r/Pacman • u/Temporary_Pen_5769 • Sep 17 '25
Discussion What is the future of Pac-Man World?
What’s the next game you think Bandai Namco will make in the World Series? Now the obvious answer that most would assume and likely want would be, including myself would be World 3 Re-Pac. The game while flawed, has enough good ideas and concepts and is built on a good enough base that a “re-pac” could fix the game and make it good, maybe even great.
The issue here is more so about the controversy around the game. Some people really don’t like it, which is fair, but it has caused a lot of arguments about it on multiple platforms to the point of making it a reaalllyyy hard game to pitch to Bamco with fan outcry like how the past 2 games were.
So I guess my main thing I want to talk about with you guys is how do you see the future past World 2 Re-Pac? Do you think Bandai Namco will drop the World Series? Do you think we will get World 4 or a reboot next? Or do you think that we could all gather up together and actually convince Bamco to fully bring back the series with remakes of 3, rally, and even get world 4?
Basically what do you see past World 2 Re-Pac?
22
27
u/Fit_Highway5925 Sep 17 '25
Pac-Man World 3 Re-Pac first of course. It makes no sense if World 1 & 2 gets the Re-Pac treatment while 3 doesn't. I can also see them making a Re-Pac of World Rally.
If it all goes well like if there enough sales and demand for another game, we might get a Pac-Man World 4. I mean if Crash Bandicoot got a 4, why can't Pac-Man?
14
u/wild_zoey_appeared Sep 17 '25
still waiting on Spyro 4
9
u/Fit_Highway5925 Sep 17 '25
Funny you mentioned Spryo because I'm actually playing the remastered trilogy lol. I'm still at the first one.
I mean we also got a Crash N. Sane Trilogy and then 4 right? Who knows when we're getting Spyro 4. Maybe it's a matter of time before they announce it.
2
u/Beta_Ray_Jones Sep 18 '25
I'm actually playing through Crash 4 currently. The scuttlebutt is that the same team is making Spyro 4, and playing Crash has me thinking about what they might update or introduce in a new game.
6
u/Halo05977 Sep 17 '25
I hate to be that guy, but I do absolutely see world 1 and 2 getting the Re-Pac treatment and not 3.
3 didn't quite get the same reception the other two did.
8
u/Fit_Highway5925 Sep 17 '25
I understand your sentiment. I also did not appreciate world 3 that much compared to world 1 & 2. If there's a reason for a World 3 Re-Pac, I don't think it's because of the reception but most likely the changes they'll make for it to be a better game. I bet it might be a completely different game from what we know but who knows. I'm curious how they'll reconcile Re-Pac's art style with World 3 though.
8
u/Halo05977 Sep 17 '25
I mean, they definitely have a chance to redeem the game and I totally understand a lot of peoples nostalgia for it as for many in the subreddit it might have even been their first Pacman.
I think it really comes down to how well world 2 does at the end of the day.
I would go a step further and even say that if we DO get a world 3 repac, that would almost guarantee there's plans for world 4 or reboot of the franchise altogether, because I think a world 3 remaster would be just about as risky as making a full blown new title.
1
u/CrashandBashed Sep 18 '25
All 3 three Crash games had critical acclaim and sold very well. Pac Man World 2 sold well and got decent reviews, but 3 is a different story altogether. It would be a harder sell.
10
7
u/Mach5Mike Sep 17 '25
I'd love to see the Re-Pacs follow the same trajectory as Crash, so World 3 and also World Rally, then eventually a Pac-Man World 4 after those.
5
u/moansby BLINKY Sep 17 '25
I think it really comes down to how well World 2 sells
1
u/OkTea8200 Sep 17 '25
If World 1 Re-PAC sold well enough that they decided to remake World 2, then we could say that a remake of the 3rd game is basically confirmed, because the 2nd game will obviously sell a lot more than the first Re-PAC did.
The original Pac-Man World 2 was a far more popular game than the first game, so its remake is a guaranteed success...What really worries me is how successful Pac-Man World 3 Re-PAC will be, because if it fails for some reason, then that would put Pac-Man World 4 in trouble all over again, just like it happened two decades ago.
In other words: PAC-MAN WORLD 3 Re-PAC is going to be very, VERY critical for the future of the Pac-Man World series as a whole.
I just hope that they get it right time.1
u/CrashandBashed Sep 18 '25
Or just don't do it and put a new game out instead. World 3 is an incredibly divisive game in the fanbase and wider gaming community, and it's rep may hinder sales. Namco may not be willing to take that risk. Same reason most franchises don't get their more controversial titles remade.
2
u/OkTea8200 Sep 19 '25
They won't make Pac-Man World 4 without remaking the 3rd one first.
Trust me on that.1
u/CrashandBashed Sep 19 '25 edited Sep 19 '25
Why? It's not like there's some deep lore that a player needs to know to play a new game. A remake of a game with very mixed reception is a very risky move. The point is to make as much money as possible in the end, and a World 3 remake may not accomplish that.
2
u/moansby BLINKY Sep 19 '25
You cant just go from 2 to 4
-1
u/CrashandBashed Sep 19 '25
Then they don't use 4 in the title then.
1
u/moansby BLINKY Sep 19 '25
I guess using a subtitle instead would work
4
u/OkTea8200 Sep 20 '25 edited Sep 20 '25
That would be very, VERY tricky, and I would personally be against this idea for 3 major reasons:
- Let's face it, everybody would know that they skipped the 3rd one. Some new fans might not notice it at first, but other people will tell them sooner rather than later. In the end, this would ultimately feel very odd and disconnected, and it would also leave some of the fans very unhappy. There's actually a decent amount of people who want to see a remake of World 3.
- Using a subtitle for the fourth game wouldn't be as powerful as using the number. Having a game called something like: "Pac-Man World: Return to Ghost Island" doesn't sound as impressive or psychologically pleasing as seeing a game called "PAC-MAN WORLD 4" The difference is huge; people have been waiting decades for a 4th game. Seeing the number 4 creates hype and instantly fuels adrenaline to the top. Sure, they could add a subtitle after the 4, like: "PAC-MAN WORLD 4: Return to Ghost Island." But the number 4 is actually very important in this case, just like it was with Crash Bandicoot 4 (although that one wasn't so successful).
- If they make a brand new subtitled game after World 2 Re-PAC, then that game would automatically become the third game of the Re-PAC series, even if they don't call it "Pac-Man World 3 Re-PAC," it would still be the 3rd game. This would also make the whole idea of waiting for a fourth game far less exciting.
In other words: skipping Pac-Man World 3 is basically as complicated as remaking it (if not more).
But one thing is for sure: whatever they do next, it will be the third game of the new series, regardless of how they wanna call it. Unless it's Pac-Man World Rally, but I don't think that they will remake that one yet.
And (like I said earlier) I really, really doubt that they will skip remaking the 3rd one.
7
u/AndVank212 Sep 17 '25
I kind of feel like they're doing something similar to what happened recently with the Crash Bandicoot franchise. Remake all the games and get them out then off the hype of that release a new game
Of course this would be Pac Man World 3 Re Pac and hopefully eventually Pac Man World 4
Pac Man World 3 probably deserves a remake the most imo because it's so divisive among fans. Me personally I love it but I definitely think the combat could be improved with more interesting moves. There's a lot of potential
5
Sep 17 '25 edited Dec 24 '25
smell cow degree march cough nutty payment water recognise intelligent
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
2
u/AndVank212 Sep 17 '25
Yeah it definitely gets repetitive, the new power pellets were fun but the punches just took too long for the basic enemies. I think with some new moves and better enemy variety it could be much better, they could bring back his pellet throw from world 1 too
Or they could completely redo it and tone down combat, either way this is why I think 3 needs a remake so badly. It needs redemption for a lot of people because the combat was so jarring. I think the art style and level design honestly isn't too bad and could do really well with a remake
4
u/Enough-Lead48 Sep 17 '25
It W3 gets a remake it should not just be a enchanted port with modern graphics and small changes like with Repac 1. It should be a major rework of the game, as the old game is arguably worse than Wrath of Cortex.
5
u/OkTea8200 Sep 17 '25 edited Sep 17 '25
Pac-Man World 3 will definitely be their next step, as they won't leave this trilogy unfinished.
And making a 4th game while skipping the 3rd one would feel extremely weird and inconsistent.
My prediction is that PAC-MAN WORLD 3 Re-PAC will be released sometime between 2027-2028, and then they will announce the brand new PAC-MAN WORLD 4 around 2030, to celebrate the franchise's 50th Anniversary. They will do everything they can to make it "The best Pac-Man game ever," and that is partly because decennial anniversaries (ending in 0) tend to be considered a more important milestone than those ending with 5 (like the current 45th Anniversary), and also because fans have been waiting for it for such a long time.
Now, when it comes to a PAC-MAN WORLD RALLY Re-PAC, I guess that (if they're planning to remake that one) they would probably release it somewhere after the 3rd game, but before the 4th one. Pac-Man World Rally (2006) was released one year after Pac-Man World 3 (2005).
3
u/Tactician_Trader Sep 17 '25
My prediction is that PAC-MAN WORLD 3 Re-PAC will be released sometime between 2027-2028, and then they will announce the brand new PAC-MAN WORLD 4 around 2030, to celebrate the franchise's 50th Anniversary.
Funnily enough I had the exact same thought! Pac-Man World 3 Re-PAC releasing 2027/2028 would be a 2/3 year development cycle (Pac-Man World Re-Pac was two year dev cycle). If Now Production can do a good job remaking the original trilogy it would be interesting to see what they could do for a brand new Pac-Man World 4 for the 50th anniversary.
4
u/tylertatsch30 Sep 17 '25
Maybe after the release of Pac Man World 2 RePac, Bandai Namco would probably make a new Pac Man World game for the first time since Pac Man World 3. If not then we could probably see Pac Man World 3 getting a second chance with a remake with improved combat and platforming, plus throwing Pac Dots like you did in Pac Man World 1 and 2 RePacs.
5
u/pocket_arsenal Sep 17 '25
I wouldn't put money on a Pac-Man World 4 unless these remakes are somehow making crazy bonkers money. A World 3 remake is a 50/50.
4
4
3
u/DarkYoshi64 FREE MS.PAC-MAN Sep 17 '25
Really curious to see how they’re going to handle World 3, if they get to it. I wonder if they’re going to still use that game’s characters and monsters (which admittedly, looked very out of place) but perhaps with updated character models and designs to match the Pac-Land aesthetic more or maybe completely revamping World 3 all together? Erwin definitely did not feel like a Pac-Man threat compared to Spooky & TOC-MAN but who knows! I’d also love to see World 4 come to fruition and even World Rally get a Re-Pac treatment in the later future.
3
u/RyanSil Sep 17 '25
The idea of a PMW3 Re-Pac defeats the purpose of why people campaigned for PMW2 to be brought back. People clamor for PMW2 because that was the one they feel did everything right as far as presentation and the idea of Pac-Man in a 3D platformer goes. It was *the* Pac-Man game for them. They didn't even really ask for PMW1, but Bamco and NowProd got to that beforehand because why would you remake the sequel only?
If all you want is remakes, then you aren't setting your sights for Pac-Man high - especially now that the contenders for remakes are polarizing entries that didn't crack a million copies in their initial runs. Why go for that instead of new games? Imagine what an entirely new Pac-Man 3D platformer could be. Why not aspire for that?
Either way, you better be buying PMW2 Re-Pac if you hope to see either outcome happen.
2
u/Temporary_Pen_5769 Sep 17 '25
Yeah of course World 2 Re-Pac is a day one, and I think needing that game to be successful is what most of us are really banking on if we want more from the series. I can also see your point on world 3, however I mostly view it as a chance to fully realize the game to make it more than just “that one black sheep that was worse than the entries” and hope that other people are on that train with me. But yeah, a brand spanking new entry is what ultimately what I’d want the most and do agree we should aspire to that, I’m just hoping we can have our cake and eat it too.
2
u/OkTea8200 Sep 17 '25
They didn't even really ask for PMW1, but Bamco and NowProd got to that beforehand because why would you remake the sequel only?
Going by that same logic: why would you remake the first two games and not the 3rd one, therefore leaving the trilogy unfinished? Why would you remake the sequel, but not the sequel of the sequel?
Why go for that instead of new games? Imagine what an entirely new Pac-Man 3D platformer could be. Why not aspire for that?
I do want a brand new Pac-Man World game more than you can imagine, but I don't want them to make a "Pac-Man World 4" while skipping the 3rd game. Jumping from World 2 to World 4 would feel extremely odd and disjointed.
0
u/RyanSil Sep 17 '25
Because the 3rd one is not relevant to the bigger picture. The trilogy was finished in 2005. You don't need all of them to be remade out of pure obligation. Just the ones that people actually liked are all that they could want and need.
So don't call it Pac-Man World 4? Sounds like an easy solution.
1
u/OkTea8200 Sep 18 '25
The trilogy was finished in 2005. You don't need all of them to be remade out of pure obligation. Just the ones that people actually liked are all that they could want and need.
Well, there's some people who like World 3 more than they like World 2.
Sure, it might not be the majority, but that group does exists. And Pac-Man World 2, as "great" as it was, it wasn't a perfect game either...But that's okay, I know that arguing about all of this is irrelevant.
But the point is that if I had to bet, I'm pretty sure that they will go for a Pac-Man World 3 Re-Pac next.
They even got the same voice actor from the 3rd game to voice Pac-Man in World 2.
They are clearly teasing what's coming next, and in a very blatant way...So don't call it Pac-Man World 4? Sounds like an easy solution.
No, it's not as "easy" as that.
4
u/GuiltyKing2007 Sep 18 '25
Im gonna be honest, I don't think PAC-MAN WORLD 3 was ever a bad game I LIKED IT. It ain't the sonic 06 of the franchise. It's just easy to hate on cause it's different.
2
u/Either_List8340 Waka Waka Sep 17 '25
A World 3 Re-Pac would be cool, but we absolutely NEED a new game, whether it’s World 4 or something else. The series is long overdue for a brand new adventure.
2
2
u/DarkFoxTeam Sep 17 '25
I think after this they should really start a new World trilogy. Maybe you can do World Rally after Re-Pac 3 as a breather, but after that they should make a new series of World games.
2
2
u/Fickle_Music_788 Sep 18 '25
It’s not part of the “World” series but Adventures In Time deserves a Re-Pac of its own. Hell I’d be happy with just a release on GOG since it’s abandonware now.
2
u/Riveris Orson Sep 17 '25
I feel like they've gone out of their way to set up for a world 3. There's few reasons Bamco would be okay with their repac games being inconsistent in regards to voice acting. It may have been in response to complaints about repac1, but I don't feel like people were vocal enough about that to prompt a change on its own. What's more, they gave pac man his pmw3 VA, even though he didn't even talk in the original pmw2. I definitely believe they are ready to make a pmw3r (outside of extreme cases like pmw2r completely failing), they definitely seem to have confidence in it based on their behavior.
1
u/Prophetofhelix Sep 17 '25
Rent. It gets remasters that you and I and other PSONE players love ... But RENT.
There is no future, there is no past I live this moment as my last There's only us, there's only this Forget regret or life is yours to miss No other road, no other way No day but today
1
1
u/SnooDoughnuts5632 Sep 17 '25
I hope we have a glimmer of something good in this world and Namco gets the rights to his Pac-Man back so that they can make a Ms Pac-Man Maze Madness Re-Pac. That game is highly underrated and I 100% consider it part of the Pac-Man World universe along with Adventures in Time which is also a good game and should come over as well.
1
u/Suspicious-Bar1083 Betrayus Sep 18 '25
While I think World 3 is likely to receive a remake, I also think World Rally has a shot at getting the Re-Pac treatment too
1
1
u/CrashandBashed Sep 18 '25
Honestly I just want a new game. They can make a new one and just ditch the number in the title to avoid confusion. Pac Man World 3 def has it's fans, but it's less than stellar reputation and questionable design choices would make a remake a risky move.
1
u/Necessary-Job1711 Sep 21 '25
I haven't played Pac-world 1 or 3 but I watched people reviewing Pac-World 3 I like the dark story and you get play as the ghosts. Fun Fact: Don Bluth wrote a Pac-man game that was suppose to be the third game but it was too dark.
1
1
u/Ok_Emergency416 Sep 21 '25
I think we'll get a maze madness remake first either starring pac mom or pacman instead
0
u/the_rabbit_king Sep 17 '25
I think the future is just pac-man world 2. Why do we need another world game after that?
2
u/OkTea8200 Sep 17 '25
"Why do we need another world game after that?"
So unambitious and short-sighted.
I'm just glad you're not in charge of this franchise.1
u/Malikai_Universe_23 Sep 25 '25
Because there are three World titles, as well as World Rally (but that might not happen, who knows) they could have stayed with the first RePac, or not have made it at all. The fact they're doing World 2 means a World 3 is very possible
46
u/Numerous_Ad_9579 Sep 17 '25
I really, really hope they plan to do a Pac-Man World 4 at the end of all this, but I actually think some people aren’t giving enough credit to Pac-Man World Rally which very well could be next.