The cutest horror you’ll ever play? Quite possibly. Here’s our review of the spook-tacular Luigi’s Mansion 3…
Only Nintendo could’ve made this. Only Nintendo could come up with vacuuming ghosts, a pet ghost dog, and a sidekick called Gooigi, who’s made out of goo. Only Nintendo could make a game overflowing with such charm.
Its opening is almost entirely wordless, yet it’s a masterful piece of storytelling that depicts Luigi and the gang travelling to the seemingly innocent Last Resort Hotel, only to later discover it’s haunted by ghosts.
Between a snoozing Luigi, a sprightly little Polterpup, and a Toad driving their bus (how does he reach the pedals?), this is adorable stuff.
With Luigi himself, Nintendo have excelled themselves in the animation department. The way he shivers with fear, waddles around, and cheers his own name in celebration – it all makes for a protagonist it’s hard not to fall in love with, let alone his pleasingly sticky, gooey sidekick.
Throw in some amusing and colourful ghosts, and Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a theme park ride of silly horror filled with genuinely funny slapstick moments. You won’t be scared, but hopefully, Luigi packed more than one pair of dungarees.
It’s good enough to be a Pixar short, but compared to the GameCube original, this is feature-length. This time around, the action takes place in a hotel rather than a mansion, but the plot’s essentially the same: foil King Boo and save your friends who are trapped in paintings. It makes you wonder why the Mario Bros. keep falling for the same trick.
The setting, though, allows for far more creativity than before. What begins as a typical art deco hotel slowly unravels floor by floor into a fantastical and delightfully weird adventure, through medieval castles, pirate ships, haunted museums, and more. Each is haunted by a boss ghost with tons of personality, each a joy to outsmart and suck into your vacuum.
Every room is a detailed and eerie puzzle box, with secrets to uncover and fluttering cash to grab. It’s never overly taxing, but the puzzles make creative use of Luigi (and Gooigi’s) limited moveset, gradually increasing in difficulty and imagination.
One particular level based on a film set is a real highlight, with its multi-room puzzles and movie references. Each floor also has five hidden gems and, later, Boos to discover which all add to your final score – and the game’s longevity.
It’s a mostly linear adventure, and there are some annoying moments that pad out the story – I swear, if I see Polterkitty one more time – but it’s hard to be frustrated when they provide an excuse to revisit such inventive level design, especially when sucking up junk and detritus is so satisfying.
Luigi’s Mansion 3 is Nintendo at their most playful and whimsical – one of the Switch’s very best games that fully realises the potential of the 18-year-old original.
Highlight
Not only can the campaign be played co-operatively, but the ScareScraper mode from Dark Moon also returns. It sees up to eight Luigis working to clear procedurally generated floors of ghosts and money. It can be played online too, though it’s clearly aimed at couch co-op. Then there are the ScreamPark minigames that provide team challenges. They’re a fun diversion from the main story mode.
Verdict: 88%
A creepy, interactive cartoon that’s boo-tifully animated and hugely fun.
Genre: Adventure
Format: Switch
Developer: Next Level
Publisher: Nintendo
Price: £49.99
Release: Out now
