It’s been 22 years since Pac-Man World came to consoles, which was a massive change in its day, changing to a 3D Platformer from the Pac-Man we all grew up playing in the arcades, and Now Production & Bandai Namco have done the great Re-Pac of this classic title. This game has been released for all current and older generation consoles and started development in 2020, with Yuji Yoshii as the producer, who is also known for the title Pac-Man Museum+.

Pac-Man World Re-Pac is a complete rebuild from the original title back in 1999, featuring completely redone visuals and smoother gameplay. Whilst developing the game, the visual side was a massive development feature; they were creating a more modern styled Pac-Man whilst still trying to keep the old feel we all fell in love with.

You begin the game like any other with the main menu where you select if you want a new game or a saved game. Whilst scrolling through the menu items you will hear a familiar noise from the old arcade title when you used to move Pac-Man around. The adventure begins on Ghost Island, and Pac-Man arrives home to find Toc-Man, and his ghost minions have kidnapped his family and taken them to Ghost Island. You must have the adventure of a lifetime to free your family and uncover all the secrets Ghost Island has to offer.

Once the cutscene is finished you get to control Pac-Man where you start on a beach, and from the first little bit of this game, you see some ghosts moving around like they do in the much-loved arcade game, as well as some boxes sprawled around the area which gives you the arcade feels. You take a couple of steps forward and you get to turn into the old-style box Pac-Man, eating your way through the boxes and ghosts. The first mission has wooden signs all over the place with hints and tips on how to play the game and how to use all the controls. You can collect Coins, Pac-Dots, and Cherries. The Pac-Dots can be used as weapons to take out the enemies you might encounter along the way, with the main goal in each level being to break the Toc-Man statue.

There have been multiple different levels themed after carnivals, pirates, and much more. Each level has hidden letters you can collect that spell out P-A-C-M-A-N, or, if you are like me, you can hoard the dots you pick up. Most of the levels have a nicely placed hidden maze which sometimes required you to backtrack to find the location, and it is a nice change from the actual gameplay. At the end of each level, you get access to a slot machine which, if you win, will give you more lives for the next level. It’s a nice touch, but dying doesn’t mean too much in the game. Once the game is completed there is a special prize, and all I’ll say is that the lovers of Pac-Man will love this little gem.

The controls are nice and basic for your playing needs, and during the first mission, you are prompted with the wooden signs on what to press. This will give you a solid understanding of all the controls once the first mission is finished. I was surprised by how well it all played and how much work had been put into making things feel nice and crisp. You’ll also learn some awesome moves when you go through the first level, such as Hover Jump, the Butt Bounce, or even the Rev Roll.

As I mentioned earlier in the review, the graphics have been completely overhauled in this title. It was a massive part of the development of the game, and while they wanted to keep the classic feel of Pac-Man, they also wanted to modernise it so that it would cater to what everyone wanted. The game still has that classic cartoon feel to it, but at the same time, it looks crisp and finished, while including everything you expect from a Pac-Man game. You’ll notice places like Pac-Man’s house and Ghost Island, as well as various stages, have been completely overhauled from the ground up so you get that modern feel again.

Listening to the old sound of Pac-Man tied in with the beautiful soundtrack on this game kept you wanting more. It was that happy music that made you want to keep playing, yet the tone would change if you encountered enemies along the way. I love turning big and hearing the old Pac-Man music and sound effects we used to hear on the arcade classic.

Anyone that grew up playing Pac-Man, or even younger generations getting into Pac-Man, will find that the Re-Pac is an awesome gateway. It’s full of subtle easter eggs from the original games and features some beautifully recrafted scenery. Pac-Man World Re-Pac is a title for everyone.

Written by: Hayden Nelson