Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/236450/
Source: Youtube Channel Robert Cram
Developer: Mine Loader Software
Publisher: Namco Bandai Games
Platforms: [PC], PS3, Xbox 360
Release Date: September 24, 2013
Genre: Arcade
Pros:
+ Easy to pick up and play
+ Bright, colorful, and full of energy
+ Fast-paced and exciting arcade action
+ Comprehensive and competitive leaderboards to challenge players in the world
+ One of the very few games I was willing to pre-order digitally
Cons:
- No controller support other than Xbox 360 controllers
- Game is a buggy port to PC with Audio failure and crashes at stage select
- Sadly, still no multiplayer mode of any kind
Recommended: Absolutely! If you're a Pac-Man fan, love arcade games, or looking for something fast-paced and isn't time consuming, this game is something you have to try if not buy.
I've been a long time Pac-Man fan growing up watching my father play it on arcade tables and playing it alongside him on our Sega Genesis. After a while, it seemed like there wasn't anything new to create from Pac-Man and all the adventure games that came out under its name were kooky and silly, but they weren't Pac-Man games. When Pac-Man Championship Edition had released and reached Playstation 3's PSN for demo, I got to try it out and was impressed by the dynamics of the game while still retaining a lot of the rules of the original. Still, it was released digitally on console and I'm a bit stubborn when it comes to digitally sold games on console. So I was pretty happy to hear that it was finally making its way to PC on Steam along with some new content. With DX+, new maps, skins and music is added to the game. Despite having some problems with the PC port, the game is still fun, challenging, and addictive. It's a mixture of traditional Pac-Man with snake where you lure as many ghosts to chase you down as possible before grabbing and power-pellet and gobbling all of them up for massive points. The bright and shiny aesthetics along with the energetic music creates a rather exciting experience for a Pac-Man game. It's so fast! The extra skins are kind of fun/silly if not nostalgic (Dig-Dug/Rally-X) and at least one of the songs is really good (Pac-Steps). Even if you're not a fan of Pac-Man, it should be a fun experience for newcomers with its beautiful presentation and exciting gameplay.
Aesthetics
Art-Style: Various skins provide different styles of past looks of Pac-Man
+ Colors are bright, dynamic, and vibrant making for a clean look
+ Music has a balance between laid-back and exciting which works well
+ The sound of gobbling dozens of ghosts is rewarding
+ There are a lot of sounds and graphics that have a nostalgic factor to the original
+ Dig-Dug and Rally-X skins changes the whole feel and look of the game
+ Pac-Steps is perhaps the best song out of all that's played in the game
- The Re-entrance song isn't that great. It's an extended version of the title theme
Aesthetics: 10/10
Buttons
Controller: Keyboard or Xbox 360 Controller
+ Tiny arrows around Pac-Man showing where he's going next is a great mechanic
+ Simple controls: Movement and bomb
+ The flow and movements in the game work hand in hand with the level designs
+ Controls makes it easy for anyone new to pick up and play the game
- No controller support, only Xbox 360 controllers
Buttons: 8/10
Concept & Content
Core Concept: Eat pellets and Ghosts to get the highest score
+ Game feels fresh despite staying true to the concepts of the original
+ Level constantly changes as the round progresses for dynamic gameplay
+ They made eating ghosts feel so good in this game, it's addicting
+ Level designs have a nice flow to them
+ Leaderboard are up-to-date and can tell you your standing in the world
+ Pre-order was worth it with all the DLCs that was included
+ Lots of levels, skins, music, and modes were in it for its price
- It'd be nice to have a 4-man multiplayer like the ones in arcades
- If striving for the highest score isn't your thing, there isn't much more else to give
- The audio often fails at start up and the game crashes on stage selection
- Hackers were already present on the first day of launch, ruining leaderboards
Concept and Content: 8/10
Duration
+ Just going through all the levels once will provide an hour of gameplay
+ There are a lot of challenges/trials to go through for gameplay time
+ Replay value is high if you're into getting the highest scores in games
+ The pacing of each round never lets down, they stay exciting the entire round
- There isn't much for those who want more than just "high score" leaderboards
- It can be repetitive and boring for those who don't like arcade games
Duration: 7/10
Fun
+ The vibrant atmosphere from the game makes me feel good
+ I have to play hard every time, I love the speed and excitement of it
+ Eating ghosts and the sound it makes is so satisfying
+ The easy-going music mixed with a bit of excitement is a nice compliment
+ I liked seeing some of my scores go over so many other players on leaderboard
+ The flow of each round is so fluid and the feeling I get from playing is bliss
- Having to restart the game 3-7 times because audio isn't there is annoying
- Game crashing at stage select isn't too big of a problem, but it still bugs me
- No controller support, getting sick of seeing "Xbox 360 controller only"
Fun: 8/10
Overall
It's a fun game that anyone can easily get into without going through long dialogues, getting lost, facing frustrating enemies, etc. It's a nice distraction from the other gaming you might be playing and provides entertainment in a pure form. It might not be a game players will play for long durations, but being able to play a round for 5 minutes for a break and still give a satisfying experience is a nice thing to have. For the more hardcore players, the highly competitive leaderboards will keep them busy finding new strategies and refining their reflexes with the ability to watch replays of any player's score. The game was worth pre-ordering with all the extra content that came with it, but eventually it will get a Steam sale and provide a nice price for the entire package. With its beautiful presentation and fast-paced gameplay, it's a game I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys arcade games and more so if they're a Pac-Man fan. Overall: 8.2/10
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