Pac-Man World Re-PAC was a pleasant surprise, giving players the best possible version of an underrated PS1 platformer. While we wish Pac-Man’s melodramatic scream from the intro cutscene wasn’t cut, this was still an excellent 2.5D platformer, similar to Crash Bandicoot and even Super Mario 3D Land.
There hasn’t been much of a follow-up since, making us wonder if we’re going to get Pac-Man World 2 Re-PAC. Many fans consider World 2 the best entry in this trilogy of platformers, so the lack of news on this sequel has been disappointing.
Game development is complex, so we don’t want to rush anyone, but we sure hope there are plans to remake this excellent 3D platformer. Especially with games like Donkey Kong: Bonanza and Astro Boy making headlines.
While the first Pac-Man World game was a good 2.5D platformer, Pac-Man World 2 was a full-blown 3D platformer, filled with large levels to explore, which fit well in the PS2, Xbox, and GameCube era. Pac-Man still has his signature abilities from the first game, including his butt stomp and energy balls, but he can now do so in fully 3D environments. This is complemented by excellent level design that puts his abilities to the test, allowing for plenty of fun traversal and platforming.
Like the first game, Pac-Man World 2 also has plenty of variety. Aside from the standard 3D platforming, there’s also tributes to other Namco arcade games through special levels. We’ll see maze levels similar to the original Pac-Man games and spaceship segments paying tribute to Galaxian. Fans can even unlock classic Pac-Man games, such as Ms. Pac-Man, Pac-Attack, and, of course, Pac-Man.
It felt like a proper evolution from the first game, which was more limited in terms of these abilities. That’s not to say the first game is bad by any means, but the sequel stepped up where it counted.
For any actual criticism surrounding the game, it’s not a very original 3D platformer. Gamers who have played various games in this genre are familiar with their tropes, and World 2 doesn’t differ from them in any way. It does everything right within the genre, but there isn’t much innovation here, though we wouldn’t call that an inherently bad thing.
We understand that gaming is already filled with remakes and remasters, some of which are unnecessary. Gamers might bemoan that Bandai Namco is re-releasing Pac-Man World 2 when they could be working on something else. However, game preservation is essential, and making these well-liked games more available isn’t the worst thing that could happen.
Curious gamers who enjoyed Pac-Man World Re-PAC and want to try out this game won’t be able to do so through legal means. But if you have a Steam Deck or even one of those fancy Anbernic devices, it won’t be impossible to play this 3D classic.