PAC-MAN: Circle

All previous episodes of Secret Level varied from just tepid and uninspired to actually bad and confusing. Videogame aesthetics seemed poor for animated short films, and the script was always too shallow. I suspected that perhaps they worked a little better for game addicts, as I had no involvement with any of those five games (I have been playing D&D for decades, but on table with friends, not in videogame, and it is completely different). Then, Pac-Man episode came up, and off course I love that game - just like possibly the whole humankind! I am not happy to say: that was a great disappointment. A revisionist approach is probably not the best one for a beloved classic game, but it could still work. However, it is very hard to identify the game in this short film, despite the very end. Animation is also unpleasant and has a generic style with no connection to the game. Indeed, this episode reminded me more the dire horror unofficial Z-feature movies that are being released with characters now in public domain, such as Mickey Mouse and Pooh. That is not a compliment, to be clear.

Altough many were criticizing this episode, even well before the release, due to how this takes such a different path from the original videogame, I found it to be quite interesting and I actually appreciated that they took such a risk on this episode.

This episode takes the core of the classic Pac-Man game and manages to write a whole lore around it, while still including and referencing parts from the original. I thought the ideas and the overall excecution here were excellent!

While most things here are completely fresh, I found it to be interesting enough to keep me engaged throughout the short runtime. And the way parts of the original game were implemented into this episode was just so creative and actually fun to spot.

However, I think the biggest flaw with this episode is that altough they managed to create something brand new around such a simple game, it still falls into a few clichés that we have seen many times before. Still, overall, this was an excellent and well-crafted episode.

Stuck in an "endless labyrinth, haunted by hungry ghosts", the chosen must "eat or be eaten" and escape the maze.

Using the premise of PAC-MAN, the studio delivers an inventive and quite creative perspective on what has become quite a colorful franchise (can't get his most recent appearance in Smash Brothers out of my head). I applaud them for the effort, but I imagined this might be the one that would not fit the mold of what they expected to deliver.

Whether you think the taken liberties align to your preferences or not, this 10-ish minute episode provides little in the way of satisfactory narrative or take-aways.

It caught me off-guard ! This episode takes an unexpectedly dark and haunting approach to the Pac-Man universe, leaning heavily into horror. We have a change of visual style this time, which is appreciated after all the amazing but repetitive photorealistic episodes. Here, instead of a "commercial" cinematic, the base of the game have been altered to expand into a new approach of the game. The neon-lit maze is transformed into a eery, nightmarish and wild jungle where survival feels genuinely tense. This bold reimagining turns the family friendly chase dynamic into something far more sinister and atmospheric. It's a strikingly different take on the classic game, exploring fear and desperation in a way that's both unsettling and compelling. Reminds me of a recent animation called Scavengers Reign. Those who have seen it, will know what sequence or characters i'm thinking about. While the minimalist, and creepy storytelling might not appeal to everyone, it's a creative and thought-provoking tribute that leaves a lasting impression. More episodes like this one, that expand the base of a game and extend its creativity...I'd like to see more like these !

Oh man, i have watched the first 6 episodes so far and some of the pervious episodes are better in terms of story telling and "source material" and probably more slick but this reimagining of Pac Man was wonderful. It really was. Unlike the Warhammer episode were they had much more to work with to make a modern "secret level" of the franchise. In this episode they needed to be creative to make a watchable story of a 1980 Atari game and i think they did a fine job! I think it was brave of them to select very simple (and archaic) action maze game and tell a more modern story for a more modern audience. In the next season i would love the team to try an bring "Tetris" alive or maybe even "pong". Now that would be a challenge!!