When I reviewed the first Pac-Man World remake, 2022’s Pac-Man World: Re-Pac, I found it to be a competent remake of a cult classic that, whilst loved by a lot of people due to nostalgia, isn’t and has never particularly been a groundbreaking title in the platforming genre. What I remember is that people liked the sequel, Pac-Man World 2, a lot more than the original. The announcement of another Re-Pac remake, this time for the 2002 title, was the perfect opportunity for me to see if said statement was true. Originally developed for much more powerful hardware (the PS2, Xbox and Gamecube), with larger levels and better movement, would that translate to its remake as well?

Reviewing Pac-Man World 2: Re-Pac is basically like reviewing Pac-Man World 2 for that matter, and comparing them to their respective predecessors. The game still retains the same gameplay loop principle: it’s a 3D platformer of the linear variety (as in, you go from point A to the endgoal of a level), but you are free to explore each nook and cranny of a level in order to look for secret fruit; collecting all of them in a level results in a perfect completion, earning you secret goodies such as new costumes to dress your sentient yellow ball on. No “PACMAN” letters need to be collected, just fruit, which are already well-hidden enough.

As for the rest, it’s the same premise as before: levels feature sections haunted by the franchise’s infamous ghosts, and they can only be defeated if you find a power pellet and then consume them all before the timer runs out. You have a Sonic-esque dash, as well as a double jump and ground pound. Finally, after completing a handful of levels, you have to fight a boss. Those battles are straightforward enough, but are usually comprised of more than one phase. They are also slightly harder than the rest of Pac-Man World 2: Re-Pac as a whole, especially when it comes to the final boss battle, but it’s never something that feels utterly frustrating. Defeating bosses unlocks emulated versions of classic Pac-Man arcade games which can be accessed from the main hub world. That, to be fair, was also present in the original Pac-Man World 2.

Differences and/or improvements implemented in Pac-Man World 2: Re-Pac include a brand new easy mode (which summons a fairy that grants you invincibility powers during a level if you’ve died too frequently), as well as a colossal crapton of collectible gacha figurines you can actually display all around your customizable hub world like they’re epic statues. To be honest, I didn’t mind them that much. I never went out of my way to want to collect them all, but they were cute enough. If anything, they made me want to own the real life versions of those gacha miniatures, which are only available in Japan.

Finally, the main difference between Pac-Man World 2 and its Re-Pac remake is its overall build quality. Between the vastly improved visuals (which are also much better than the first remake of Pac-Man World), impoved button responsiveness (also an issue in the previous remake, as per my review), and a camera system that actually works quite well. In fact, there’s nothing particularly bad to be said about the gameplay, visuals, and especially the pretty good soundtrack.

Pac-Man World 2: Re-Pac won’t be anyone’s brand new favorite game, but I seriously can’t find anything egregious to say about it. It’s a really competent remake of a fun but unpolished gem from back in the day. So when you fix its issues, beef up its visuals, and add in just a bit more content, what you have here is exactly that: a gem. It’s a very simple 3D platformer, but one that is still very polished, lighthearted, and with enough secrets and features to warrant a purchase if you’re a fan of the genre.

Graphics: 7.5 Definitely prettier than its predecessor, and running at an excellent framerate. Not amazing, but very pleasing to the eyes regardless.	Gameplay: 8.5 The controls remain simplistic and easy to grasp, but its responsiveness, as well as the camera, have been improved.
Sound: 8.5 Half-decent voice acting coupled with an actually very catchy soundtrack. It might possibly be the best aspect Pac-Man World 2: Re-Pac has to offer.	Fun Factor: 7.5 It’s a very simple 3D platformer, but one that is still very polished, lighthearted, and with enough secrets and features to warrant a purchase if you’re a fan of the genre. Level design is also more interesting than the one seen in its predecessor.
Final Verdict: 8.0

Pac-Man World 2: Re-Pac is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PC, Switch and Switch 2.

Reviewed on Intel i7-12700H, 16GB RAM, RTX 3060 6GB.

A copy of Pac-Man World 2: Re-Pac was provided by the publisher.