Pac-Man is an iconic video game character that started from the world of arcade games. Throughout the years, the popularity of the character has led to many different games and various versions. Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures is one of the countless games under the franchise.
It is a 3D platform game that is based on the television show of the same name. Released in 2013, the game was largely acclaimed as a kid-friendly but also an expansive game. The success of the game also spawned a sequel named Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2.
- What Is Pac-Man And The Ghostly Adventures?
- What is the Gameplay Like?
- Game Modes
- All about The School
- Pacopolis - Chapter 1
- What about the Other Chapters?
- Arcade Modes
What Is Pac-Man And The Ghostly Adventures?
The game introduces the titular character to the city of Pacopolis as a young version of himself.
The ghosts join Pac-Man from the original game as they roam around and interact with each other.
Pac-Man is tasked to protect Pacopolis from the evil forces of Betrayus; they have come to steal the Frigidigitator, which would have catastrophic repercussions if used for evil.
Pac-Man sets off on an adventure, and the game takes flight with its challenging and fun platforms and obstacles.
What are Some of the Challenges?
Collect pellets and chomp down ghoulies along the way. The game also provides you with enough skills to inject different ways to defeat enemies that you encounter along the way.
What makes Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures rewarding for the players is its tie-in to the television series.
It provides enough hints to the show that players will not be alienated as well.
What is the Gameplay Like?
The game offers a lot of variety and reaches its true potential as the game progresses.
Players will always have something different to do as the level escalates. You can imbue yourself with the power of ice or fire to enhance your attacks.
Travel through different terrains such as vanishing platforms and walking along with magnetic columns. All of these make each level feel different from the repetitive designs of the early levels.
With over six worlds to travel to and many levels to conquer, the game offers a subtle charm and a straightforward way to play the game.
Playability
It is fun and easy for younger players to understand and play through while also leaving a bit of difficulty for older ones.
The soundtrack offers an inspired set of audio that will bring back some nostalgic feeling, especially the title-screen track that harkens to the classic death jingle.
Apart from its cartoonish feel and music, the entire experience of playing the game is a heartfelt tribute to both old and new fans.
Game Modes
The game also features a multiplayer mode that lets you play as the ghosts from the original game.
All four players will roam around the maze and avoid getting devoured by Pac-Man once he gets a power pellet.
If you get devoured, you turn into a pair of eyes and return to your hideout, where you wait to materialize as a ghost again.
The ghost who catches Pac-Man first wins the game. The game continues until the set of rounds is complete.
What about the Mini-games?
This reverse perspective is a great addition to the game as it takes the game to a different level.
There are also other mini-games within the game, such as Cherry Copter Rescue, wherein you blast black ghosts and free Pac-Worlders and catch them and safely put them back in the houses.
Lemon Blaster is another mini-game where you pilot the Lemon Rocket and blast through Slimetanium to acquire fuel or get Power berries for special weapons.
All about The School
After you have completed the first level of Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures, you will be introduced to the School.
There is not really much here that you can do, but if you ever want to revisit it after each level you have completed, then you have the freedom to do so.
This is something that we recommend doing because items will help you out during later levels. The School is the location at which you can play the arcade mini-games, so be sure to keep that in mind.
You can interact with and talk to NPCs around the school using the B button. While there are no achievements for this, and they don’t say anything helpful, some things they say can be interesting.
Why Go to School?
At surface level, it might seem like there’s no real reason for you to go to the School ever.
However, the arcade mini-games there can be extremely fun and can offer you a nice break from the core gameplay of Ghostly Adventures.
The NPCs can also be fun to talk to, especially if you have a favorite.
Pacopolis - Chapter 1
Once you decide to leave the school, you will be transported to Pac-Man Ghostly Adventures’ first Chapter: Pacopolis.
At this point, you may have already noticed that the game is quite straightforward, and all you need to do is follow the correct past and fight the enemies that are in your way.
You will be rewarded with an achievement for avoiding death on each level, so keep that in mind when doing the first level since it’s quite easy.
You will eventually come across a light blue pellet that can be eaten, which will provide you with the Ice Pac ability. If you defeat 100 enemies as Ice Pac, you will receive an achievement.
All about Achievements
Once you have proceeded through the level, you will unlock the Lemon collectible, and if you didn’t die at all, you will unlock the Super Pac-Man achievement.
Any experienced Xbox gamer knows how rewarding achievements can be, especially when you get to see that big G number next to your gamer tag on the Home screen.
Getting achievement in Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures is not a very difficult task, so we highly recommend trying to earn as many as you can. They can provide a huge boost to your G score.
What about the Other Chapters?
There are 6 Chapters in total in Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures, with each chapter taking you to a new, exciting, and more challenging area, where you’ll face new enemies and obstacles.
Each chapter has 6 levels, which means you have 36 levels to play through in total, offering you hours and hours of enjoyable gameplay.
There are also achievements to be earned in each and every level, relating to challenges that you can complete.
Each level can also be replayed as many times as you want so that you can work toward getting those achievements that you missed out on the first time.
The Hidden Secrets
Replaying levels can help you find hidden secrets and explore new ways to play the game with the upgrades you have already earned. Ghostly Adventures rewards players who go back to repeat levels.
You will also often receive achievements simply for completing levels since they are tied to the game’s story and can be quite challenging to complete.
For instance, finishing Chapter 2 - Ruins’ final level will unlock Chapter 3, which will earn you the achievement ‘Temple-rary Detour’, which comes with 40G.
Arcade Modes
There are several mini-games in Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures that can be unlocked by collecting the specific amount of Fruit that they require.
These mini-games serve as fun, enjoyable breaks from the core gameplay of the game. These mini-games include Cherry Copter Rescue, Lemon Blaster, Pacerchini Panis, and Tanks a Lot.
In Cherry Copter Rescue, the objective is to blast the slime and Black Ghosts to free the Pac-Worlders.
You have to protect the Pac-Worlders until they can reach safely, and catch falling Pac-Worlders and drop them near safe houses.
More about the Arcade Modes
In Lemon Blaster, you need to pilot the Lemon Rocket through the Netherworld and fly through or blast Slimetanium for fuel. Flying through Power Berries will also yield special weapons.
In Pacerchini Panic, you drive the Pacerchini through travel tubes. You need to reach the end of the course before the timer expires and shoot enemies and their vehicles while avoiding civilian vehicles.
Finally, in Tanks a Lot, you have to drive the Pineapple Tank through the maze and Blast enemies with your cannon. Avoid flying dragons and rollover pickups to receive special weapons.
Summary
The latest adventures of Pac-Man is enjoyable and child-friendly, and uses nostalgia to reel in new and old players. With its retro-inspired platform gameplay and references to the olden days, players of different ages will surely enjoy the experience of playing the game.
Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures is available for Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 3, Nintendo 3DS, and Wii U.
