Bandai Namco Entertainment is persistently trying to revive its old series within the UGSF (United Galactic Space Force) universe, which already includes Bosconian, Galaga, and Xevious.
Now, a new game has been released: Shadow Labyrinth, which was promoted through Amazon’s anthology series Secret Level.
The developers took the legacy of the legendary hit Pac-Man, but transferred the action to the vastness of a space prison. A yellow flying orb named Puck summons the player as the next chosen one (victim) and begins to manipulate them, demanding that they be rescued from a mysterious labyrinth.
This is how you find yourself in the shoes of the nameless swordsman No. 8. A dangerous journey lies ahead, with new enemies and secrets lurking around every corner, while your loyal yellow sidekick, initially weak and clumsy, will gradually grow, become stronger, and learn new skills.
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Following the laws of Metroidvania, the swordsman explores his surroundings, defeats bosses, and learns new abilities that will open up new paths and secrets.
Initially, the hero only has a jump, a somersault, and a triple sword strike at his disposal. Later on, a finishing blow, the ability to pull enemies to special points, a force field, a counterattack, and a time-limited transformation into a giant combat robot will appear.
As for the yellow sidekick, in certain places you can take control of him to race along a monorail in classic arcade style, eating yellow ore fragments. Or roll into narrow tunnels in Metroid style.
The gold you collect can be exchanged for upgrades at save points. There, you can also upgrade your weapons and increase your stamina bar, which is used for dodges and special attacks. Separately, you’ll need to expand your supply of first aid kits using crystals hidden in secret passages.
Checkpoints are also scattered throughout the locations. Unlike save points, they only allow you to restore your health bar, although healing flasks are much more critical in combat.
Bosses are divided into story and random ones. The former are absorbed by Puck and unlock new abilities, while defeating the latter rewards the swordsman with a scattering of stones. In addition, random enemies reappear on the map a little later.
Battles with strong opponents resemble exciting combat rituals. The boss’s strikes form clear patterns that can be predicted, allowing you to dodge or parry attacks. Ordinary monsters are like a raging torrent. Alone, they pose no threat, but a whole crowd can surround the hero, who will flounder in a whirlpool of blades.
The dynamic change of day and night affects the local fauna. Some monsters wake up to hunt in the dark, while others sleep. With the right skill, this will allow you to skip unnecessary battles. Puzzle segments involve transforming into a robot to overcome deadly zones, using boxes to defend against air attacks, dropping boulders to destroy the environment, and searching for secrets.
Graphically, Shadow Labyrinth offers nothing revolutionary. The detail is fairly average by modern standards, but the visuals are not annoying. The journey is brightened up by colorful biomes that delight the eye with dark caves, majestic deserts, and green vegetation mixed with acid lakes. All this is designed to lure you into a huge metal tower with dangerous mechanisms.
The lack of Russian localization is disappointing, but not critical. The fact is that the scriptwriters have kept the amount of text and plot details to a minimum.