world with its own rules and set of logic and creative approach.' The first season of the show features 15 episodes inspired by 15 different games, ranging from Dungeons and Dragons to Pac-Man and beyond. More from GoldDerby 'Have I said too much?' David Chase and Alex Gibney on revisiting 'The Sopranos' for 'Wise Guy' doc - and, yes, that finale Every Disney live-action remake, ranked from worst to first (updated) All the 'Mission: Impossible' movies, ranked (updated) Even though Yocum brought a unique approach to each episode of Secret Level, he introduced cohesiveness across the entire season by drawing upon principles of video game sound. He explains, 'Game audio has, in a lot of cases, this specific, punchy aesthetic. There's something hyper-real about things and impactful.' The sound editor aimed to 'bring that punch and that largeness and that impact and the visceral nature of things' to all 15 installments. SEE 'Secret Level' creator Tim Miller explains how he gets writers to create short stories based on video and role-playing games One of the standout episodes of the season from a sound perspective is 'Warhammer 40,000: And They Shall Know No Fear.' This entry was a massive undertaking for Yocum because, in his words, 'The edict from the director, Dave [Wilson], on day one of Warhammer was, 'Nothing in the Warhammer universe is small, so everything needs to be huge.' These are huge titanic marines and they're flying in big ships and they're shooting huge guns and they're carrying big swords.' From his perspective, the challenge of executing something so humongous in sound design is, 'If everything is a 10, then nothing is a 10.' 'The trick on something as loud and as big and as rambunctious as Warhammer is to create pockets in order to create contrast, because the way you achieve something feeling 10 is by perceiving it and following it with moments of fives or sixes or sevens,' describes Yocum of his approach to adding variety to the massiveness of the fifth episode. He adopted this method 'so that the loud stuff feels loud,' punctuated with 'moments of soft.' Warhammer is also unique because of its overall lack of dialogue, save for some introductory narration and a line or two throughout. Director Wilson came into production with 'this whole sweeping, flowing backstory' that the audience might not understand, but which Yocum found tremendously helpful. 'I actually love knowing that stuff," observes the supervising sound editor, continuing, "It gives me the why behind every sound, so in those pockets of quietness, I can pull from those ideas and create things.' This article and video are presented by Prime Video. SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby Dream Team: 'Étoile' creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino on the secrets of their partnership: 'You want to be jealous of something someone has done' TV sound editors roundtable: 'Adolescence' and 'Secret Level' 'The dialogue is king': 'Adolescence' sound editor James Drake on the 'chaotic and intense' first episode Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
TV sound editors roundtable: ‘Adolescence' and ‘Secret Level'
As Adolescence supervising sound editor James Drake and Secret Level supervising sound editor Matt Yocum tell it during our Meet the Experts: TV Sound panel, their work might be intrinsic to what we experience on screen, but they have a confession. 'It's not a very glamorous job,' says Drake. (Watch the full panel above. Click each person's name to see their individual discussion.) The BAFTA nominee for Boiling Point elaborates, 'A lot of people don't realize that so much of what they hear is done by people alone in little studios, hidden away in the dark.' Even if the everyday realities of a sound editor's career are not as ritzy as other Hollywood roles, he shares, 'There are a lot of people who do the job who care intrinsically about the sound' and 'use sound to engage the audience and help tell the story.' More from GoldDerby 'The Last of Us' director Kate Herron on bringing the Ellie and Dina relationship to the show: 'It was a privilege' 'Sunset Boulevard': Will Andrew Lloyd Webber break a 30-year Tony drought? How Zoe Saldaña helped shape Pixar's upcoming film 'Elio' Yocum emphasizes that many viewers don't realize that sound editors do more than incorporate production sounds from principal photography into the final edit. Rather, they often must 'come up with sounds for sometimes these fantastical things and other times things that are more based in reality.' The Emmy winner for The Last of Us provides an example of the popular club scenes in TV shows and film to reveal, 'There was no sound during any of that, just the two main characters talking,' meaning the music, ambient noise from the bar, and beyond were all created and added after the fact. Both sound editors have worked on dozens of film and television projects and say that they tremendously enjoy getting to revisit series after some time away. 'You spend a lot of time over the course of a project getting intimately familiar with the workings of whatever the universe is that you're currently in, and you're a part of shaping the logic and the approach and the sonic character and the emotion,' and 'when you get to come back to something in a repeat sense,' you get to 'expand on those ideas,' describes Yocum. Drake concurs and stresses that sound editors bring their own life experiences and entertainment consumption to these projects, especially shows that unfold over years. He says that when you get to return to a series for a second installment of episodes, 'Your life has changed, and there's new plug-ins around, and you've heard new shows or films and they've given you a little spark of excitement. … You're experiencing new things as you go along.' Watch the full panel above to hear Drake and Yocum discuss the moment in their lives in which they both knew they wanted to become sound editors and their favorite part of the sound editing prep process. This article and video are presented by Netflix and Prime Video. Best of GoldDerby 'The Pitt' star Supriya Ganesh on Mohan 'reworking' her trauma and when she'll realize Abbot is flirting with her Dream Team: 'Étoile' creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino on the secrets of their partnership: 'You want to be jealous of something someone has done' 'Secret Level' sound editor Matt Yocum on using the 'punchy aesthetic' of video game audio for new animated series Click here to read the full article.
