Skip to main content
Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • Saros review
  • Arc Raiders
  • The Boys S5
  • Best turn-based RPGs
  • Submit your clips. Win prizes
  • Delta Force giveaway
  1. Games
  2. Pac Man World 3

Pac-Man World 3 review

The yellow muncher mellows with old age

Reviews
By Geraint_Evans published 2 May 2006

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Pros

  • +

    Satisfying gameplay

  • +

    Pure videogame fun

  • +

    Genuinely funny at times

Cons

  • -

    Poor camera

  • -

    Severe frame-rate issues

  • -

    Highly unimaginative

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

You'd think after watching the truly awful opening cutscene that we'd be primed to give this a damn good kicking. You'd think after seeing how painfully unimaginative it all is that we'd be hard pushed to play it for more than five minutes, but for some very strange reason we found ourselves enjoying it.

It's brainless, yes. It's laughably simple too - but then maybe that's what's so nice about it. Still, you can't escape the fact that there's a shopping list of things that are very wrong with PMW3.

Article continues below

To start with, it's technically ropey. The camera lacks any kind of versatility. Yes you can rotate it around Pac-Man, but more often than not, you're just not getting the angle you need. It doesn't always lead to death, but it makes you nervous about simple jumps.

The frame rate is shocking too. Get any more than three enemies on screen at any one time and it can drop considerably, which is lame considering it's not the most detailed game in terms of its environments.

And then, of course, there's the small matter that there's virtually nothing here that we haven't seen done countless times before over the last 10 years or so.

So while it's not going to win any awards for technical achievement or game design, why are we being so lenient? Well, it never takes itself seriously. It feels unashamedly game-like. It's happy, brightly coloured and oddly satisfying too.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
Geraint_Evans
Latest in Games
Neverness to Everness character with pink hair and bandaged hands
Action RPGs Neverness to Everness gives out S-class character after devs get "incredible amount of feedback"
 
 
Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred demon in lava
Diablo Diablo 4 streamer pulverizes new Lord of Hatred expansion's difficulty tier in 17 hours, complains
 
 
A Final Fantasy 14 character poses with the Senor Otter Pack
Final Fantasy Final Fantasy 14 players mourn the cute otter backpacks they were briefly given in error
 
 
Dawnfolk strategy game grid
Strategy Games Meet the Assassin's Creed dev who left Ubisoft to make the weirdest city-builder you need to play
 
 
Elder Scrolls Online
MMO Games Elder Scrolls Online director still secretly plays the MMO, even after he left the studio
 
 
Alice Liddell is reflected in a shattered green eye
Action Games One of EA's best games exists partly because Jurassic Park's Michael Crichton told the dev to do it
 
 
Latest in Reviews
An Elgato Wave 3 Mk2 microphone next to two Stream Decks
Peripherals Elgato's new Wave 3 Mk2 combines the best parts of dynamic and condenser microphones
 
 
Warhammer Quest: Darkwater box on a wooden table
Board Games If you want to play Warhammer without needing to buy armies, scenery, and extra models, this board game is for you
 
 
Two minotaurs ready their weapons on a battlefield, from the Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era opening cinematic
Strategy Games Heroes of Might and Magic Olden Era early access review: "The legendary strategy RPG series finally reclaims its throne"
 
 
Stranger Things: Tales From '85
Sci-Fi Shows Stranger Things: Tales From '85 review: "Makes you nostalgic for the early days of Stranger Things"
 
 
Hand holding Retro Fighters StrikerDC wireless controller in front of Sega Dreamcast connected to a Sony Trinitron CRT TV.
Retro Retro Fighters StrikerDC review
 
 
Saros Review
Roguelike Games Saros review: "A lean fusion of roguelike sci-fi action and eldritch horror that successfully remixes Returnal"
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Neverness to Everness character with pink hair and bandaged hands
    1
    Neverness to Everness gives out S-class character selector after devs get "an incredible amount of feedback and suggestions" from launch players
  2. 2
    Diablo 4 streamer pulverizes new Lord of Hatred expansion's difficulty tier in 17 hours, complains about lack of "aspirational content"
  3. 3
    Final Fantasy 14 players mourn the cute otter backpacks they were briefly given in error, but Square Enix hopes they'll grab it again "when it is released through the intended method"
  4. 4
    Meet the Assassin's Creed dev who left Ubisoft to make the weirdest city-builder you need to play, which is quietly funding his whole career
  5. 5
    Peter Parker has "no more Stark money or gadgets" in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but he does have a "3D printer on steroids"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...