Shadow Labyrinth is a game that spawned from a secret level in Pac-Man, Circle, that Namco insisted was not an ad until we all realized it was. Still, bringing Pac-Man into the world of horror and darkness was a highly intriguing concept, and fans have been talking all about it since the reveal on Nintendo’s Switch 2 Direct in April. Namco has found a way to master the genre in a way that feels fresh and exciting, and in the end, fans may be ready to experience an instant classic if everything falls right.
Shadow Labyrinth is an upcoming Namco game, but PAX East allowed members of the gaming community to play a demo of the upcoming Metroidvania. And, judging from the reaction of those who took the time to try it, the game is well worth the wait. Do not take my word for it, though. Check out the initial reaction of The Gamer.
“The word that kept coming to mind during my time with Shadow Labyrinth was “tight”. Tight combat, tight platforming, tight monster (in the ‘90s skater “that’s tight” sense of the word). It reminded me a lot of last year’s Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown – a Metroidvania for Metroidvania lovers that throws some pretty technical abilities at you right from the start and keeps building on them throughout the whole game.
Shadow Labyrinth has those same qualities. Like The Lost Crown, it shows the appropriate amount of respect for the series it was born from through homage and reference, but doesn’t rely on nostalgia or fan service to pull you in. First and foremost, it’s a really solid Metroidvania.”
First off, Shadow Labyrinth benefits from, but does not necessarily rely on, the short on which it was originally based. It does build upon the atmosphere of fear and foreboding, but the game can also stand on its own if needed. The game brings plenty of twists and turns, though, that players will not be prepared for. There are a plethora of available abilities for Swordsman and Puck, while offering a great deal of challenge for a platformer. And while Metroidvanias can often have a very linear feel, it appears Shadow Labyrinth is going to lean on more open, clever levels that require thought and adventure.
It is not just the levels that go hard, though. Shadow Labyrinth is bringing strong action and combat that feels challenging and engaging at the same time, and rewards players for their success. It is smooth, and although it borrows from modern gaming, the techniques and mechanics offer a level of strategy and creativity that mark it all its own.
There is some rich lore that Namco has built into Shadow Labyrinth as well, building upon the entire studio. According to The Gamer, “Pac-Man isn’t the only old-school Namco flavor in Shadow Labyrinth. To my surprise, the area following the first boss is Dig Dug themed, with ghosts that need to be inflated and blown up to defeat. Shadow Labyrinth is canonically in the UGSF timeline now, so you’ll find a lot of connections in it to other space-themed Namco games like Bosconian and Xevious. There’s even a connection to an unreleased Namco RTS called New Space Order. Yes, the lore goes that deep.”
It is clear that Shadow Labyrinth has a great deal to offer. If the full game is as good as the short demo indicates, fans are going to love the game. Not just for being a metroidvania that somehow melds both horror and Pac-Man platforming, but because it melds them seamlessly and masters the elements it needs to master, and builds upon the elements it needs to build upon.
The game is highly anticipated by fans, and it appears the hype is for good reason. The combat, the atmosphere, the game mechanics, and the storyline all seem to offer exactly what gamers are looking for. Hopefully, the full game holds up to the hype, but we will not have to wait much longer to find out. Shadow Labyrinth will be available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC on July 18, 2025.
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If you remember, there was an article about Ubisoft announcing the creation of a new company with Tencent, and many of us were… concerned when they told us this new company would take over Ubisoft’s biggest franchises: Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six. This left all of us (and some concerned shareholders) with the question—who’s really in charge of this whole operation? Quite honestly, Tencent has the money to just bulldoze its way into calling all the shots. Well, apparently it’s not about the game—it’s about the name. The name Guillemot, to be precise. Charlie Guillemot Steps In “Ubisoft announces the next step in the roadmap of its new subsidiary—introduced on March 27th—with the appointment of Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot as co-CEOs,” the company announced today. “With complementary backgrounds, Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot bring strong industry expertise, deep knowledge of the Ubisoft ecosystem, and a shared culture of innovation.” Yeah, the head-spinning new subsidiary that made a whole industry uncomfy. Tencent became Ubisoft’s second-largest shareholder (cough, the shareholders meeting), but has restrictions on influence over Ubisoft as a whole. That control is still firmly in the hands of the Guillemot family—for now. Charlie Guillemot is the son of one of the game company’s founding brothers. Here are the company’s thoughts about the next Guillemot taking the reins: “Charlie Guillemot has built a hybrid career at the intersection of management and innovation. He brings an entrepreneurial perspective and a sharp understanding of evolving industry dynamics and players’ expectations, shaped by his experience in game development. With a strong product mindset, deep tech culture, and a passion for games, he represents a new generation of leadership focused on innovation, quality, and putting players at the centre of decision-making.” Elite Squad and What Came Next Pretty words—but it doesn’t hide the fact that there’s no mention of any games Charlie worked on. Well, Mobygames does have a…small list that counts as a credit to him, where he’s listed as Studio Manager and Creative Director on Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad. Yeah, the mobile shooter that forced an apology from Ubisoft over “insensitive and harmful” imagery about historically important events, like Black Lives Matter. When Ubisoft pulled out of Elite Squad in July 2021 (retaliatory?), Charlie Guillemot had resigned from the game’s developer studio, Owlient, a couple of months before the announcement. (That wasn’t fishy now, was it?) After leaving Ubisoft, he co-founded Unagi, a Web3, AI, and NFT company. Now? He’s moved up in the world. He’s in charge of Ubisoft’s biggest properties. But What About Christophe Derennes? Kind of makes you forget that he’s a co-CEO. Emphasis on the “co.” Just in case you got blindsided by the Guillemot name, remember that Christophe Derennes was also named CEO. This man worked for this company for 35 years, launched and led Ubisoft Montreal, served as managing director for the North American operations, and has credits in a lot of Ubisoft games. He’s got experience on lock—and the games he’s worked on are being taken over by this new entity. Veteran vs Legacy Name If you’re like any other corporate worker bee (former or current), there’s probably one question on your mind: Why does this game industry veteran need Charlie as co-CEO? Ubisoft may be hoping for an “injection” of fresh perspectives that Charlie would bring to the table—to counter the stubbornness that usually comes with being a veteran of any industry. The phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” has probably been said multiple times by these veterans. But is it really that? Or is it that Charlie’s last name might play a bigger role in the whole thing? We’ll have to wait and see if “the subsidiary is building evergreen, multi-platform game ecosystems and writing the next chapter of Ubisoft’s renowned franchises,” as Ubisoft says, is successful.
On Saturday night, Kelsey Plum was part of Team Collier's 151-131 win over Team Clark in the WNBA All-Star Game, scoring 16 points, grabbing five rebounds and dishing out three assists. Following the game, the Los Angeles Sparks star was asked about WNBA All-Stars wearing shirts before the game that read, "Pay Us What You Owe Us." Specifically, Plum was asked about how that idea came together. "The T-shirt — just a united front," she said. "That was determined this morning, that we had a meeting for. Not to tattletale, but zero members of Team Clark were very present for that." Plum said it with a chuckle. However, she was sitting next to New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu, who rolled her eyes and said, "Didn't really need to be mentioned" before laughing. It was awkward, especially because Caitlin Clark, as well as all of the members of Team Clark, wore the shirts. If Clark didn't wear the shirt, you could understand some backlash. But she did. It should also be noted that Team Collier featured the president of the WNBA Players Association, Nneka Ogwumike, as well as the first vice president, Plum, and two vice presidents, Napheesa Collier and Brenna Stewart. It makes sense if they took on greater leadership roles in a statement like this against the league. Whether Plum likes it or not, the reason the WNBA has any sort of leverage heading into these negotiations with the league is Clark. She would do well to remember that the next time she wants to take an unnecessary shot at Clark, who is responsible for the greatest surge in fan attention the WNBA has ever seen.
The Milwaukee Bucks have tried their best to improve the roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason. Without a lot of cap space, they have had to get creative with ways to do so. One of the key signings they had was to bring back Bobby Portis. Portis has been a massive part of their bench over the last few years and is a fan favorite. Portis signed a deal worth almost $44 million to return to Milwaukee this offseason. Bucks general manager Jon Horst let everyone know that Portis had a lot of other options to choose from, but he wanted to come back. More news: Looking Back on the Bucks, Blazers Damian Lillard Trade: Where Are They Now? Horst said that many other teams were looking to bring Portis in, but he felt at home in Milwaukee instead. “Bobby chose us. Bobby wasn’t short on options, but he wanted to be here," Horst said. "He wants to win, and he wants to with this group of guys. He loves playing with Giannis. He loves the things that we’ve done in free agency. He was high on the guys that we brought back. He and I talked a lot about the roster and just his thoughts on different guys. And I’m just really excited he’s with us.” The Bucks love what Portis brings to the team. He's someone who comes off the bench and does everything right. If needed, he can start in case of an injury, as well. With Myles Turner brought in as the starting center, he likely won't have as many opportunities to start as he has in the last few years. That's just fine with him, as he plays better off the bench anyway. More news: Bucks GM Says He Did 'Everything Within My Human Possible Power' This Offseason Milwaukee needs some help in the backcourt before they are going to be taken seriously as a title contender next season. They have the benefit of other teams in the East being weaker due to injuries, but that's not enough. Portis is someone that the Bucks get their energy from in big games. Bringing him back was one of the top priorities for Horst this offseason. This past season with the Bucks, Portis averaged 13.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. More news: Bucks GM Believes Milwaukee Frontcourt is 'As Good As Anybody' in NBA For more news and notes on the Milwaukee Bucks, visit Milwaukee Bucks on SI.
The Seattle Seahawks made an interesting roster move by releasing tight end Noah Fant just days before the start of training camp. The decision allows the team more financial flexibility heading into 2025. Fant was drafted in the first round in 2019 by the Denver Broncos. He arrived in Seattle via trade a few seasons afterward. In his three years with the Seahawks, Fant was a consistent presence in the offense, appearing in 48 games with 42 starts. During his time with the team, he totaled 130 catches for 1,400 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Decent production, but clearly not enough to lead the room. While Fant’s departure does open up some cap space, it also opens the door for a changing of the guard at the tight end position. The team appears to be committed to giving younger players a chance to play, such as AJ Barner and rookie Elijah Arroyo. Barner, now in his second season, had decent production in his rookie year, with 30 receptions for 245 yards. He also showed solid play as a blocker. The team also added Arroyo in this year’s draft. Arroyo recently signed his rookie deal and possesses a unique skill set that could significantly enhance this offense. Arroyo is a receiving threat who can work downfield and pose a threat to the seams. Pair him alongside shifty wideouts like Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp, and now the offense becomes quite difficult to defend. Fant’s release may come as a bit of a surprise to some fans, especially given his name value and draft status, but it does align with the Seahawks' strategy of building around younger, cheaper talent. As training camp nears, the team will be closely watching the tight end room to see who can step up and lead the room. For now, Seattle is ready to turn the page and invest in the next wave of talent.
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