Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac sees the return of the iconic pellet-gobbler in a substantially overhauled remake of one of his finest 3D outings. 2025 has already seen the release of one Pac-Man game in the shape of the dark re-imagining of Shadow Labyrinth, however Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac sticks closer to the traditional 3D collectathon gameplay of the series early 2000s past.
Pac-Man World 2, which was originally released for the original Xbox, Nintendo GameCube and PlayStation 2 back in 2002, could have fallen into the trap that many returning 3D platformers have by sticking so closely to their source material that, barring a new lick of paint, they remain almost identical to their original releases, for better, and often for worse.
Thankfully, Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac not only provides a gorgeous facelift but also offers plenty of gameplay tweaks and improvements along with a raft of new content to make it essential for Pac-Man aficionados and fans of 3D platformers alike.
- Release Date: September 26th 2025
- Platforms: PS5/4, Xbox One/X/S, Nintendo Switch 1/2, PC & Steam
- Pricing: $29.99/£29.99
- Where To Buy: Amazon, Bandai Namco or Console/Steam Stores
Pac to the start
If you’ve only ever played Pac-Man’s wonderfully addictive 2D arcade games, then the fact that there’s a decent amount of Pac-Man lore, including a wealth of side characters with their own historical connections to Pac-Man, might come as a surprise.
Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac is set in the 3D world of Pac-Man known as Pac-Land. The story of Pac-Man World 2 begins when the ghosts; Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde, are up to their usual mischief and steal the golden fruit from the tree in the centre of Pac-Village, unintentionally releasing an ancient evil, Pac-Man World’s primary antagonist, a horned-helmed ghost called Spooky.
By stealing the golden fruit the ghosts have also allowed the shadowy Wormwood tree to spread its roots across Pac-Land, causing damage to the world and making everything look like an episode of Gardener’s World where Monty Don neglected to do the weeding.
It’s up to Pac-Man to retrieve the lost fruit, prune the Wormwood tree, defeat the ghosts and put an end to Spooky once and for all.
It’s not going to win awards for originality or depth but the story here is an enjoyable yarn that frames the gameplay well and what little story there is in Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac is presented beautifully, with bright colours and visuals that wouldn’t be out of place in a CGI TV series for children.
All of the cutscenes mark a vast improvement over the original release, injecting each story beat with a vibrant palette that far surpasses the muddy looks of the original and even replaces some of the more cursed-looking characters with entirely new models.
Graphics and gameplay
Of course, it isn’t just the cutscenes that have received a modern-day glow-up as each of Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac’s linear 3D levels and its open, albeit diminutive, hub world, have all benefited from a thorough facelift.
Bright, engaging and surprisingly high in fidelity, Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac looks beautiful on a 4K screen. While it’s not going to challenge Astro Bot or Donkey Kong Bananza in the looks department, environments are pleasingly detailed, and characters all display a level of personality that roots them successfully in this world.
Lighting is also hugely improved over the original, and this is particularly evident when playing through Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac’s second forested area. What was a rather flat and lifeless series of climbable trees in the 2002 original now feels like a gauntlet of imposing jumps among the treetops at dusk.
Actually moving Pac-Man around each of these levels is now even easier too thanks to some considered quality of life improvements. In a similar, if not identical application to Crash 4, Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac adds a handy drop indicator beneath Pac-Man whenever he’s in mid-air, making it easier to determine where the bulbous yellow chap is going to land after jumping or performing a butt-bounce.
It’s a simple addition, but one that genuinely bumps the enjoyment of playing Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac up another notch. Many 3D platformers of this era have, quite literally, fallen down on the simple act of jumping and letting players know where they will end up after taking to the skies.
The core gameplay loop, as you’d perhaps expect from a 3D platformer from the early 2000s, is based on collecting. Each level has a cornucopia of fruit, coins and dots to collect and collecting all of them in a level presents a decent level of challenge, even for veterans of the genre.
Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac isn’t just about bouncing around collecting fruit and dots, however, as each zone introduces a new gameplay mechanic to keep things feeling fresh. One minute you’ll be ice skating through a frozen tunnel, fending off attacks from snowboard-riding ghosts, and the next you’ll be piloting a submarine and launching torpedoes at a giant whale mech. And far from feeling like a novelty, each of Pac-Man’s new abilities and modes of transport is brilliantly implemented with precise controls and satisfying gameplay.
Arcade? More like Hardcade
Despite the precise controls, Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac does feature a significant difficulty curve across its roughly 10-hour runtime.
Don’t let the breezy opening levels fool you, as by the mid-way point, grabbing every collectable and making your way to the goal can suddenly feel like a herculean task as deadly hazards litter the screen and enemies grow in abundance.
Bosses can prove to be another harrowing sticking point. Patience, perseverance and precision are key traits to overcoming all of Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac’s biggest enemies, with each multi-stage battle requiring players to spend time dodging and avoiding attacks before attempting a counter-attack in incredibly narrow windows of opportunity.
Now, I’m a sucker for a hard boss, but there is one boss in Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac that if you told me it was a reskinned baddie from a FromSoft game I would have believed you. To say this boss threatened this entire review would be a bit of an understatement, but after 90 minutes of trying I did eventually beat this particular stopping block with a fist thrust high into the air in triumph.
Overcoming these bosses always felt like a monumental accomplishment to me, and that’s great I suppose, but it does leave me wondering how well younger or less experienced players may fare in the same encounters.
A new ‘Fairy Mode’ can be used from the start of the game that gives Pac-Man infinite lives, damage resistance and introduces helpful green blocks to make the trickier platforming sections a little more manageable but I’m uncertain how much these assists will help when it comes to actually beating a boss.
Pac’d With Extras
While the bosses can feel brutal at times, Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac does a stellar job of offering additional challenges to players who like to push their platforming skills to the test, too.
Newly added content for this remake is plentiful and provides added value to the overall package. For starters, each level now features up to three missions to complete. These can vary from collecting every piece of fruit, destroying a certain number of breakable objects, defeating every enemy or performing specific actions.
There are also time trial missions, testing players' knowledge of each level and daring wannabe speedsters to push Pac-Man’s skillset to the limit. By completing these missions, players can unlock new costumes for Pac-Man to wear and figures to collect and display around Pac-Village.
The figures are wonderfully modelled and add charm and personality to Pac-Village. Figures can also be unlocked via the gashapon machine in Pac-Village’s arcade, which also houses an array of unlockable extras including playable versions of classic Pac-Man games, modern 2D mazes, a jukebox and more.
Also new for this remake is the addition of a two-player mode. Local co-op can now be enjoyed as a second player takes on the role of Pac-Drone, a hovering, weaponised accomplice to Pac-Man who can suck up collectibles from a distance and dispatch foes by firing dots at them from range.
It’s a neat way to play and my partner and I enjoyed hopping through a few levels together before the novelty started to wear thin. The new two-player mode may be perfect for people wanting to support a younger gamer as they explore the levels for the first time though.
The biggest addition in Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac is a host of newly remixed and expanded levels that form part of a separate story following the conclusion of the main game. These will perhaps be the biggest draw to returning players and easily add a few more hours of gameplay to the overall package.
Overall opinion
- Vibrant graphics that bring Pac-Man, his friends and foes and Pac-Land to life.
- Meaningful gameplay upgrades that improve the core platforming.
- A wealth of new content and unlockables make Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac a must-have for fans of the series.
- Bosses can be infuriatingly difficult.
- If you’re looking for a 1:1 remake of the original the newly revamped gameplay and cutscenes might disappoint.
- Visually still doesn’t compare with modern platformers.
Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac is a wonderful remake of one of Pac-Man’s best 3D adventures that builds and improves on everything that worked in the original while smoothing off some of the rough edges from yesteryear.
Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac will delight fans of the little yellow guy and stands a good chance of winning over a new generation of fans with its charming presentation and fun platforming.
The difficulty can feel like Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac is pushing back a little too hard for its target audience at times, but the core gameplay is solid, and Pac-Man is always a joy to control.
The new content bolsters an already impressive remake and the budget price makes Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac a deal worth chomping on.
PAC-MAN PACWORLD 2 Re-pac is now available on Amazon, Bandai Namco's official store or it can be found on your console's online store.
