Following the game’s reveal, we got to chat with Shadow Labyrinth producer Seigo Aizawa to talk about the latest Pac-Man game. Calling it a Pac-Man game might not be the most accurate genre-wise though considering that it’s a major departure from the series’ well-known formula.
In case you missed it, Shadow Labyrinth is a fresh take on Pac-Man. Instead of the signature maze gameplay, this title is a 2D action platformer that has been described by many as a Metroidvania based on its trailer. What’s more, its story is a follow-up to the Secret Level episode “Circle,” meaning it features a dark fantasy setting and style.
While Aizawa didn’t go into detail about what to expect story-wise, he did explain how they came up with the dark Pac-Man concept, at least when it came to the 2D action gameplay.
In our discussion with Aizawa, he explained:
“We’ve been thinking of a general concept that is completely different from what we’ve done before for the audience. We came up with the idea of a dark Pac-Man. When it comes to the game genre, the essence of Pac-Man is a maze. A 2D platformer matches the idea of a maze quite well.
We acknowledge that most communities classify this as a Metroidvania, but from our side, we refer to it as an action platformer. Technically, the elements of the maze do align with a Metroidvania’s characteristics. Additionally, the dark Pac-Man atmosphere fits into the action platformer genre.”
So, Shadow Labyrinth was decided to be a Metroidvania from the start, so there’s no other dark Pac-Man concept in another genre. Aizawa also then clarified that while it’s in a popular genre, the development team wasn’t inspired by specific action platformer titles.
Still, based on the gameplay shown in the trailer, this game should appeal to Metroidvania fans, especially given that there is a strong focus on exploration and variety when it comes to playstyle. This is supported by the fact that the game’s description says that players can “create a playstyle of [their] own.”
Aizawa didn’t go in-depth regarding the mechanics, though he did explain the freedom that players will have when it comes to tackling the game’s various challenges:
“The play style, in this case, has a very broad meaning. It’s not just about action gameplay. For example, during exploration, you might encounter many enemies. If you’re not good at action, you can find alternative ways to approach the area boss. So, that’s another way you can choose your play style.
When it comes to action play, you see the character transform. This transformation isn’t just for exploration but is sometimes required in boss battles to escape attacks. This is one way, though we’ll reveal other play styles in the future.”
Even though there will be some challenging fights in the game, Aizawa said that they’re also focusing on making this game accessible even to those who don’t typically play action platformers.
Gameplay aside, Aizawa also talked about how the game’s dark aesthetic was developed. Interestingly, this game was already being developed before Secret Level. Specifically, Aizawa said that when they were approached by Secret Level’s creators, they pitched their idea for Shadow Labyrinth.
Given that the game has been in development for a while now, it should come as no surprise that crafting the game’s visual style took a year.
“We’ve been discussing this for many years, and it took about a year to settle on the current art direction,” said Aizawa. “Even for the characters, it took about a year to finalize the current art style.
As the development of the game’s art took a while, the team has gone through numerous iterations regarding the characters and the world. For those interested in this aspect of the game, Aizawa said that the art book should be something to look forward to.
“You can see this progression in the art book bundled with the base game, which will be sold as a digital deluxe edition,” said Aizawa. “The art book showcases how we chose this art style and how the character designs have evolved over the years.”
While we learned some interesting info about the game, there’s still a lot we don’t know about Shadow Labyrinth. We’ll likely get even more info in the coming months though given that the game is set to launch next year.
Shadow Labyrinth will be released on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC sometime in 2025.