We went along for an exclusive early look at the new PAC-MAN experience right here in Manchester.
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00:00Hello and welcome to Manchester World, my name's Theo Cusumbet and today we have a very exciting exclusive video for you because we're on our way to the Pac-Man Live Experience which is set to open in Manchester this weekend.
00:10We're going to go down, we'll try it out, we'll get all sorts of funny videos of us looking a bit stupid, really, and hopefully it'll be something that you can see yourself doing.
00:19So let's go, check it out, and yeah, we'll see you there!
00:21So here we are on Lower Byram Street and this is right near Manchester's Science and Industry Museum and it's also just down the road from the Crystal Maze which is operated by the same company that have set up this Pac-Man experience.
00:32And with the Crystal Maze now being active in Manchester for around 10 years, we know that we're in good hands.
00:37And straight from the moment you walk in, the staff were friendly and the atmosphere was electric because let me tell you, I had real, real, real levels of excitement going into this.
00:46I remember loving playing Pac-Man on the old arcade games so this was a real moment for me but I didn't really know what to expect, to be honest.
00:54So I sat down and prepared myself and let me tell you, no matter how much preparing I did, I wasn't ready for how fun this was going to be.
01:03The first thing that you do, you get given these Pac-Vests and then you're introduced to the Pac-Master who guides you through the concept of the game, makes you close your eyes and recite an incantation almost to prepare yourself for it mentally.
01:17And then once you've got the coin in the slot, you open up the door and you walk through into this massive arena where you get ready to play with people on your own team and a separate team as well.
01:28I mean, really, I'm so, so impressed with what they've done with the space and how the technology allows you to really become immersed in the game.
01:36There are a number of different rounds. The first one is quite simple. As you can see, you step over the pellets and as you consume them, they disappear off the floor and the idea is to try and clear the whole floor as quick as possible.
01:46And obviously, the ghosts are there trying to get to you as well.
01:50Once you run into a wall, you lose your ability to chomp through the pellets for a very brief period of time.
01:56And just to give you a little break, there are also mini games. So this one here was a bit like crossing a highway.
02:01You had to walk in a completely straight line, avoiding the ghosts and the walls.
02:05And I've got to say, I finished second overall. I wasn't too disappointed with that.
02:09But the main takeaway for me was just how enjoyable it was.
02:14I had my own little successes. I was a hungry chomper and a ghost hunter, but it was fun. It was engaging and exhausting too.
02:21So I've just made it back to the office after visiting the Pac-Man Live experience and I'm just going to say I can't recommend it enough.
02:29What a brilliant experience it was. The technology is absolutely awesome and the experience is even better.
02:35It's the perfect way to spend an afternoon, whether you're out with your mates or whether you want to bring your family.
02:39I tell you, young kids will go absolutely mad for it.
02:42I was expecting to just be walking around and I was basically sprinting half the time.
02:46The competitive aspect is really, really there, but it's all about participation and it's really, really worth a go.
02:53It opens this weekend to the public, so get down, give it a go, tag us in your videos and follow Manchester World for more.