The subsequent sport I want to put ahead for Worst Videogame Title 2024 is PAC-MAN Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs. I imply, simply take a look at it. PAC-MAN Mega Tunnel Battle is pushing it somewhat, the unique title of the sport when it launched on Google Stadia in 2020. However the Chomp Champs suffix presents actually nothing other than a crick in my jaw every time I try to try to say all of it within the one breath.
As a result of the sport title does such a horrible job indicating what it’s, enable me. PAC-MAN Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs is the most recent battle royale PAC-MAN sport which, by my calculations, is no less than the fourth PAC-MAN battle royale sport on the market. This nonetheless, is the primary one to come back to Xbox.
You sq. off towards 63 different PAC-MANs/MEN doing what the long-lasting character does greatest: consuming pellets and chasing down ghosts. The twist right here is that your opponent’s mazes may be visited by travelling via portals when open. Of their mazes, you may as well eat pellets and ghosts, however you may as well EAT OTHER PAC-MEN. PAC-MAN Mega Tunnel Battle: Cannibal Champs would have been a way more appropriate title.
Because the variety of contributors reduces, so does the variety of mazes. You might be by no means wandering aimlessly round a maze in search of ghosts of pellets, all the pieces is condensed down properly.
Issues shortly get frantic as effectively, however with out decreasing the enjoyable. You begin with three lives, however as you progress extra may be discovered via power-ups. There are additionally missions to undertake all through; these aren’t important however can earn you some further factors. They vary from issues like consuming ghosts of pellets in an opponent’s maze, to putting a bounty on the pinnacle of one other participant so that you can search out and eat. That’s if in case you have any further human gamers towards you.
It’s extremely unlikely that you’ll have a full foyer of 64 precise gamers, even with cross-play enabled. Areas are crammed with AI opponents, and more often than not you may be enjoying towards them within the two essential modes, Elimination and Ranked.
The distinction between these modes? Completely nothing. Ranked mode unlocks after you hit Stage 10 in Elimination mode however these two play identically, other than Ranked mode being hypothetically extra aggressive. Offering you discover a human opponent.
Ranked mode is supposedly going to supply seasonal rewards, however herein lies the most important downside with PAC-MAN Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs. You’re in all probability pondering this feels like a enjoyable free-to-play title, however it’s a premium launch. And an expensive one too, costing £15.99 for a sport that’s introduced as a freemium title. And there are additionally further DLC packs containing outfits and customisation choices.
The issue with the AI is that you’ll shortly realise they don’t have a lot talent. Video games might be over pretty shortly and a whole lot of the time I’ve gained by default reasonably than having a showdown with an opponent on the ultimate maze. The odd instances that has occurred although have been a blast; tense affairs the place you’ll be able to go early and devour energy pellets to catch your opponent out, or bide your time and hope they get caught brief between ghosts. Generally I really feel that PAC-MAN Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs can be higher with extra gamers beginning on fewer mazes, to make these nice moments extra commonplace.
I’m not all the time comfy bashing on a sport for its worth, and can solely accomplish that when obligatory. However PAC-MAN Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs presents itself as a free-to-play title. One take a look at the primary menu, though this appears like probably the most primary and inconsiderate UI I’ve ever seen, will inform you. There’s a store the place you’ll be able to achieve entry to a really restricted quantity of customisation choices, and the promise of seasonal rewards. And, I can’t imagine I’m about to say this, however this can be a sport that might have benefitted from a Battle Cross, or some form of development system. Other than levelling up and incomes cash, there is no such thing as a means to progress and unlock extra issues. It’s painfully primary, and this might be detrimental to the long-term efficiency of the sport.
Your customisation choices embrace hats, glasses and outfits in your PAC-MAN. Nonetheless, many hats and outfits can’t be worn collectively, with the outfits protecting up most of your PAC-MAN.
You too can buy new themes in your maze, however with so few out there at launch, you’ll frequently see the identical ones time and again. Whether or not extra are to be added over time stays to be seen, however I might count on them to solely be within the type of paid DLC in any case.
Above all else, nonetheless, PAC-MAN Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs is enjoyable. The gameplay of PAC-MAN is timeless and remains to be the predominant characteristic right here. Something further options add to it reasonably than dampen the enjoyable. And if all you’re after is one other trendy tackle the core gameplay, this can be a worthy buy.
These in search of one thing a bit extra, an entire expertise, might be left disenchanted by PAC-MAN Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs. There’s one sport mode break up throughout two ‘totally different’ mode sorts, no actual sense of development, an archaic menu and easily not sufficient right here to maintain followers enjoying long-term.
And on the worth PAC-MAN Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs has positioned itself at, that actually isn’t ok.
