The original Pac-Man World 2 was a big part of my gaming days. The integrated TV programming, 3D graphics, and sassy characters combined my love of TV and gaming. I spent many hours exploring Pac Village, interacting with the people of Pac Village, and playing as much as I could.
So this thorough remake of the original game was pure music to my ears. Not only that, but you could also play it on your Switch 2. This console made me want to spend more time playing platformers on the go.
In that sense, I feel that Pac-Man World 2 Re-PAC is a perfect fit for this console. I’m sure a PS5 or Xbox would be perfectly fine, but there’s something about being able to take your little pack buddy with you wherever you go and pop into different parts of your village, eat ghosts, and relive your childhood memories.
Munch, munch, munch
The remake itself was a completely ground-up job. The characters and world have been redesigned for a 2025 gaming environment, and fans of the original game will know that the dark, drab looking characters and world haven’t aged all that well despite being created in 1994.
Pack Village is bright and feels lived-in. Each character’s interaction is filled with lights and colorful details that shine both on the Switch 2 screen and in docked mode on the big screen.
In terms of gameplay, it’s pretty close to the original game. Adding shadows to your character will help with many platforming areas in this game. The outline of the character will be displayed when it lands. If you played the punishing and unforgiving original first version of this game, you’ll know what a great addition this is.
Credit: Bandai Namco
In the second hub world, you essentially spend each level jumping on various platforms set high above the forest. Without this overview, it would be nearly impossible to complete each level. It was a terrible pain in 1994, but with this addition it’s not so painful now (thanks to the game developers for coming up with this idea!).
Unfortunately, the camera is still just as frustrating and unwieldy as it was when the game first launched. You can control the camera using the second thumbstick, but it doesn’t have any problems moving around too quickly and can easily get stuck at awkward angles that are difficult to recover from.
There was a time when I was standing on a platform in the forest and needed to move the camera to see an objective, but I couldn’t move the camera because Pac-Man pinned me down. So all I had to do was jump up and hope that I either died or that I landed where I was supposed to. Just a small flaw in an otherwise perfect re-up.
When docked in 4K mode, it runs at 30fps in quality mode. If you’re into frame rates, you can set it to 60 fps at 1080p in handheld mode. What you get here depends on what you want and what you’re looking for. I played between the two modes and primarily enjoyed the game in handheld mode at 60fps.
what’s new?
Many new features and missions have been added to Re-PAC. There are mission modes to choose from. There are time trials and collectionathons where you have to collect all the fruits (there are lots of fruits, but they are not always in the most accessible areas).
The levels are quite long, especially in the latter half of the game, which only adds to the replay value after you finish the main campaign and unlock the village. There are some great rewards for completing these challenges, including a new Pac-Man maze, figurines to display around your village, and costumes to adorn your character.
For younger gamers, there’s a puck-drone feature that allows a second player to join in and fire puck pellets at enemies and break boxes. This is a great way to introduce Pac-Man and platformers to the next generation of gamers.
Credit: Bandai Namco
A “fairy mode” has been added that makes players invincible, and they can even skip parts of the stage if they get stuck. The remake features the return of Pac-Man’s voice actor, Martin Sherman, and features full voice acting throughout the game, which helps the game feel relevant in 2025.
If you’re a fan of Blue Blur’s Sonic the Hedgehog, crossover content is coming on November 11th, adding three more stages, Sonic costumes, and 20 more figures. Sonic’s racing game Crossworlds also features Pac-Man as a playable racer and a themed track if you need more Pac-Man in your life.
final thoughts
Pac-Man World 2 Re-PAC costs AU$54.95, which is cheaper than most Switch 2 games. The game’s main campaign is admittedly short at around seven hours, but the replay value with additional content and challenges is enough to keep you coming back for more.
Pac-Man World 2 Re-PAC is a shining example of how to remake an old game completely from the ground up, modernizing it when necessary while preserving the Saturday morning cartoon characters and quality of gameplay that made it a classic in the first place.
4 stars (out of 5)
Highlights: Visually stunning. A solid platform. Additional missions
Cons: Can be frustrating on higher difficulties. Camera controls are poor
Developer: Currently in production
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Platform: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X, PC via Steam
Available: Currently
Review was conducted on Switch 2 using the release code provided by the publisher.
A featured header image is also provided by the publisher.
