Pac-Man is one of the most iconic video game characters of all time. Released all the way back in 1980, the first Pac-Man game took the world by storm. Pac-Man played a pivotal role in how video games were looked at by the public. It also bolstered the gaming industry, allowing for more developers to create games. With a character like Pac-Man, it’s only logical that sequels and spin-offs were made around the character. 19 years after the original arcade game, “Pac-Man World” debuted on the Playstation. “Pac-Man World” was a 3D platforming game where you explored the dangerous Ghost island in an attempt to rescue his kidnapped family. Now, in 2022, “Pac-Man World” was remade as “Pac-Man World Re-Pac” for modern consoles. Having played the original, I was overly excited for this remake. Does the game still hold up today, or does it fall into the grave?

The story is simple: Pac-Man’s family is kidnapped during his birthday party by the ghosts he once opposed in the original “Pac-Man.” This causes Pac-Man to travel to Ghost Island, where the ghosts live under the rule of Toc-Man. He is a giant robot that looks like Pac-Man, who stalks him the entire game hoping to stop him.

The gameplay consists of Pac-Man traveling through six worlds, each with four levels. The levels involve platforming with light puzzle solving. Pac-Man’s moveset includes a butt bounce, a dash attack, and a short-ranged attack. The ranged attack involves Pac-Man throwing the pellets he collects during each level, but the fewer pellets you have at the end, the lower your score, so be careful! Each world has one member of Pac-Man’s family to rescue, including his dog, his kids, and his wife, Ms. Pac-Man.

Most enemies of “Pac-Man World Re-Pac” can be defeated by either a butt bounce or a ranged attack. However, each level contains ghosts that normal attacks cannot defeat. In order to defeat these ghosts, you must find a power pellet, which transforms Pac-man and allows him to chomp the ghosts. Each level also contains reimagined mazes that mimic the original arcade game. These mazes offer a new spin on the Pac-Man you know, which is a nice breath of fresh air.

The bosses of “Pac-Man World Re-Pac” are vastly different and involve different gameplay features. For example, the carnival boss fight has Pac-Man in a race against a gang of evil clowns. In order to beat the boss, you must win a kart race by knocking off the other clowns and getting to the finish line first. It’s something that doesn’t happen elsewhere in the game and helps to keep things from getting stale. The final confrontation with Toc-Man requires you to use everything you’ve learned throughout the game. 

Speaking of the final boss, remember how I told you that you rescue Pac-Man’s family? Well, you actually don’t have to rescue them at all if you don’t want to. Although, the more family members you rescue, the easier time you’ll have fighting the final boss.

“Pac-Man World Re-Pac” is simply a fun game. It won’t blow your mind, and you won’t walk away feeling like a new person. All it will do is put a smile on your face. The game is pretty easy, though some areas in the final levels do pose somewhat of a challenge. In fact, the game shouldn’t be too hard to 100% complete, as the levels are pretty linear most of the time, and it’s hard to miss stuff. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the problems I had with the game. Sometimes, the depth perception is awful. There weren’t a lot of moments, but occasionally I missed a jump because the platform was closer or further away than it looked. Also, I think the game is a little short for the $39.99 asking price. I’d recommend getting the game on sale.

Even with my problems, I am thoroughly happy with how “Pac-Man World Re-Pac” came out. It was such an enjoyable game, even if it wasn’t amazing. Of course, it has flaws, but it doesn’t detract from the overall happiness this game makes you feel. Simply put: the game is charming.

Score: 8/10