Pac-Man World 2
Score: 95% ESRB: Everone Publisher: Namco Developer: Namco Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 Genre: Platformer
Graphics & Sound: So, you beat 'Jak & Daxter' and you're sitting around wondering what to play now, right? Seem like there haven't been too many honest-to-goodness Platform titles on PS2 lately? Well, all that changed when Pac-Man World 2 hit the shelves. If you are a fan of the little yellow guy, you owe it to yourself to jump up, gather all loose change and bills, and run down to make a purchase of this game. Where the first round of updates to Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man featured a Klonoa-like 2.5D perspective, and were somewhere between maze running action and free roaming adventure, the second chapter for Mr. Pac is full-on 3D. You'll be able to venture off the beaten path and explore just about anything you can see, but you'll have to deal with some of the challenges a 3D camera presents. It's unavoidable, and NAMCO does as well as anyone would expect in adjusting camera angles intelligently for key jumps or boss battles. It's good but not perfect, and several frustrating sections are the result. A tip-off that the developers knew they had created some difficult areas is the presence of extra lives, and I found that sad. But, I'd rather they give us a bone and deal with a shortcoming in the game than ship with a big problem and no helping hand. Away from camera, the graphics are amazing. Using the PS2's particle effects, NAMCO creates a Pac-World that jumps off the screen and comes to life. Characters in the game are a mix of the ghosts you'd expect and other creatures specific to one type of environment. The Rev-Roll Ram is my favorite, but the boss characters steal the show. All the bosses are really just mechs powered by ghosts, and there was a lot of creative thought put into designing them and setting up the boss-battle conditions. I can't say enough about the excellent graphics present in the 3D sections, but I'd be remiss in not mentioning the equally cool switches in perspective when Pac-Man goes into 'maze mode,' launches himself into the air to chomp a huge string of dots, or pilots the Pac-Sub. And, semi-hidden versions of all the original Pac-Man games are available for play, which for some fans will be the frosting they enjoy more than the cake. And, if you think the graphics are cool, wait until you get a load of the music. Not only does the theme music please the ears, but little touches like sounds from the original arcade games show up in various places during the 3D levels, reminding you there is a rich legacy behind this pretty new face. When Pac-Man switches to the maze levels, all sounds revert to the arcade soundtrack you remember. That's right, nothing but chomping dots, fleeing ghosts and the power-up joy of a Power Pellet session.
Gameplay: It's almost intimidating to see how much is packed into this title. I would say it is truly the definitive Pac-Man collection, since it contains all the great 3D levels plus versions of the original Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Pac-Attack and Pac-Mania games. If that weren't enough, there's a jukebox to listen to game music. And this is all outside the maze levels present in the 3D stages! Just playing through the 3D stages won't be that labor intensive, but you quickly realize that just getting through each level isn't the big hurdle. What really makes up the meat of the game here is seeking out secret areas, collecting each and every pellet and fruit and coin and token to see 100 percent complete and reveal the deepest secrets of Pac-World. It's not an impossible task, but where beating the actual 'quest' side of the game only takes so long, getting to 100 percent is at least half again the effort. And it's fun. Considering the huge amount of play in both the 3D quest and the arcade games, the presence of a Time Trial mode is just gravy. But good gravy, to be sure. You may wonder what has Old Pac up in arms this time, and it comes down to some troublesome ghosts and a great force they unleash on peaceful Pac-World. Pac-Man will have to navigate multiple stages and levels taking him through the island to route the bad guy. During every level, NAMCO mixes the kind of platforming gameplay we've come to expect, but never fails to create interesting combinations. Switches, special power-ups, challenging jumps and groups of enemies make for levels that are not too long or short, not too challenging but just challenging enough and always fun. New things available in the full 3D perspective include 'B-Doings' and other floating platforms that Pac-Man can use to do a super-jump by butt-bouncing, swimming and hanging on ledges and shimmying. When these things are interspersed with more traditional Platform elements such as timed jumps and butt-bouncing, you get a recipe for sure success. Maybe things here aren't as revolutionary as Naughty Dog's 'Jak & Daxter' but you get something else in Pac-Man World 2 that no new game can offer. This little pellet-munching guy is like a grandfather in the gaming world, but he hasn't lost his ability to charm! Whatever inspired the crew at NAMCO to take Pac-Man out of the rat-maze and into 2.5D and now 3D, I hope they keep going. Nobody could fault them for keeping it up as long as the quality of games is this high. And, they obviously like where they have come from, judging by the inclusion of classic Pac-Man arcade games. All the beautiful 3D graphics in the world couldn't take the place of a game formula that works, but if you liked Pac-Man in 2D you're going to love him in Pac-Man World 2.
Difficulty: Nothing hurts this game more than some weakly designed areas in certain levels that seem to require multiple tries, a lot of guessing and in the end some sheer luck to clear. Like I said before, there always is a crate or power-up that will grant you the extra life you need to not be penalized by the fact that the developers and designers dropped the ball, but replaying the same 2 minutes of a level 5 or more times to get through it can really sap the fun for most people. Rest assured that if you persevere you will succeed. Otherwise, the game does a great job of introducing new skills, and preps you for new enemies or challenges by posting little hint signs to clue you in. Boss battles are staggered so that bosses go down in stages and only the last stage needs to be replayed if you die. These things are intended to help less experienced players grasp the strategies needed to win, but not drag things down for seasoned gamers. It's a balancing act that works.
Game Mechanics: Unlike some of the multi-button antics present in many games today, Pac-Man World 2 prefers to keep things simple. Pac-Man moves, he jumps and that's about all. One special move called the 'Rev-Roll' creates a fast cannonball effect when you need to blast enemies from afar or jump over long gaps. Little clues in the environment will tell you when certain skills are needed, and a power-up system covers most of the special skills Pac-Man needs. One of the neatest is the Steel Ball power-up, which coats our little yellow guy in a steel casing for use in hot (literally) situation, walking underwater, and breaking powerful crates. Switches help to solve timed puzzles or turn off environmental hazards, but often the switch itself is hidden in the level. Fruit and other items have to be discovered, but levels are never too confusing or spread out enough to get very complex. Mostly, you can follow visual clues and even the line of pellets to know where good stuff will be, but every once in a while you'll find a hidden cache of goodies. Fighting enemies is always done through butt bouncing or rev-rolling, and some enemies like the bosses have to be dismantled in stages. In levels with lots of action and numerous enemies, the game's engine will sometimes choke, and this distracts quite a bit from the action. The worst moments are when there is lots of action in the background, enemies are approaching and you're grabbing a power-up. At the moment you get the power-up, you cue a visual and audio response, and Pac-Man World 2 grinds to a halt. Quite annoying, but limited enough in frequency to keep you from throwing down the controller in disgust. Everything here points to quality production, and with the promise of both first-generation updates to Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man, who would have expected anything less? I like how the game stays true to its roots and always remembers Pac-Man is mostly about munching dots, without sacrificing more creative ideas for gameplay. In fact, the NAMCO team goes out of its way to try every fun thing imaginable for the little, yellow, round character and it's great to see such quality execution on every idea. There are very few new ideas in this genre, but pulling all the tricks together and creating a game that keeps you playing from level to level without ever being bored or too frustrated is still the neatest trick. The greatest thing I can think to say about Pac-Man World 2 is that your enjoyment of the game won't hinge on how much you know or like about old-school Pac-Man, the first Pac-Man World or even Platform games. It's a good game, a fun game, and a game you should play. So what are you waiting for? Get moving!
-Fridtjof, GameVortex Communications AKA Matt Paddock
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