Apple Arcade review #97: PAC-MAN Party Royale

I really enjoyed PAC-MAN 256, so I’m not adverse to modernising the yellow pizza pie, but this “Party Royale” edition didn’t do much for me. Of course, I also didn’t play it the way it’s intended to be played, with an actual party of players in the same room. I’m sure that makes the game a whole lot more fun.

I did play a multiplayer PAC-MAN in an arcade (an actual arcade, not Apple Arcade) last year, in (of all places) Swakopmund, Namibia, but I’m not sure it’s the same game, and that experience was tempered by unresponsive controls. This version of PAC-MAN controls very well with touch, but there’s not much to it: it’s basically PAC-MAN, with multiple -MEN. I’m also opposed to the more anthropomorphic version of the Pac: I prefer it when he’s a pixelated yellow circle rather than a full-on cartoon character with hopes, dreams and an expressive face.

If you have three or four people in your household with an iPhone or iPad, I guess it’s worth a download, but don’t expect to be blown away by this. And if you’re looking for a solo experience, PAC-MAN 256 is the better game.

Link: https://apps.apple.com/no/app/pac-man-party-royale/id1465543094