N-Philes

Pac- Man World 3

Posted December 20th 2005 by James Ondrey.

Pac-Man World 3 is just like my grandma. Let me explain.

You know that flowery aroma old people spew as they walk by? It may as well be a flashing billboard shouting, "I'm old." It's rare to find any elder defy a stereotype like this. Similarly, it's rare to find a 3D platformer go against its own stereotypes — stomp on enemies and collect shiny objects. You can throw Namco's Pac-Man World 3 into that category.

Like the ever-loving, sweet-scented grandmother, Pac 3 is an archaic, all-too-common experience that refuses to be anything but typical. Although she may be charming and pleasant to be around (good sound, great play control), she talks about the same stuff all the time (stereotypical save-the-world story), gives us the same gifts every year (formulaic collecto-thon gameplay) and obviously has a few screws loose (cursed with bugs).

Standard story

Instead of the usual save the world, collect everything in sight and chomp all the ghosts story and gameplay, you'll be treated with a refreshing twist in this year's Pac-Man.

Not.

Well, at least this time Pac's archenemies are on your side. Now you can save the world, collect everything in sight and chomp all the ghosts with Pinky, Clyde and company on your side. YES! ...

A power-hungry mastermind known as Erwin (think a cross between Mega Man's Dr. Wily and The Nightmare Before Christmas' Evil Scientist) sets up machines to suck the energy from the ghosts' homeland and use it to annihilate Pac-Land and its inhabitants. Pac-Man must stop Erwin and destroy all the machines in order to save both worlds.

Haven't we seen this before?

Pac 3's simple game design is anything but revolutionary. Pac-Man has one goal: find a way to advance to the next world. This is accomplished in one of three ways: defeating enemies, collecting items or both defeating enemies and collecting items. There are over ten worlds and each of them last about 45 minutes.

Those familiar with 3D platformers and its basic collect-to-unlock formula will find the game's puzzles easy, but more importantly, tedious. More often than not, Pac-Man is forced to solve these simple puzzles by collecting specific items that allow him to reach otherwise unreachable locations. For example, one world requires Pac-Man to activate a windmill, which in turn operates a lift. Pac-Man must collect a piece of the windmill to operate the lift, which allows him to continue his quest (this particular puzzle is repeated several times).

Namco attempts to inject some originality in the Pac-Man World series by allowing you to take control of someone other than Pac-Man or Toc-Man (a large robot first seen in Pac-Man World). Later in the game Pinky and Clyde are playable (fans most remember them as the pink and red ghosts) at specific spawn points, where they aid in puzzle solving and enemy defeating. It's a great idea on paper, but Namco's execution leaves for a predictable, unappealing experience.

Pinky and Clyde's abilities are so lame and so scarce, it leaves you wanting to control Pac-Man all the time, but since you need the ghosts to advance, you're forced to use them. Pinky's special power enables her to solidify transparent platforms for Pac-Man to walk across, and Clyde's special power allows him to knock over or break apart large structures.

In addition to the ghosts' lackluster "special" abilities, any bit of challenge that may arise is completely eliminated by the placement of their spawn points. All the puzzles for each ghost are conveniently placed right next to their spawn locations. This makes it blatantly obvious what to do and makes Pac 3 even more of a monotonous experience.

If controlling ghosts doesn't do it for you, Namco decided to include Toc-Man again. But be warned, its brief appearance felt so rushed I began to wonder if Namco simply threw it in to brag of its appearance in the game. Early on, you're put through a fairly thought-out tutorial on how to operate the large robot, leading gamers to believe they'd be playing a bulk of the game as Toc-Man. Wrong. The game lasts for about 12 hours or so, and roughly 15 minutes of that is spent with the mech. Weak.

Action enthusiasts will find it welcoming that a significant portion of the game will have you battling with plenty of laser-firing robots and green ogres. Unfortunately, those seeking an in-depth combat system will be disappointed. The simplistic fighting mechanics will make you question whether you're playing a hack-and-slash, as you brainlessly tap away on the B button to punch your enemies and mash the A button as you jump in the air and slam down onto enemies below. Players will also notice Namco jumped on the combo-counter bandwagon. Regrettably, the game's basic fighting mechanics hardly offer any motivation to earn high combo marks.

Wait a minute, it's not entirely conventional.

The tight play control and great collection of innate abilities propel Pac 3 from the crowd of mediocre platformers. Operating Pac-Man is easy. You'll find yourself running Pac-Man full speed while navigating what would be extremely difficult jumps on other games. For example, in one particular part of a world, Pac-Man needs to leap to and from small, revolving platforms, all while avoiding waves of laser beams from all directions. A daunting task if not for terrific controls.

In addition, controlling Pac-Man is a satisfying experience because he's able to perform a lot of moves with ease. Namco may have stolen a page from Ubisoft's Prince of Persia development team as Pac-Man's abilities are quite similar. Players will often find themselves jumping off walls, hanging on cliffs and swinging on poles, sometimes all in succession. Although the actions may sound complex, executing them is a breeze.

Furthermore, Pac 3's terrific sound makes it easy for the player to get wrapped up in the game. It was pleasantly surprising to hear high quality, suitable music and backdrop sound effects. Although the music may not have been orchestral, it sure is a step up from the usual midi-styled cartoony tunes found in most 3D platformers.

Moreover, nostalgic Pac-Man fans will appreciate the fully 3D classic Pac-Man sequences in the game (some can be unlocked by finding hidden keys). It's just like the classic 2D arcade version, but now in polygonal fashion. Not to worry purists, the original can be played as well. Nice.

Is this Pac-Man land or Namco land?

At times Pac-Man World 3 looks dreadful. The game's bland textures and perfectly, geometrically placed flooring constantly remind the player they're playing a video game instead of being totally immersed in the world the game attempts to create. These parts of the game are the most mind-numbing.

However, at other times, in particular the game's halfway point, Pac-Man 3 looks, dare I say it ... beautiful. One world places Pac-Man high atop a mountain and the sound and graphics come together wonderfully. The fog mixed with bright particles, the lush green blades of grass, the tiny rocks beside the path, the spider webs in the corner, the ugly mushrooms growing from a broken piece of wood — it left me wondering where all this detail had been all along! The game no longer felt like a game designer's world, but a far-off land we'd all like to visit someday. Superbly crafted worlds like this suck you into the game, infusing a desire to explore every last corner of it. These parts of Pac 3 are the most entertaining. Unfortunately, less than half of the game offers such enjoyment.

Major no-no.

But the majority of the game's dreary attention to detail isn't the only element drawing you away from the game. Pac-Man World 3's glitches and bugs are the game's ultimate flaw. On three separate occasions, the game's camera got stuck behind a wall or a door. In these instances it was frustratingly impossible to see what was going on and was often remedied only by a loss of life. Likewise, on another occasion, my character fell straight through solid ground just by running across it! Simply put, these bugs are unacceptable by today's standards in video games.

In addition to the bugs, it appears as though the developers were rushed and didn't have time to complete the game. Although the game's music is great, you'll only be spending about half of your time listening to it. After a certain number of loops, the music shuts off completely and players are left exploring their worlds in an eerie silence filled with only sound effects. Also, in certain cutscenes, sound effects are inexplicably missing. For example, after solving one particular puzzle later in the game, a massive mound of rock rises from the ground without the aid of any sound effects whatsoever. It's extremely awkward, to say the least.

Not only that, invisible walls are frequent, shadows pop in and out on certain objects, the framerate is inconsistent throughout the game and holes are clearly seen where sections of the wall incorrectly meet up.

Ultimately, the game delivers a sense of "let's get this out in time for Christmas" feel.

(It should be noted I talked to a Namco representative and he said no reports of similar glitches or bugs were made to him as of yet.)

This game gets an N-Philes score of C+.

Pac-Man World 3 doesn't take any chances as it fits nicely into the typical 3D platformer mold. There's your stereotypical stop-the-evil-scientist-from-destroying-the-world story, the classic collect-to-unlock style of gameplay and my favorite, an unpolished buggy experience. Despite its admirable music and noteworthy play control, Pac 3 is too bland for any gamer to take notice. I can't help but think the tools were set in place for an incredible game, but Namco and Blitz Games just couldn't nab that last power pellet.

Pac-Man World 3 is pleasant for a while, but you'll quickly grow tired of it — kind of like my grandma.

Posted in: Reviews

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