New Pac-Man game Shadow Labyrinth is a sci-fi 2D action platformer

Bandai Namco has announced Shadow Labyrinth, a 2D action platformer billed as “a genre-twisting alternate take” on Pac-Man.

Revealed at The Game Awards, Shadow Labyrinth will be released in 2025 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam.

It sees players take on the role of a protagonist called Swordsman No.8, who must consume in order to survive on a hostile alien world.

“In the game, following the events introduced in the Secret Level animated short, players awaken on an alien planet still ravaged by war and monsters,” said Bandai Namco, which is also developing the game.

“They quickly encounter PUCK, a mysterious yet recognizable figure who teaches them that their aim in this treacherous world is to escape it – to achieve that they must consume everything that waits in the darkness to survive and ultimately become the planet’s apex predator.

“Drawing even more inspiration from the source material for this unique game, players traverse a maze-filled world where enemies and puzzles new and familiar will challenge them at every step. Success comes from mastery of fluid combat and exploration to uncover increasingly powerful abilities and skills and conquering challenging bosses on to discover their true purpose.

“As players progress through Shadow Labyrinth and dive deeper into the maze of this mysterious world, they will discover its secrets and learn why PUCK chose them for this task.”

Bandai Namco said the game also draws inspiration from the company’s wider library of arcade titles for its for story and setting.

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