Nintendo and Next-Level Games’ newest adventure on the Switch has taken the goo-latenous form of Luigi’s Mansion 3 in what is arguably the best game in the series. In this much awaited sequel to an often under-appreciated franchise, we see Luigi take a much deserved vacation with the comrades we have all come to know and love, at The Last Resort. This hotel, whose name alone should have served as a warning to Luigi after two previous 30-hour adventures filled with ghosts, is just the newest stomping grounds for which to see Luigi vacuum ghosts, save his friends, and escape the mansion, eh, or hotel. The delightful bit of news here though, is that while the formula above sounds like a rinse and repeat of the previous two entries in the series, nothing could be further from the truth. Luigi’s Mansion 3 adds so much to a franchise that could have very easily gone down the path of formula whiplash.
Upon entering the Hotel, we were greeted with some of the best visuals on the Switch to date. The animation in LM3 left much to be desired, but by that, we do not mean what you think. Watching the animation, we felt as though a feature-film straight out of the Pixar universe was plucked from the Mousey hands of Disney and thrown right onto our Switch. What was left to be desired? Simple; more. We could not get enough of the animations, each cutscene of which showed just how much the Switch actually can do. In fact, the beauty of the game did not end at the cutscenes themselves. The gameplay also provided gorgeous colors that popped on the Switch screen unlike anything any owner of the handheld hybrid had seen before. Truthfully, if you are not a fan of the Luigi’s Mansion premise or franchise, or somehow just hate the green plumbing brother with a passion, you still would be doing yourself a disservice by not simply picking up this title for the simple reason of just admiring how much beauty a Switch game done right can provide.
In this iteration of Luigi’s biggest franchise, various differences in gameplay can be found. For starters, the poor scared brother of Mario is no longer alone. About an hour into the game, after watching several beautiful cutscenes and getting a feel for the controls, the title introduces the biggest change to the game, in the form of Gooigi. The addition of Gooigi allows for the title to introduce various new puzzles that utilize the unique skills of the gooey Luigi counterpart. Moreover, it allows for what is perhaps my favorite feature of the game, couch co-op multiplayer. Experiencing this title with my girlfriend was certainly the highlight of the entire game, and one I am sure that many of you will enjoy as well. Being able to share what for many of us is a title we grew up with, with our friends or family, is certainly a welcome addition to the title. However, there are times throughout the game where it felt like multiplayer was not the ideal way to play the title. Whether it was a puzzle that seemed more fit for a single player, or a cutscene that didn’t include your counterpart, the multiplayer aspect of the title was more here if you want it, than a must-experience part of the title.
Multiplayer does not end with the campaign, but also extends to the Dark Moon introduced scare-scraper feature. In this feature, up to 4-players can traverse several levels of the scare-scraper vacuuming up ghosts, and attempting to beat the clock. This feature serves the purpose of extending the life of Luigi's Mansion 3 by providing more hours of fun, and allows the family some game-time together. The feature however, can quickly get boring and leaving you wanting for more changes in what can easily become a stale and repetitive venture up the tower.
Regardless of how or where you play, be it in the roughly 15-20 hour campaign or in the scare-scraper with friends, the title introduces several new features to the Poltergust including the suction shot, burst, and slam attack. Each of these new moves, most of which, the slam attack, provides great new ways to quickly defeat ghosts and traverse the hotel. Moreover, the introduction of these new moves also means the introduction of various new ghosts, some of which may have shields or other abilities which can be counteracted with the Poltergust’s new tactics. Additionally, you will find yourself seeing bold new puzzles utilizing the newly introduced powers of the Poltergust as well.
Of all the new features found in Luigi’s Mansion 3, easily the most entertaining, is enjoying the various designs you will find on each floor. As you traverse the hotel, you will encounter a movie studio floor, a museum floor and a castle floor. Each floor offers a more unique and interesting design than the last. Somehow now one is designed like a Mansion, but beggars can’t be chooser I suppose. Each of the unique concepts provide equally interesting puzzles and challenges as well.
Overall, Luigi’s Mansion has proven to be one of Nintendo’s most popular franchises, and there is no doubt that Luigi’s Mansion 3 is the premiere entry in this franchise. While the namesake does not match the fact that Luigi is on vacation at a Hotel, I suppose it would be rather unrealistic for Luigi to find himself in a haunted mansion a third time. Regardless, the new introductions to the title, including various multiplayer modes, new Poltergust features, great HD graphics, and puzzles utilizing the unique additions to the title, all prove to be welcome features that easily propel Luigi’s Mansion 3 into the likes of some of the best titles on the Nintendo Switch. To me, Luigi’s Mansion 3 is not a must-buy now, but certainly is a must experience title on the Switch.