Pac-Man is doing Prince Of Persia: Warrior Within, y’all. This means that the Bandai Namco series is one of those obscure, edgy versions. It’s called Shadow Labyrinth, coming out in 2025, and is a 2D hack-and-slash game with gruesome monster designs. But none are as gruesome as Pac-Man, who can transform into a huge, enchanting black hole. Wakkawakkawakka, would you play this?
It looks like you don’t control Pac-Man in Shadow Labyrinth. Instead, you play as a skinny human warrior, with Pac-Man floating from behind like a Chinese lantern. It seems that if you feed it, it will perform a black hole procedure and eat your enemies. I can’t think of anything scarier than being eaten by Pac-Man. He doesn’t even bite.
A few notes from the developers: “As Swordsman #8, awakened by the floating yellow orb PUCK on a mysterious planet amidst the remnants of wars past, you are chosen to become an instrument of her will. To survive, you will discover many secrets, devour your enemies and transform from prey to apex predator when you achieve your true goal.
This probably isn’t the first “dark” Pac-Man game, but they certainly nailed it. However, it definitely teeters on the edge of unintentional comedy. Make Kirby next time, the gaming industry is terrible.
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