Shadow Labyrinth reimagines Pac-Guy via a darker lens. It is a daring, genre-bending journey that is filled with a lot of Bandai Namco references to iconic arcade video games like Galaga and Dig-Dug. All of that, with cast motion and a perfect surroundings, and presently, you’ll even snag Shadow Labyrinth at a perfect cut price on Steam Deck, because of Fanatical.
As we look ahead to the Hole Knight Silksong liberate date, which, let’s be truthful, feels love it’s by no means coming, we are all on the lookout for video games like Hole Knight to scratch that itch. Shadow Labyrinth will undoubtedly do that, because it blends Metroidvania, 2D platforming, and soulslike technique, with wealthy narrative-driven storytelling.
Shadow Labyrinth is an starting place tale reimagining Pac-Guy’s roots, most effective this round man is known as Puck, a nod to the unique title, Puc-Guy, possibly? Puck is a prisoner trapped in a decaying alien labyrinth, and she or he wishes your assist to flee. You play as Swordsman Quantity 8, a silent warrior who awakens within the ruins with out a reminiscence. You unite forces with Puck, carving a trail during the festering panorama towards freedom and self-discovery on this nice Steam Deck sport.
Shadow Labyrinth is all about technique. My recommendation is to grasp the sword early on, as you are able to wield a blade with a fundamental three-hit combo, strike vertically, or downward thrust to bop off enemies. You can additionally have the ability to dodge, however past this, there is not a lot else you’ll do, so strategic hits and heading off harm are paramount. You can have restricted well being and quite a few enemies to wade through. Baddies do not drop therapeutic pieces; as an alternative, you can have one unmarried recovery rate. As soon as spent, it stays depleted till you succeed in a complicated Meiku Soul – a save level which could be very a long way and few between. Extra not unusual are easy Meiku Souls, which act as checkpoints. If you happen to die, you’ll select to respawn at both a save or a checkpoint, providing technique as you’ll select to get well well being on the expense of getting to hide extra flooring.
Then there’s stage design, which makes Shadow Labyrinth one of the most absolute best Metroidvania video games already. You can come across a number one direction with offshoots, destructible partitions, and locked key pads. Moderately than resulting in new spaces, those parts usually function shortcuts. The sport is aware of it is placing you via punishing gauntlets of enemies and hazards, and it correctly avoids making you repeat them. After surviving a difficult stretch, you can regularly succeed in a fork: one trail pushes ahead, whilst the opposite loops again to a up to now blocked impediment. From there, it is a easy job to smash the barrier or unencumber the gate, making a shortcut that bypasses the risks you’ve gotten already conquer. It is a vintage Soulslike gameplay loop — difficult, rewarding, and deeply addictive.
If Shadow Labyrinth is not sounding Pac-Guy sufficient for you, concern now not. In our Shadow Labyrinth assessment, Kayleigh Partleton feedback, “the ‘gobble, gobble’ facet of Pac-Guy is available in, as you, with the assistance of Puck, wish to ceremonial dinner to your fallen foes to achieve power.” This, blended with the metroidvania-style and maze-like ranges, you have got the DNA of a Pac-Guy sport, simply with a gloomy, sinister twist.
If you are apprehensive about splashing out so much a dough on Shadow Labyrinth, you’ll grasp it for simply $25.19/£21.83 at Fanatical, an enormous 16% off the retail value instantly after release.
It is a slightly easy sport, visually, so you’ll grasp the absolute best Steam Deck dock on our record and be in for a good time on a larger display. On the other hand, in case you are on the lookout for one thing just a little extra adrenaline-inducing, our absolute best motion video games record has an enormous number of nice titles to revel in.
