Who ya gonna call? Ghostbuster’s….??? Uhhhhh No! In Fact, Luigi is being called into action for this Haunted Adventure. Unlike the previous 2 adventures, Luigi is a lucky winner of a free stay at the Last Resort Hotel. Luigi is instructed to bring any Family Members or Friends with him to stay at this Luxurious Hotel. Our Hero is filled with excitement, although not much else is known about The Last Resort Hotel or there gracious host, Ms. Hellen Gravely. Luigi, Mario, Princess Peach, and Three Toads, board a charter bus and make their way to the hotel. Little did our friends know that they were headed straight for a trap!
Eat you heart out Peter Venkman and Crew! Luigi’s Mansion is a delightful game that actually feels like one of the best Ghostbuster-Esque Video Games ever made. The action takes place inside a Haunted Hotel where our Hero will explore, solve puzzles, battle ghosts, and take part in awesome Boss Battles to save his Family and Friends who are trapped inside Haunted Picture Frames. There are a variety of themed floors throughout the Hotel where Luigi must use his wit and his trusty Poltergust G-00 ghost sucking Vaccum. Luigi is also armed with the Strobulb Flashlight that freezes apparitions in their tracks, and a Dark-Light Device that reveals hidden items or ghosts that are trying to conceal themselves. With these tools at Luigi’s disposal and a lot of help from Professor E-Gadd, Luigi is able to blow out items, launch a plunger, slam ghosts on the ground or into each other, fire a grapple plunger with the ‘Suction Shot’, create a shockwave, and lift enemies up with a burst.
Luigi also has the Virtual Boo at his disposal (Virtual Boy). This device allows Luigi to examine the Hotel Floors he has visited, keep track of the collectible gems that can be found on each floor, and keep in contact with Professor E-Gadd for helpful hints. Money collected with the Poltergust G-00 can be used to buy Gold Bones, Boo Finder Cartridges, Gem Finder Cartridges, and buy hints from the E-Gadd Virtual Hotline. There are floor themed collectible gems on each floor that when bought will activate the rumble function on the controller making it easier to spot hidden gems or Boos. During the course of Luigi’s adventure, Professor E-Gadd will often communicate through the Virtual Boo to aid Luigi in solving puzzles. E-Gadd may even require that Luigi come visit him in the basement of the Hotel (E-Gadd’s Command Center), where he will introduce our hero to new gadgets and offer clues to solve the many mysteries within the Hotel.
One of the coolest features in the game and one of my personal favorites, is the use of Luigi’s Gelatinous Doppleganger ‘Gooigi’. By simply pressing in on the right thumbstick, Luigi can summon Gooigi, using both characters simultaneously to solve riddles, puzzles, and acquire items otherwise unobtainable to Luigi. While using Gooigi, Gooigi is able to squeeze in between bars, slither through tiny holes and crevasses, and work in unison with Luigi to circumvent blocked paths. Gooigi has some weaknesses that one must be mindful about. Gooigi is weak to fire and water, and if Gooigi comes into contact with either element…..he will be immediately returned to Luigi. Gooigi has 25 hit points, while Luigi has 99. I had a blast ‘Switching’ (no pun intended) between Luigi and Gooigi. Gooigi reminds me of the T1000 Terminator, only made out of green Jello instead of a polyalloy (liquid metal). In any case, using both characters to solve puzzles is pure genius.
There are many enemies that Luigi will encounter while exploring the Haunted Hotel. with the use of the Dark-Light Device, many of these ghouls are made visible and stunned for a brief moment. This allows Luigi to suck them up (Ghostbuster Style), using the Poltergust G-00 Vacuum. Below is a list of some of the enemies you will encounter.
- Boos
- Goob
- Hammer
- Oozer
- Slinker
- Trapper
- Mini-Goob
- Mini_Hammer
- Agoobis
- Tutankhammer
- Slabhammer
- Sir Goob
- Disco Hammer
- Neon Goob
There are rare ghosts to collect as well as many Boss Battles that are extremely fun and entertaining. One of my favorite Boss Battles involved going toe to toe with Mr. Amadeus Wolfgeist. While battling Amadeus Wolfgeist, he will send forth his minions to distract you. After defeating his minions he will summon a giant grand piano, where he will jump inside and hide like a Coward. The piano with Amadeus inside will hurle itself into the air, target Luigi, and attempt to come crashing down on Luigi in an attempt to end his assault. After Defeating Amadeus, you will receive an Elevator Button for the 6th floor. Elevator Buttons are very important because they have been taken from the Elevator and it is up to Luigi to find them. These Elevator buttons can be found by performing certain duties and are awarded for defeating bosses. The Combat in Luigi’s Mansion 3 is on point. I felt like a true ‘Ghostbuster’, sucking villains up with my backpack and then slamming them into the ground over and over. Very enjoyable, especially if you have had a rough day at work and are looking at releasing some energy.
There are some cool Game Modes in Luigi’s Mansion 3, like ScareScraper and Scream Park. ScareScraper allows up to 8 player Co-Op Multiplayer, which consists of 4 Luigis and 4 Gooigis. The Goal of this Game Mode is to either clear 5, 10, 20 or even a random number of floors between 2 and 20. You are given a 5 minute time limit for each floor, except for the Rooftop where your time limit has been increased to 10 minutes. This mode also has procedurally generated floors with different challenges on each floor. Whether you are capturing ghosts, finding toads, collecting money, or defeating crows……this mode is very addictive! ScreamPark is a multiplayer mode where 2 teams compete against each other on different levels to collect the most Goobs. Also in this mode, collecting coins or the most bull’s eye targets can be extremely fun! Watch out though, you will have to avoid a barrage of traps and Cannon Fire to Win.
Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a pure joy to play. Once you learn the mechanics of the game and get past the first few levels, this game opens up and I found myself totally blown away by how much fun I was having. Capturing the ghosts with the Poltergust G-00 is very intuitive and the Themed Boss Fights are excellent. Its feels like a cross between a Ghostbuster’s and Lego Game. Collecting items and gold bars as you progress through the Haunted Hotel becomes so addictive. I found myself wanting to comb every inch of the current level before I proceeded forward. There are many enemies with unique strengths and weaknesses, as well as many hidden items and collectibles that make this game a winner! It’s up to you to save Luigi’s Family and Friends……do you have what it takes to get through this ghastly adventure?
Luigi’s Mansion 3
By
Next Level Games
I give this Game a 9/10
Game Reviews by Techno Fabulous 