Luigi’s Mansion is a series that has been around now since the beginning of the Gamecube. A game that tells wondrous stories about our hero Luigi and his hunt for ghosts. This series continues to get better and better with each iteration and this one is the best yet. Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a fun-filled romp from beginning to end. Luigi and the gang arrive at what appears to be a normal hotel. Nothing seems out of place and they are all happy. There are some nice musical intros to the characters as Luigi walks up to his friends. They don’t talk a lot but they are all so animated. It’s great to see them act just a little more real than in other games. Mario’s use of bro in this game is adorable.
All hell breaks loose when Luigi checks in and Hellen Gravely appears. There is an air of strangeness about her, that the gang can’t seem to see. But the player is gonna know something just isn’t right. Hellen Gravely and her cohorts are in fact ghosts and they are going to do all they can to take Luigi and the gang down. After falling asleep in his room with Polterpup, Luigi finds that his friends have been spirited away. He heads out to find them and soon bumps into his old ally E.Gadd. This old man is the inventor of a few inventions in the Mario Universe, including F.L.U.D.D, Bowser Jr’s Magic Paintbrush, and the Poltergust line. In this game, Luigi is given the upgraded version of the line and boy howdy does it possess some neat tricks.
E. Gadd’s latest invention is an upgrade Poltergust. This model is equipped with the ever-faithful Gooigi. Gooigi is essentially a player two if the player has a second controller. But players can use him solo too, it just requires switching off between Luigi and his Goo counterpart. This game is built for multiplayer so consider finding someone to play with to double the fun. This Poltergust is also equipped with the ability to slam ghosts for massive damage. These ghosts are wily and with so many, it’s often necessary to take a few out in succession. With smashing, players can hit them repeatedly ala an old cartoon style strike. It’s great watching the ghosts fly around leaving l the money they had. Yes, money is an important aspect of the game and it does come into play for the final reward. It’s good to collect as much money as possible, so ideally just suck everything up, and the player will be fine. At the end of the game, the player will be rewarded with either an A, B, or C. This rating will show the player what the hotel looks like when Luigi and the gang fix it up.
The floors Luigi takes on are all different and hold their bosses to defeat. Some of the floors are a little lackluster, but they are all there to show off the magnificence of this hotel. I have a few favorites but I won’t share them, as I don’t want to spoil the surprise. There is so much fun to be had in exploring every inch of these different floors. The floors themselves all are differently sized. Sometimes it might seem like the next floor is going to be short. But more often than not, the floors have multiple rooms or even multiple levels. It’s great seeing what is going to pop up next and to battle through every floor. Though again, some floors might be a little lackluster compared to others.
As he travels through the hotel he will need to hunt the Boos who are causing mischief. It’s always fun because it leads to a game of hide and seek. Player’s will also find different gems for every floor and might rescue a toad or three as the game progresses. Toads are great because Luigi can use them to knock out of reach gems.As Luigi battles his way through the hotel he will collect floor buttons for the broken elevator. Every time he is about to push the button in he gets surprised, which is rather weird. After traveling through the whole hotel he is still surprised that the button flies out of his hand, but I guess that’s just the kind of guy he is. Luigi can also go back to see his friend E.Gadd. Player’s can check on the number of ghosts they’ve sucked up and even buy goods. These goods aren’t necessary but can help players who can’t find the collectibles in the hotel. This is also where the toads hang out, and it’s nice to seem them feel safe in this haunted place.
Luigi’s Mansion three also has two modes for multiplayer. Player’s can take on the Scarescraper, which is a gauntlet through randomized floors. This mode is great fun to play online as the player never knows who they will team up with to take on the frights within. This is an eight-player mode that is sure to have the player’s coming back again and again. There is also the Screampark which has a team of Luigi face a team of Gooigi for the prize of an ultimate ghost hunter. This model includes three games, Coin Floating, Ghost Hunt, and Cannon Barrage. Coin Floating is a game involving floating on floaties to gather coins and avoid mines. Ghost hunt is a normal ghost hunting game where some ghosts award more points. Cannon Barrage has the players loading cannons to destroy targets. These games are all rather fun, and with paid DLC coming in the future there will be more fun to be had.
Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a game that might not be the most terrifying but it’s fun all the same. There is always a sense of mystery and maybe a little dread as the players walk through the different levels. The game can often be just a little dark, and that can make it hard for players to accurately suck up all the loot, but it works. The music in this game adds an air of suspense too. Walking around floors looking for ghosts and boos, hearing eerie music playing. Such as when the player is hunting for boos and the eerie organ music begins to play. This game does what it does best, send Luigi into a place that seems to alert him that trouble is brewing. That’s not to say its all scary as Luigi loves to hum the elevator music while he waits to get off on the next floor.
Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a game that will hit all of the right sweet spots. It is most certainly one of the most Nintendo games in a while. I hope that another truly Nintendo game is announced soon, as this hits the spot. Luigi’s Mansion 3 is fun for everyone and tells a great story filled with humor, some emotion, and great level design. There are ghosts abound and Luigi needs to save his friends, will the player come along for the ride?
All images taken from Nintendo.com