The basic premise is simple yet effective: Luigi and friends receive an invitation to a luxurious hotel. Upon visiting, Luigi quickly learns that the 'Last Resort' hotel is too good to be true. King Boo and the hotel owner, Helen Gravely, capture Mario, Peach, and the Toads in paintings, but Luigi manages to narrowly escape. Now, armed with the new Poltergust G-00, it is up to our terrified hero to save the day once again.
Gameplay & Pacing
The pacing in Luigi's Mansion 3 is excellent. There is never a point where it feels like it is dragging or moving too quickly. It remains a consistently engaging experience from the lobby to the roof. The new mechanics add a satisfying weight to the combat and exploration.
The Floors: Variety & Creativity
The hotel setup allows for an incredible amount of variety. Each floor has a completely unique theme—from a pirate restaurant to an Egyptian tomb and even a movie studio. The 'Paranormal Productions' floor is a standout, featuring neat Easter eggs. If you don't capture the director ghost immediately, he will actually edit the movie footage that you can watch before the final boss, which is a brilliant touch of detail.
I loved revisiting floors to find all the hidden gems and Boos. The puzzles strike a great balance, often requiring you to swap between Luigi and Gooigi to solve environmental challenges.
Multiplayer Modes
The game supports co-op throughout the main story, with a second player controlling Gooigi. Beyond that, the **ScareScraper** returns, allowing up to 8 players (online or local) to work together to clear floors. Objectives vary from capturing all ghosts to rescuing Toads or collecting coins. It's chaotic and requires genuine teamwork, especially when dealing with hazards like bats and traps.
There is also **Scream Park**, which offers Mario Party-style minigames like Coin Floating, Cannon Barrage, and Ghost Hunt. These are fun distractions for local play.
Visuals & Atmosphere
Graphically, this is arguably one of the best looking games on the Nintendo Switch. The animation is Pixar-quality, with Luigi's expressions selling every moment of terror and relief. The lighting and atmosphere are top-notch, though I arguably would have preferred slightly darker lighting in some areas to enhance the spookiness. The music perfectly complements the vibe, shifting dynamically as you explore.
Critiques
I do have some nitpicks. A specific section involving 'Polterkitty' forces you to backtrack through previous floors, which felt a bit like padding. Additionally, the Slam mechanic, while satisfying, can sometimes trivialise combat by making ghosts disappear too quickly. The ending also felt a bit abrupt and 'weird' in its resolution, but it didn't ruin the experience. I also questioned the lack of substantial post-game content—is it necessary? Maybe not, but I didn't want the fun to end.
Conclusion
Luigi's Mansion 3 is a phenomenal game. It revisits the charm of the original while adding enough new mechanics to feel fresh. With its stunning presentation, clever puzzles, and varied bosses (mostly), it earns a high recommendation.
