Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2

Editor's Notes

PS3 disc version reviewed.

Introduction

Based on the Disney XD television series, 'Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2' is the sequel to the 2013 video game that I never knew existed. Developed by Bandai Namco Studios, it focuses on a younger, pre-teen version of the Pac-Man that I grew up with in the early 80s. The simplicity of maze navigation and pellet eating has been replaced with 3D environments, a fully animated (and voiced) Pac-Man, and a story that is clearly designed to entice the younger gaming demographic. I initially familiarized myself with this latest version of 'Pac-Man' before passing the controller over to my eight and nine year old daughters for the ultimate test to see if 'Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2' offers anything more than a three dimensional coat of paint.

The Game Itself: Our Reviewer's Take

As protector of Pacopolis, Pac-Man is consistently looked to when the evil Lord Betrayus – the main antagonist of the series – hatches his latest plans to take over Pac-World. Utilizing his unlockable and transformative power-ups, Pac-Man works his way across smaller, bite-sized 3D platforming levels before confronting the level-ending minion(s) under Betrayus' control.

I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of game play variety 'Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2' provides. While there are countless pellets, ghosts, and fruit to consume during each level of the game, the level design is varied enough to keep things fresh for the 10-15 minutes they takes to complete.

There are also a number of short on-rails flying, driving, and shooting sections of the game. Their placement breaks up what could otherwise (eventually) become a monotonous exercise in video game boredom. However, they provided additional opportunities for me to hone my skills, achieve greater medals, and add more lives to my total score.

Speaking of scoring medals, I remain baffled by the requirements to achieve anything higher than a silver. While certain power-ups provide a boost to your total, and slightly off-screen hidden areas deliver the greatest boon, I was often scratching my head about what was needed to obtain that coveted gold medal. 'Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2' is by no means a difficult game for those skilled with a controller, but its scoring mechanisms seem a bit skewed toward perfection when considering the age group the game is primarily targeting.

And let's be honest, as the father of two young, aspiring, gamers, it's unlikely other adults will be reading this review for their own interests in playing the game. Those frequent visitors to High-Def Digest that stop to read this review are undoubtedly in a similar parenting situation that I am. So, with that said, what did my daughters (aka, the target audience) think about 'Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2'?

Aside from their disappointment in realizing that 'Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2' is a single player only game, they were quite fond of the experience. Passing the controller back and forth, from one 10 minute level to the next, they took great pleasure in chomping any and all ghosts that crossed their path. While some of the platforming caused a bit of frustration for them, they eventually grew accustomed to the controls.

What they found most exciting are Pac-Man's abilities that are introduced throughout the game: shooting ice, throwing fire, and bouncing like a ball, to name a few. Being able to swap back to his standard form mixed up the game play variety and kept my girls interested. Including the on-rails levels provided for some friendly competition among siblings, as did the numerous other timed challenges.

As a father of two daughters that, for the most part are the best of friends, I was quite pleased to see them working together rather than complaining about the need to 'wait their turn'. Developing 'Pac Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2' as a co-op gaming experience would have ultimately been the better choice, the game play mechanics, level of difficulty, and overall theme are all a good fit for that age group.