Luigi's Mansion 3 review

"Wowee zowee"

During the opening cinematic of Luigi's Mansion 3, Luigi looks astonished the Miramostri hotel, shimmering and lush where the ultimate spooky adventure takes place and exclaims: "Wowee zowee". From the moment we heard this sentence, we couldn't help but smile, a smile that accompanied us for much of the adventure, through Nintendo's spooky party - demonstrating how fascinating and enjoyable it is to play Luigi's Mansion 3.

"Luigi's Mansion 3 really proves that the green plumber can be the star of the show"

Of course, Hotel Miramostri is not exactly what it first appears. If you've ever come across a hotel on TripAdvisor that sounded too good to be true, and turned out to be a "true horror show", chances are you'll sympathize with poor Luigi. After receiving an invitation from the hotel owner, Hellen Gravely, Luigi, Mario, Peach and the three Toads head joyfully and joyfully to the vacation spot. We will start by taking a little tour of the lobby with the lovely Polterpup by our side, but soon we will have the feeling that everything is too good to be true. With decadent cakes adorning the tables, piles of presents on the floor and floating balloons, anyone would think this is the best vacation of their life.. After checking into the room and settling in for the night, Luigi is awakened by a familiar scream coming from a nearby room. The polished exterior evaporates in a menacing purple smoke and, with only a flashlight in hand, the nightmare of the poor homegrown plumber will begin.

Revive the spirit

King Boo he is once again the orchestrator of Luigi's last nightmare thanks to the help of his hostess, Hellen Gravely, who freed the ghostly ruler in the real world. Yes, right. Our invitation turned out to be a trap. The King of the Boos has trapped Mario, Peach and the three Toads inside the paintings, and Luigi is the next target. After escaping, the mustachioed plumber returns to himself. The only imperative, to rescue his historical companions and to check out of the nightmare hotel as soon as possible.

The hotel Miramostri it's composed from 15 floors and each level has a different theme. The problem is that the elevator buttons are missing and to access all the floors and advance, it will be necessary to obtain them by defeating a "ghostie boss”On each unlocked floor. The layout is essentially similar to the previous titles in the series. We must solve puzzles, overcome obstacles and progress by unlocking blocked paths. Although the “hunting” territory may be familiar, the setting changes from a villa to a hotel, which makes the third entry in the series seem much larger, especially as it is full of so many activities and variety.

No rooms are alike and each floor presents new challenges. This strain encourages us to experiment with Luigi's entire arsenal - it's incredibly enjoyable when practicing how to pull down a hidden lever or spin a wheel full of shiny coins. From a movie-themed level, to a magical floor crammed with all kinds of deceptions, and so much more, the level designs are extraordinarily creative and it is pure joy to explore them. Some floors are more glamorous than others, but overall, delving into every corner of the hotel to find all the hidden secrets is an infinitely satisfying delight.

New tricks for the plumber in green

Of course, we can't start exploring without the right equipment. Fortunately, too the paranormal researcher Professor E. Gadd gets caught up in the King Boo trap. The professor brings with him a pop-up lab that acts as a menu hub of game in which we can access a gallery of collectibles, buy new ones, check the map and access the competitive cooperative mode Tower of chaos and the multiplayer mode Paranormal games.

To communicate with Luigi as he ventures through the planes, Gadd gives us a VB, or Virtual Boo, which looks exactly like a Virtual Boy. Just like Luigi's Mansion's adorable GameBoy Horror (which pays homage to Gameboy Color) on the GameCube and Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon's Dual Screen (which looks like a DS), we can use the VB to access the map and get useful advice from the professor if we get stuck.

Oh, and it is thanks to E. Gadd that we were able to get our hands on the latest model of Poltergust G-0M. Thankfully, the controls for using the Poltergust are pretty straightforward and - for the most part - run smoothly, which is important since we will spend most of our time sucking in everything that is within our reach. In addition to sucking up the contents of a room, we can also perform a suction shot that fires a plunger at surfaces and objects to pull objects or levers and use the Burst move to blow up. But the highlight is undoubtedly the ability to evoke the personal green doppelganger (alter ego), Gommiluigi.

Welcome Gommiluigi

Luigi's sticky lookalike can pass through grates, cramped spaces and drains, help us move objects we otherwise couldn't move on our own, and is resistant to sharp bullets and spikes. But be careful not to get it wet, it's not a Gremlins but when it gets wet, Gommiluigi disintegrates into a gelatinous stain. Outside of his unique abilities, the green doppelganger, thanks to its versatility, is the perfect way to incorporate two-player co-op. Playing alone, we will necessarily have to switch from one role to another. In some situations - particularly some boss fights - playing alone adds an extra challenge. We can only imagine how much easier it would have been if a friend had taken control of the jelly-like character (via Joy-Con or Pro Controller), but Luigi's Mansion 3 is super enjoyable on your own too, so don't be afraid if the title looks like it was. conceived with cooperation in mind. The addition of Gommiluigi in general gives a jolt to puzzles and riddles that can be solved in inventive ways, and the sticky "boy" is certainly one of the best additions there could be, injecting a breath of fresh air to the adventure.

Ghosts and gold in abundance

Of course, we will fight many irreverent ghosts during the "stay" in the hotel. The exploration component is much more satisfying than sucking in the hideous demons, but once again Luigi's Mansion 3 shines in this respect thanks to its variety. There are very different ghosts who use weapons, clothing and moves that prompt us to try different tactics and tricks. We happily admit that on more than one occasion we tried random moves until we could find a solution - because it's not always that obvious (especially with bosses) - but once we understand what works and what doesn't, we're there. feel like the most talented ghostbuster around.

"The variety of ghosts prevents things from becoming too routine."

Eliminating ghostly enemies involves making a sequence of moves to collect them in the vacuum. Using our trusty Strobobulbo, we will be able to stun the ghosts, suck them in with the Poltergust by moving the left analog stick in the opposite direction to that of the enemy, until performing a final move when their health is almost exhausted. Pulling ghosts can get a little clunky at times due to how the Poltergust gets stuck in place, and after vacuuming one more ghost and one more for what feels like the thousandth time, we want yet another ghostly fight. The variety of ghosts prevents things from becoming too routine.

He may be a coward, but Luigi knows a lot about ghosts and those in this hotel don't know what awaits them!

Each boss that we will face at each level has a unique style that is linked to the themes of the various floors of the hotel. Therefore, the bosses have different characteristics, some are immune to certain moves rather than others. So, for example, a Chief of the Security Guard who wears sunglasses that protect his eyes from Luigi's Strobobulb, cannot be stunned as we normally would. Each boss pushes us to experiment with all the available moves in different ways, so no fight will turn out to be too stale or similar to the other.

Other activities

In addition to the ability to play with a friend, there are three minigames included in: Paranormal Games. Cacciaspettri, divided into two teams to suck as many ghosts as possible, Cannon fire, hit moving targets using a cannon, and finally, Fluttuamonete using a rubber duck, we will have to collect the largest amount of coins in a pool.

What we liked the most is the mode Tower of Chaos, playable by two players on the same console and up to four online. We will then be called to vacate several floors of the hotel before time runs out. The peculiarity is that being procedural levels they will always be different.

Animated scares

Luigi's Mansion 3 is absolutely gorgeous. In fact, is one of the coolest games on Nintendo Switch so far. The animation is wonderfully expressive and charming, with so much attention to detail. From the sewing work on Luigi's suit, to the horrified expressions of our dear scared plumber, every single cutscene and level design is beautifully executed.

Overall, Luigi's Mansion 3 manages to strike the right balance of old and new to offer a refreshing effect to the formula we've come to know and love from the series. Newcomers and longtime fans are sure to be delighted to explore all the hotel has to offer. Solving all the wonderfully clever puzzles will make you feel satisfied, and with so much personality and charm, Luigi's Mansion 3 truly proves that the green plumber can be the star of the show. After all, Mario can't have the limelight all the time.