Some video game franchises are just too iconic to die. Thesevideo game franchisescan go decades without new entries, but because of their groundbreaking debut and initial popularity, their star power has refused to fade.Pac-Manis one such franchise.
2025 will markPac-Man’s 45th birthday, with the beloved franchise first hitting arcade floors all the way back in May 1980. The last traditional, mainlinePac-Manrelease was 2016’sPac-Man Championship Edition 2, and the nine years since then have seen a handful of multiplayer battle royale entries be released. But thePac-Manfranchise is about to rear its head once more, and this time it’s unlike anything fans have seen before.
Shadow Labyrinth Could Pave a Way Forward for Dormant Video Game Franchises
How Shadow Labyrinth Is Putting a Fresh Spin on Pac-Man
Initially teased in theSecret Levelepisode"Circle,“Shadow Labyrinthis an all-new take on thePac-Manformula, and a radical departure from what came before it. In an attempt to expand thePac-Manfranchise’s audience beyond its usual family-oriented market,Shadow Labyrinthis offering a much darker, more violent experience than fans would ever expect from one of gaming’s oldest and brightest mascots.
Aesthetically,Shadow Labyrinthwill be a dark and foreboding game, with plenty of ominous locations drenched in shadow and dim lighting.Shadow Labyrinthwill also be a surprisingly gory game, with the ESRB giving it a T-rating for blood and fantasy violence.
Shadow Labyrinth’s gameplaywill also be a dramatic departure from what fans have come to expect fromPac-Man, swapping out the traditional top-down maze-running gameplay for 2D hack-and-slash action. Even staple features of the series, like Pac-Man’s ability to eat ghosts, have been flipped on their head, with the glowing orb “Puck” being able to consume dead monsters and transform the player into them temporarily.
Every element ofShadow Labyrinthlooks to be a complete tonal juxtaposition of the identity thatPac-Manhas established over the last four decades, but the game seems thoroughly committed to this unique vision. IfShadow Labyrinthmanages to stick the landing, it could be the franchise’s first standout entry in years.
Other Classic Video Game Franchises Should Follow in Shadow Labyrinth’s Footsteps
IfShadow Labyrinthperforms well, it could also end up paving the way for otherclassic video game revivals. There are a plethora of old video game franchises that are still fondly remembered but haven’t had major releases in years or even decades. These franchises could make a bold return to the video game landscape by following inShadow Labyrinth’s footsteps and delivering a gameplay experience that’s unlike anything their respective series have tackled before.
The beloved1979Galaxianand its 1981 successorGalagahaven’t enjoyed a fully-fledged new release since 2011’sGalaga Legions DX. It’s about timeGalagamade a triumphant return, and it could do that with an experimental tonal shift, perhaps coming back as a gritty space flight simulator. Along similar lines,Space Invaderscould come back as a brutal and bloodyHelldivers-like defense game. EvenOregon Trailcould embraceShadow Labyrinth’s blueprint, offering fans a new post-apocalyptic version of the classic survival game.
