Listen, no one’s perfect.
Not on this planet.
We live in a world of imperfect beings.
And Emma Watson, she’s the only one.
But otherwise, no one’s perfect!
Not even Pac-Man.
And that’s why, when it comes to the Ghostly Adventures…I’m willing to forgive.
Maybe not forget, that game’s unforgettably forgettable on the Xbox 360.
But forgive?
For sure.
I’m even willing to give it a second chance, on the Wii U.
Alright.
This sucks.
So in case you missed it…or, for some reason, Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures wasn’t
exactly on your radar…we already reviewed it, on the Xbox 360.
But coming as it does, in the season of giving…listen, no one’s perfect.
And hey, maybe it uses the GamePad, in fun and interesting ways.
Maybe there’s, like…you know.
It’s Christmas, you guys.
And I don’t want to be visited by the Ghost of Pac-Man Past, so.
Actually, that’d be great.
That ghost might have some good freaking games.
Boy, her mood dropped pretty quick.
Maybe it’s because you’re supposed to be eating her, Pac!
Alright, that came out wrong.
That…she sounds young.
Actually, everyone in the game sounds young.
Except for this freaking green guy.
For some reason, Pac-Man sounds like he’s…f*cking 10.
Despite the fact that he’s married, and he’s been gainfully employed for the last
30 years.
Alright, maybe gainfully is a bit of stretch.
But listen, it’s Christmas.
So let’s stop complaining, and jump back into this platformer.
This…bland, generic, unthinkably boring platformer.
So it’s come to my attention, since we played the 360 version, that there’s actually a
television show.
This is based on a show.
And that makes a lot more sense.
When I thought this was, like, an original idea for a game…that made it even worse.
Seriously, there are just…no ideas here, whatsoever.
It’s been a while since I’ve played a game this creatively bankrupt.
But on the other hand, it’s at least well made.
No, seriously.
As generic games go…this is the cream of the crop.
See, the problem with Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures is real simple.
It’s just copying a bunch of games you’ve already played.
It takes the gameplay of early 3D platformers, from the late nineties and early 2000s…adds
Mario’s power-ups and Sonic’s homing attack…voila, it’s Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures.
But again, the thing is…the game actually plays surprisingly well.
Aside from a bad camera, it’s actually kind of well done.
It’s a well done, un-fun, gaming rehash.
Where, freaking…hamburgers, give you health.
Just like real life, kids.
Let’s all eat some meat patties.
And you know, playing it again, I think the most disappointing thing is that…it copies
Super Mario Galaxy, right?
It divides the levels into little bite-sized parts that you fly to.
But it skips on the creativity that made Galaxy so special.
There’s a lot you could do with Pac-Man, using the Galaxy template.
I mean, it’s a series about eating ghosts in neon mazes.
You could get so wacky with that, in terms of weird floating levels and abstract design…
But instead?
We get…city world.
Ice world.
All with flat platforms, repetitive design and stale gameplay.
What this game doesn’t do, is actually way more disappointing than what it does.
As for everything else?
Again, technically solid, creatively hollow.
The graphics are okay, but the art is forgettable.
The game sounds okay, but the music is boring.
And it’s a shame, because the platforming is actually decent from time to time, and
given how solid the execution is…you want this to be good.
But even on Wii U, the Pac lacks the knack…for…not being whack.
It’s Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures.
At least swallowing a lemon in real life would be exciting.