Remake of the 1999 PlayStation 1 classic, Pac-Man World Re-Pac was released by Bandai Namco at the end of August of this year, with the promise of bringing the essence of the classic game to the most modern molds.
What will the iconic character’s game be able to bring new or not to players? TechSmart has tested it in the last few weeks, on the Xbox Series S version, and tells you the details.
The story starts with a cutscene in which Pac-Man arrives at his house on his birthday and discovers that his family and friends have been kidnapped by the Ghosts, who ended up ruining the party.
The result is that the protagonist will have to go to Ghost Island to face various scenarios and free all those who have been kidnapped. For this, he will need to face different worlds, with three or four stages each, until he reaches his goal.
In the end, after going through all the themed worlds – be it pirates, circus, factories, among others -, Pac-Man will need to face the villain Toc-Man. Overall, the entire course of the story evokes a lot of nostalgia for what gamers have encountered in the past.
The first stages of each one consist of missions, with the objective of getting the key to release one of the characters, in addition to accumulating various fruits and the letters of Pac-Man’s name, to open doors, acquire points and unlock a bonus stage, in which it will be possible to score even more and receive more lives.
Unlike the original game, the Re-Pac does not have the option to play the arcade classic separately from the story right from the start, but only after beating the game once. They are also accessible mid-phase – as they were in the past.
One point Bandai Namco missed is in the localization for the language of Europe. There is no option for subtitles in Portuguese, a flaw that prevents it from having a greater identification with the local audience.
The gameplay remains very faithful to the 1999 classic. In other words, you’ll be able to move around in 3D, with commands to jump, run or shoot one of the pac dots collected throughout the level.
In addition, the mechanics keep the simpler style of the past, which makes anyone learn to play. In any case, it is necessary to always be attentive to find specific paths to obtain more hidden items in the level.
Only the bosses require going out of the ordinary and enjoying a more distinctive mechanic. Whether facing a ship and shooting at enemies, driving karts, or even being careful not to be pulled by magnets while wearing metallic armor.
While the game itself arouses a lot of nostalgia for those who enjoyed the adventure in the past, Namco didn’t want to go beyond what we already knew. Not only in a lack of expansion of the gameplay for new commands or elements, but also in the absence of an online multiplayer, something that would suit the arcade and could bring greater interaction between players.
Another concern is the uncertainty of future updates. The insertion of new worlds and resources would give the game greater longevity than just beating the adventure and defeating the bosses.
The graphic part is one of the highlights of Pac-Man World Re-Pac. That’s because all the 3D maps have been redesigned and their visuals have now been adapted to the best definition available at the moment.
The game can even be played in 4K, but limited to 60 fps. Anyway, it’s enough to have an excellent experience. Pac-Man’s design was kept in his normal state, however he now becomes giant when he eats the special pac dot. Something that we understand can be expendable.
The worlds, on the other hand, kept much of the essence of the original game, but also received new elements. In other words, they weren’t entirely identical to the classic. At the very least, the changes proved to be satisfactory.
In terms of sound, the songs at the beginning of the level or the iconic “cry” when Pac-Man dies received a new look. They are more defined, but without losing the basis of the theme heard in the past. The effects throughout the phases are also satisfying and well-placed throughout the progression.
Pac-Man World Re-Pac was made to arouse the most intense nostalgia in the player. You get to take a trip to the past with each world faced, boss defeated and arcade overcome. All this with updated graphics and a visual that makes the eyes shine.
The gameplay remains with the same simplicity of the past, to allow anyone to learn the commands right away and play without any fear. Still, the easter eggs present in hidden locations of each level demand constant attention on the screen.
It lacks greater attention to the future, in order to expand what the classic already delivered to new worlds and game modes. To see what will be the behavior of Namco following this title.
True to the original experiencesimple mechanicsPresence of easter eggsbeautiful graphicsReworked original soundtrack
no new worldsNo new gameplayArcade requires zeroing history
History keeps original plot and does not innovate with more worlds.
Gameplay follows the simplicity of the past. But it could have received new elements.
Great highlight of the game. The graphics were well developed and leave the classic adapted to new technologies.
Soundtrack continues with the original effects and sounds, but now with a new look.
If you liked the classic game, you will certainly spend hours in Re-Pac without feeling time pass.
The remake is above average and shows the developer’s right decision to make a new version of the original game.
It is worth it?
if you liked Pac-Man World original in your childhood or adolescence, it is certainly worth acquiring the Re-Pac and see what a PlayStation 1 icon looks like with all the graphic power of the latest generation of video games.
If you weren’t a fan of the game in the past, the adventure will still be fun and exciting, but the hours of campaign will not bring the same feeling of those who have already zeroed the game on their old console.
So, did you like the remake of Pac-Man World for the newer consoles? Join us!
*We thank Bandai Namco for providing a copy of the game to TechSmart for this review!
