"Pac-Man World 2: Re-Pac" - nostalgia bait without the bite

Rainer Etzweiler

24.9.2025

Translation: machine translated

Bandai Namco digs up a 23-year-old platformer and gives it a subtle makeover. It's just a shame that the same sluggish platformer that didn't knock anyone's socks off back in 2002 is still lurking beneath the spruced-up façade.

2002 was a great year for platform games. Nintendo brought the plumber into the new millennium with «Super Mario Sunshine» and with «Ratchet & Clank» and «Sly Racoon» launched two new franchises that showed how versatile the genre can be.

And then there was «Pac-Man World 2». A short, at best average game that took the yellow pill-popper out of his usual labyrinth and sent him on an adventure. The predecessor was a minor cult hit, but the sequel was only able to match it to a limited extent. The gaming press reacted with a collective shrug of the shoulders and «Pac-Man World 2» was quickly forgotten again despite its commercial success.

At least until the much better original received a competent remaster in 2022, which sold well and suddenly reminded everyone that there was a sequel. It's only logical that Bandai Namco is now following up with this one.

Fruitless hero

The story of «Pac-Man World 2: Re-Pac» fits on a beer mat: ghosts steal golden fruit from a sacred tree in Pac-Village and free the creatively named villain Spooky. The spherical protagonist has to straighten out the chaos and put Spooky back in his tree dungeon. It's a plot for anyone who finds the comics on the back of cereal packets too challenging.

Pac-Village acts as a hub world. There's an arcade hall where you can play classic Pac-Man games, gacha machines and a few boring residents who make equally boring small talk. If you like, you can also upgrade the village with some collectibles.

The ball doesn't get rolling

After I've seen everything, which takes about three and a half minutes, I head for the first level. This is where the biggest problem with «Pac-Man World 2: Re-Pac» becomes apparent: Pac-Man moves as if he's wading through syrup. Every input arrives with a small but noticeable delay - it's like playing an online game with a 200ms latency, except that it's not a bad internet connection that's to blame here, but simply poor game design. For a platformer, this is a cardinal sin.

In addition, the moveset is just as poor: Pac-Man can stomp, kick, roll and throw collected Pac-Pellets. While the first three options often behave erratically, but at least work in theory, the throwing attack is completely useless. It takes several seconds for the attack to load and the projectiles have the momentum of a handkerchief in a headwind.

As long as the spongy controls allow them to reach their destination at all. Even a drunken stormtrooper has a better hit rate than I do with these damn pellets.

Level design: best of boredom

The settings of the six worlds are just as disappointing or uninspired: Ice desert, volcano, forest level - all seen a thousand times before and 990 times better and more creative.

The linear, tube-like structure is reminiscent of «Crash Bandicoot», but without its finesse or charm. However, «Pac-Man World 2: Re-Pac» not only steals the level design from Naughty Dog's marsupial, but also the escape sequences in which Pac-Man races towards the camera. Combined with the sluggish controls, these mutate into digital Sisyphean tasks - but I don't fail because of the difficulty level (which is absurdly easy), but because of the struggle against the game mechanics themselves.

Collecting frenzy and soporific boss battles

In addition to the standard pellets, there are half a dozen other collectibles to find. The majority of these are various fruits, some of which are well hidden. However, I still don't really enjoy collecting them because the game sometimes requires a level of precision that fails due to the reality of input latency. I usually give up in frustration after a few attempts.

Speaking of frustrating: The bosses are also annoying. I wait forever for a much too short time window in which the bosses can be attacked. If I miss this, it feels like it takes five minutes before the next opportunity presents itself. It's neither challenging nor exciting, just boring. It's a meeting that could have actually been an email.

Fresh colour on a dilapidated foundation

Bandai Namco has put a lot of effort into the remaster. The graphics have been upscaled, there are new costumes for Pac-Man, expanded levels, voice acting and even a co-op mode. However, underneath the new coat of paint is still the same mediocre platformer from 2002.

And it's pretty quick to play through. It takes around six hours to reach the credits, which isn't a particularly good deal for a price of 40 quid. Sure, I could still concentrate on the collectibles, but why would I want to artificially drag out a game that bores me after the first world?

The elephant in the room: the competition

Perhaps the most damning verdict on «Pac-Man World 2: Re-Pac» comes from a direct comparison with other current platformers. As I roll through the monotonous levels, I can't stop thinking about better alternatives.

«Astro Bot» shows how to do nostalgia right. Sony's cute robot skilfully combines innovation with a playful look back at the past. «A Hat in Time» proves that even indie developers with minimal budgets can pack more creativity and fun into their projects. Other remasters such as the «Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy» or «Spyro Reignited» have realised that a lot has changed in the last 20 years, not just technically but also in terms of gameplay.

Even Pac-Man's own story had better moments. «Pac-Man Championship Edition» and its sequels showed how to modernise a formula without losing its DNA. Bandai Namco could have taken inspiration from this. Instead, we have a remaster that feels like it was developed for the PSP in 2005 and then forgotten in a drawer for twenty years.

«Pac-Man World 2: Re-Pac» is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch and Switch 2. I tested the PS5 version that Bandai Namco provided me with.

In a nutshell

Sometimes the past should remain the past

"Pac-Man World 2: Re-Pac" is the argument against the unbridled remaster rage. It impressively demonstrates that not every old game needs a comeback. In a world in which the aforementioned games not only exist, but are also regularly available at a favourable price, there is simply no rational reason to buy this digital relic.

Anyone who played the original version back then will probably have a bit more fun with Pac-Man than I did. For me, however, this nostalgic benefit is completely missing and, detached from the emotional connection, the game is simply very poor.

Pac-Man deserves better.

Pro

• beautifully colourful
• bug-free

Contra

• sluggish control
• Undemanding level of difficulty
• unimaginative bosses
• Very short

Video games

New

CHF49.90

Bandai Namco PAC-MAN WORLD 2 Re-PAC

Switch, EN

2

Rainer Etzweiler

Freelance Editor

rainer@rockstar.ch

In the early 90s, my older brother gave me his NES with The Legend of Zelda on it. It was the start of an obsession that continues to this day.

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