GAME CLEAR No. 106 -- Pac-Man World Re-Pac

Pac-Man World Re-Pac (2022, Multiplatform)

Remake of: Pac-Man World (1999, PlayStation)
Original Developer: Namco Hometek
Original Publisher: Namco
Re-Pac Developer: Now Production
Re-Pac Publisher: Bandai Namco
Clear Date: 9/5/22
Clear Platform: PS5

Faithful but improved.

This is the sort of re-release that is right on the line between “remaster” and “remake” (at least if you think those terms are semantically different). On the one hand, it’s rebuilt from the ground up in a new, modern engine and the only assets it has in common with the original is audio. On the other hand, stage layouts and enemy designs are almost entirely unchanged, and new mechanics are kept to a minimum. I guess I’ll just accept Namco’s terminology and call it a Re-Pac.

And man… it’s Pac-Man World! It really is just a prettier, smoother version of the original, which was a fairly humdrum 3D platformer in an era when there were tons of great ones. That means neither this version nor the original are super easy to recommend unless, like me, you just can’t get enough of that sort of stuff.

The good news is that this is absolutely the definitive way to play the game, as it should be. It’s quite pretty, and it controls a lot more nicely than the original game. I rescued Pac-Man’s family, beat the final boss, and cleaned up all the extras in about 9 hours, which I think is just swell. Cruising through an average but comfortable, sub-10 hour game is a nice break from some of the more arduous shit I put myself through in this hobby.