Luigi's Mansion 3 (Nintendo Switch) Review

Luigi is back on yet another ghostly adventure, and this time Mario, Princess Peach, and a number of Toads have been invited to a luxurious hotel, but all is not what it seems, as their dream holiday will quickly turn sour. Luigi is the last person standing, and the only one with the outstanding résumé to handle such a situation to battle against the evil King Boo, in order to rescue his fraternal brother and royalty. Notably, as mentioned in Cubed3's preview, the controls in the E3 demo were something that felt slightly off. The combat felt frantic, and not in a good way, which made it difficult to remember Luigi's arsenal of attacks, and when to execute what, perhaps compounded with such a short time to in the initial demo. Thankfully, the full releases introduces Luigi's varied attacking options gradually, and with enough time to get used to it before being presented another attack to master.

Like his first outing, he is equipped with a trusty torch (Strobulb) and bespoke vacuum (Poltergust G-00) to help combat the ghosts in a very Ghostbusters fashion. As per usual, these creatures have come up with inventive ways to avoid Luigi's repertoire of offence, such as wearing sunglasses to avoid being stunned by the Strobulb, or retreating to other parts of the room. Luckily Luigi comes with some new powerful moves as well, such as slamming, the suction shot, and a burst attack. The slam can be used when handling the Poltergust to suck up the ghosts. By pressing A the slam attack is initiated, slamming the ghost around the room, diminishing its HP in the process, and it can also be used to tactically slam into other ghosts too. Some take a more defensive approach, carrying shields, among other items, and that's where the suction shot becomes useful.

The suction shot is a plunger that can be fired off and attached to varying items of furniture and obstacles which can then be yanked open or smashed to the ground. Aiming the suction shot can be difficult, although there is a motion-based aiming system should players wish to use it. The Burst is more of a defensive attack which propels Luigi off the ground ever so slightly, enabling him to avoid certain attacks, or blow a sudden gust of air, which can phase ghosts temporarily. The returning Dark Light Device from Luigi's Mansion 2 also comes in handy to reveal hidden furnishings, weapons, doorways, and can be used to bring particular paintings back to life, which in this case is essential to the story. On top of this, Luigi also has the returning Gooigi, a gloopy gooey doppelganger of Luigi, who can get go through wire fences, squeeze through pipes, and walk on spikes. Gooigi only has a small amount of health, and is susceptible to water and fire, however it is imperative to solving certain puzzles throughout the campaign as well as some boss battles.

Controlling Gooigi is done by clicking the right stick on Joycon R, which will switch play between the gooey gleen blob and Luigi - alternatively a second player can jump into the mix and play as Gooigi. All in all, there are a number of gameplay mechanics that have grown from the original Luigi's Mansion on the GameCube, which now serve to have more developed puzzles and intuitive ways to solve them. Luigi's Mansion 3 still errs on the easier side of difficulty, but finding the hidden loot in each room feels exceptionally rewarding. That noise of collecting gold, coins and jewels would fit right at home in a mobile free-to-play title - the only thing that has changed since the last two entries is that there is even more gold to plunder than ever before.

Next Level Games has done its best to develop the environments in the mansion, which this time isn't really a mansion but a hotel. The hotel setting allows for much more varied backdrops and surroundings which evoke a different atmosphere compared to previous entries in the series. Progression is indicated on a hotel floor-by-floor basis, starting at the bottom of the building, and gradually working all the way to the top. Each floor represents a new setting, including a medieval theme park, an indoor garden showcase, and a movie studio. The rooms in the hotel do seem a little farfetched; especially as the floor plan of certain floors span multiple stories in themselves. It doesn't matter how implausible the settings are as they give a much needed face-lift to the series which was perhaps in fear of getting stale if Luigi was exploring another mansion-style building, and luckily the hotel and its many environments allow for more inventive puzzles for Luigi to solve.

While on the subject of face-lifts, the multiplayer modes need to be mentioned, which can be played locally or online. Scarescraper from Luigi's Mansion 2 returns, and now features eight-player mode. Scarescraper pits progression from floor to floor, in a procedurally generated environment, where a number of co-operative Luigis hunt ghosts that need to be captured before an allotted time. Screampark on the other hand is the competitive mode which contains a few multiplayer mini-games, such as Coin Floating, that requires the participant to grab as much money as possible, or Cannon Barrage, which utilises the cannons to fire weapons at the opposition and to hit targets. The multiplayer is a good change of pace from the main game, but the fact there are only a few multiplayer options is really indicative of how long it would really capture the fans for. The mini-games will be getting DLC treatment, although costs have not been quoted as of yet.

Additionally, there is a large amount of charm, right from Luigi's relationship with Polterpup, his ghostly dog friend, to the number of cowardly reactions that he has. Before the original Luigi's Mansion, Luigi was just another Player 2 character that only had a few opportunities to shine individually. Since then Luigi's persona has really come into his own, from his appearances in Luigi's Mansion, Mr L in Super Paper Mario, the Luigi death stare from Mario Kart 8 or the more recently released, Mario Tennis Aces. Luigi's animations, reactions and quivering personality, evoke a number of charming comedy moments that are quite literally priceless. Despite characterisations and environments looking wildly great, the same cannot be said for the score, which doesn't perhaps shine through as much as previous entries.