Shadow Labyrinth Might Offer a Blueprint for Other Classic…

Some video game franchises are just too iconic to die. These video game franchises can go decades without new entries, but because of their groundbreaking debut and initial popularity, their star power has refused to fade. Pac-Man is one such franchise.

2025 will mark Pac-Man's 45th birthday, with the beloved franchise first hitting arcade floors all the way back in May 1980. The last traditional, mainline Pac-Man release was 2016's Pac-Man Championship Edition 2, and the nine years since then have seen a handful of multiplayer battle royale entries be released. But the Pac-Man franchise is about to rear its head once more, and this time it's unlike anything fans have seen before.

Shadow Labyrinth Developers Discuss Its Origins and Vision [Interview]

The Best War Games speaks with Shadow Labyrinth developers about its design approach, darker portrayal of Pac-Man, and relationship with Secret Level.

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By Anthony Taormina

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 the Secret Level episode "Circle," Shadow Labyrinth is an all-new take on the Pac-Man formula, and a radical departure from what came before it. In an attempt to expand the Pac-Man franchise's audience beyond its usual family-oriented market, Shadow Labyrinth is offering a much darker, more violent experience than fans would ever expect from one of gaming's oldest and brightest mascots.

Aesthetically, Shadow Labyrinth will be a dark and foreboding game, with plenty of ominous locations drenched in shadow and dim lighting. Shadow Labyrinth will also be a surprisingly gory game, with the ESRB giving it a T-rating for blood and fantasy violence.

Shadow Labyrinth's gameplay will also be a dramatic departure from what fans have come to expect from Pac-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 of Shadow Labyrinth looks to be a complete tonal juxtaposition of the identity that Pac-Man has established over the last four decades, but the game seems thoroughly committed to this unique vision. If Shadow Labyrinth manages 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

If Shadow Labyrinth performs well, it could also end up paving the way for other classic 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 in Shadow Labyrinth's footsteps and delivering a gameplay experience that's unlike anything their respective series have tackled before.

The beloved 1979 Galaxian and its 1981 successor Galaga haven't enjoyed a fully-fledged new release since 2011's Galaga Legions DX. It's about time Galaga made 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 Invaders could come back as a brutal and bloody Helldivers-like defense game. Even Oregon Trail could embrace Shadow Labyrinth's blueprint, offering fans a new post-apocalyptic version of the classic survival game.