3.5/5 ★ – stephenhill777's review of Pac-Man World Re-Pac.

Pac Man has always been a gaming icon, but he never deserved this kind of treatment. Much like shooters on the PS3, or character action games on PS2, the PSOne was largely defined by its mascot platformers. This square peg of a genre is what Namco attempts to hammer into Pac Man’s round hole. And while the gameplay is far smoother than that analogy sounds, it still lacks the verve to stand out from the crowd. This remake adds a few touches that go some way to improve the experience, and it IS an overall improvement, but not enough to make it sparkle. The gameplay is modelled after the later Crash Bandicoot games. There are six ‘worlds’ with a few levels each, and you must rescue a family member from each one. They have been kidnapped by the evil Toc-Man, a bigger, meaner version of Pac-Man with gnashing teeth and angry eyebrows. You can travel forwards, backwards, left and right, and collect the letters PACMAN to enter a bonus level. You can also collect fruit which opens doors…somehow…or can be used in a slot machine at the end of each level. There’s lots of moving platforms, bounce pads and other generic hazards to be avoided. It’s all quite token, and that’s the key problem with the game. Despite its sturdy design and very fun moment to moment gameplay, it’s extremely derivative. Zero effort has been made to make Pac-Man any more engaging than a postage stamp. The monsters are functional, but forgettable. And given five guesses, you could easily guess over half the world’s themes (why not give it a go and see if you’re right at the end?). To its credit, the gameplay is anything but clunky and speeds along at a rapid pace. From a functional perspective, there’s very little, if anything, to point at directly and complain about. The shoe-horning of optional Pac-Man Mazes into each level gets a little bit repetitive, but never so much that I stopped seeking them out. The move–set feels satisfying, though neither the Pac Dot nor the Rev Roll attacks are as useful as the standard butt bounce, making them feel superfluous. And the collecting aspect of the game is particularly fun. It’s such a relief to see a game that doesn’t punish you too much if you have passed an item and want to go back and search for it. One improvement that has been made to the remake sees Pac-Man turning into Mega Pac-Man when he collects a power-pellet, making it both easier to see how long you are invincible, and also more fun to cause unbridled chaos. The bosses deserve special mention, with each one mixing up gameplay styles in interesting ways. One swaps out an arena for a race track, while another sees you shooting down a classic Namco character in a surprise cameo. The more standard bosses usually incorporate an element that was introduced in the levels prior, which is good game design and provides a decent challenge. Failures always feel fair, and one or two bosses require real skill. The final boss in particular is reminiscent of some of the best Mario vs Bowser battles, utilizing special moves and encouraging different ways of attacking. This has been revamped for the re-release, and absolutely feels bigger and more impressive than anything the game was showcasing up to this point. It’s almost a shame how fast it all wraps up, because it feels like the game is finally showing its potential at this point. As it is, Pac-Man World Re-Pac is Mascot Platformer™, with all the substance but almost none of the style. It’s fun in the moment. You will certainly enjoy it as you play it. But when you finish it, you will almost immediately forget about it. World Themes: Beach. Ruins. Space. Carnival. Factory. Ghost. (No Ice level, sorry)