Pac Man is one of those games that you kind of have to wonder how to innovate on it. You sit in a room, you chomp pellets and you run from ghosts. It’s like attending a halloween rave, really.
You’ve Been Invaded By Red-Phantom Pac-Man
But Pac Man Mega Tunnel Battle Chomp Champs sees to improve this formula by adding the most human element possible: Spite. It doesn’t matter that I lost, unless I know that someone else lost harder than me. The result is a pretty chill and fun pseudo-battle royale featuring one of the most iconic game characters of all time.
There’s not much to it that you wouldn’t find in other battle royales- you can customize your Pac-person with all manner of hats and accessories, and as soon as you’re eliminated you can easily just queue up into your next game.
Still, it’s fun seeing the multiplayer twist come to Pac-Man of all things. You’d think it’d have some sort of Tetris-like component where you’re just playing your game then doing something to affect other people’s games. You’d be mistaken- instead you can just straight up invade other players games like a Dark Souls phantom, either helping them clear out their board of pellets or being a menace and eating their Power Pellets.
There’s even powerups, letting you either repel ghosts or basically draw your attention. It’s the most fun way you could remix the Pac-Man formula while still keeping it distinctly Pac-Man, and that’s a great feature to have.
Why Does Pac-Man Turn Like A Truck
I do have a few gripes, however. Somehow, the simplest control scheme ever devised is a little less responsive than I’d care for. Pac Man moves pretty fast- considering his eternal haunting it makes sense. Yet somehow it always feels like you have to pre-empt his turns rather than make them on reaction. Not so much fun when you’re dealing with more ghosts than Ebeneezer Scrooge.
Still, if you can adapt to its controls Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle Chomp Champs is pretty fun. I’m glad it hasn’t overcomplicated what Pac-Man is- the simplistic nature of its roots are what make it perfect for this kind of remixed adaptation. I do wonder how it will rope in more casual audiences though- Pac Man’s community is way more niche than Tetris, so if you’re playing at a higher skill level you may find yourself running short on other players. It’s not like you’ll ever really feel the skill gap, though- the game is chaotic enough that it really feels like just adapting to the nonsense the game throws at you.
Final Score: 6/10
Game reviewed on PS5. Review access provided by Bandai Namco Entertainment
