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GameSpot editors' review
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CNET editors' rating:
stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 11/01/2002
- Released on: 10/15/2002
- Originally published on GameSpot: Pac-Man World 2 (Xbox) Review
The character-driven platformer has been a staple of video gaming since Mario picked up that first superpowered mushroom. Even with a shift to 3D, the platformer lives on, and virtually every game publisher has thrown its hat into the ring at some point. In the Pac-Man World series, Namco has married its distinguished yellow mascot with modern 3D platforming gameplay, and with a fair amount of success. The formula has been refined in Pac-Man World 2, a respectable platformer that is held back somewhat by some annoying technical issues.
Save for the game's camera problems, Pac-Man World 2 is a nice game to look at.
Pac-Man World 2 kicks off with the mischief-making band of ghosts, the ones that have plagued Pac-Man's existence from the beginning, sneaking into Pac-Man's yard at night and stealing all of the golden fruit from a very special tree. Unbeknownst to the ghosts, this tree was serving as a prison for an especially powerful and devious ghost named Spooky, and plucking the fruit from the tree's limbs has set him loose. Now Spooky, using the other ghosts as muscle, has plans to upset the livelihood of all the inhabitants of Pac-Land.
This is, of course, Pac-Man's cue to save the day. He has most of the moves that players have come to expect from their platforming heroes, such as running, jumping, and the ubiquitous butt-stomp. Pac-Man can also perform a Sonic the Hedgehog-style dash move, which he'll need to get across some of the especially long jumps that he'll encounter throughout the game. On a mission to retrieve the stolen fruit and put an end to Spooky's nefarious plans, you'll guide Pac-Man through six different worlds, each with its own distinct theme. The first set of levels take place in the shrubbery-lined forest area just outside Pac-Village, and you'll also travel through aquatic levels, frigid winter levels, levels set on a spooky ghost ship, and more.
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