In short: PAC-MAN: Ralph Breaks The Maze is exactly what it sounds like and much more. Wreck-It Ralph, the hero of Disney’s upcoming animated film, has broken into the classic maze game and brought some friends along. There are a range of gameplay changes to reflect each character’s unique talents as they traverse the stages in concert with PAC-MAN, and there are even Disney-themed mazes that incorporate visuals and mechanics based on both characters from the movie and older Disney properties. Along with the iconic Power Pellet, the game boasts a number of Disney-themed powerups that bestow different abilities on all of the characters. The game is available for free in the Play Store right now as a demo, with the option to unlock additional mazes at a rate of $6.99 per maze.
Background: The demo stage has Wreck-It Ralph and Fix-It Felix chasing each other around the maze while PAC-MAN tries to gobble up all the dots. Ralph breaks down certain marked sections of wall when he encounters them, opening new paths for PAC-MAN and the ghosts, while Fix-It Felix closes those paths by fixing the same walls. In a similar fashion, each character has their own effects, and thus their own spin on the classic PAC-MAN formula. Likewise, the different stages all have different mechanics that change up how PAC-MAN is played.
Impact: This game is a gallery of radically new takes on a classic. Each stage is lovingly crafted to invoke the spirit of its character and show off new gameplay conventions, rather than sticking with the seemingly random, or actually random, stages seen in other PAC-MAN titles. In that sense, however, it’s a bit short on content, and functions more as a showcase of sorts. Its main function, of course, is to placate fans and build hype for the November release of the hotly anticipated Wreck-It Ralph sequel. Mobile gamers looking for a substantial PAC-MAN experience that will give them something to chew on for a long time have a good few options in the Google Play Store, with PAC-MAN 256 standing out among those as a significant evolution of the classic game.
