Today is Halloween, the day we all dress up in silly costumes and harass people for candy. It’s also the day that Nintendo has chosen to launch Luigi’s Mansion 3 – a perfect piece of timing, if you ask us. But, you may be wondering, is the game worth a look?
Well, if you’re a seasoned reader of Nintendo Life then you will have already seen our Luigi’s Mansion 3 review and will be aware that we thought it was brilliant fun. “The amount of care and consideration poured into every facet of the game is abundantly clear, and it all results in one of the most enjoyable and attractive Switch titles of the year,” is what we said. So there.
Still not convinced? Then check out what the rest of the industry has been saying.
Polygon felt it was the crowning glory of the series, concluding that:
Each level is a complex onion of ideas to peel back, layer by layer. Next Level Games continues its strong tradition of granting Luigi far more depth than his superstar older brother, even if he is always doomed to keep getting scared for our enjoyment.
Video Games Chronicle awarded the title a whopping 5/5:
Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a stunning, spooky adventure that puts its hero, and the game’s Canadian developer, firmly on the map. Mario may hog the spotlight, but this Christmas’s best Switch adventure belongs to his little brother.
Eurogamer was a little more cautious with its praise, choosing to give the game a ‘recommended’ rating rather than the coveted ‘essential’ accolade:
Part of me still yearns for those dusty carpets of the first Luigi's Mansion - the near pitch black corridors, the fumbling around in the dark. This third entry, by contrast, feels more like Luigi has left the haunted house and gained free reign around the neighbouring theme park. But what a theme park. It's left me excited to see where the series goes next.
IGN – which gave the game a 8.3 score – claimed that it’s the best Ghostbusters game ever made, something which the makers of the recent remaster may take issue with:
Mario, it turns out, isn’t the only plumber in Nintendo’s employ who can carry his own great game. Luigi’s Mansion 3 is so much fun, so charming, and so smartly designed that, moving forward, I really hope we get more than three of these games every 20 years. It’s absolutely the best Ghostbusters game ever made – it just happens to star Mario’s scaredy-cat brother rather than Peter Venkman and Ray Stantz.
Gamespot’s 8/10 review stated:
The game may not radically diverge from the series' formula, but it offers up another meticulously crafted set of challenges to overcome while smoothing out some of the issues that held Dark Moon back, and the sense of accomplishment you feel when you clear a particularly head-scratching obstacle is just as potent now as the first time Luigi unwillingly strapped a vacuum to his back and stepped into a haunted mansion.
US Gamer went with a 4/5 score, saying:
Luigi's Mansion 3 occasionally suffers because of its fixed camera and a ghastly boss fight here and there, but the "goo" overwhelms the bad in this haunting adventure. Sucking up stuff with your Poltergust is still satisfying, and slamming ghosts into each other feels so right. Add buckets of charm, and you have a game that proves—yet again—that Luigi is the superior Mario Brother.
If you’ve been moved to make a purchase, then feel free to check out the links below and be sure to bookmark our gem location and Boo guides for future reference.
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Comments 42
Yeah, I've always preferred Luigi over Mario. I'm on my way to pick up the game right now. With this and the LRG release of Celeste, the weekend is saved.
Edit: And now I have the game in my hand. Can't wait to get home!
The second game got similar review scores and I really struggled to get into that one at all. Quite enjoying Luigi's Mansion 3 so far though.
1/10, Not enough Mansion
I've just started the game, and I'm sure I'll like it, but only on my TV. At 30fps the game looks horrible. I wouldn't play it in handheld, or without some kind of dejudder function like modern TVs have. With motion smoothening/dejudder it looks really great, just like Breath of the Wild. Modern TVs can make a perfectly frame paced 30fps game look like it's running at 60fps, thank god! Of course it increases input delay, which messes up racing games for sure. But with Luigi's Mansion 3 and Breath of the Wild it makes the games look the way I'd imagine the games makers woul like for it to look in motion. Beautiful.
@Ardisan 7.8/10, too much Luigi!
I've never been interested in these games but they seem to do well. I'll wait this one out or check out some youtube runs of it.
As someone who loved the first game, but hated with a passion the second, I'm still wondering if I would enjoy this. The idea sounds too much what I didn't like in Dark Moon, but GameSpot review had me thinking now..
So glad this game is review well & I hope the sales are there too. This is such a great series. I can’t wait to play it tomorrow.
I have both games on the 3ds and I can't say I am much of a fan. Wiill certainly get this one but (hopefully) on sale one day.
Is Luigi's mansion really just a 2D Zelda lite? Luigi's mansion includes puzzles and top-down exploration, just like 2D Zelda. It's basically a skinned Zelda game with limited "items". 2D Zelda is mostly just remakes or revisions lately, and we've had 2 new Luigi's mansion games and not a true new 2D Zelda in quite some time.
Link's Awakening - remake
Tri-force heroes - multiplayer spin-off that most people hated (not me!)
A Link Between Worlds - intended as a remake, technically/branded a sequel, basically a reimagining.
Spirit Tracks - the last original solo 2D Zelda game came out in 2009. 10 years ago.
I hope we can see a port of Luigi Mansion 1 as DLC since the 3DS port was dead on delivery because of its timing. The assets are there. Please port.
@SuperEndriu good luck. 3 years later and I'm waiting for a ARMs sale.
I’m starting my spooky mansion adventures tonight when I get off work! So hyped!
@BenAV Weird. I loooove the second one, and I’ve always struggled to get into the original. I plan to try again some day, as I own the 3DS version. I always get a few hours in then stop.
@Radbot42 I like this. Sort of a 2D Zelda with one main weapon (that gets upgraded). And the Mansion is a dungeon crawl.
This looks like it has all the makings of being a worthy successor to the first Luigi's Mansion, where LM2-DM was a bit flat on the characterization. So...why do all the reviews seem to sound like there's something a little off? Is it the boss fights? "Too short and shallow"?
@Radbot42 A Link Between Worlds was not even close to, nor was it ever intended to be, a remake of A Link to the Past. Sharing an overworld map does not make it a remake.
This is pretty cool of you guys to highlight reviews from other websites. Not only is it a concise way to read the general consensus before buying the game without having to manually filter through multiple cites, but it also shows you aren't above citing other Nintendo news sites arguably competing against you for our clicks. I like this, please keep doing it as we move forward.
The series never really did anything for me so I am going to pass, looks like a quality video game though.
@Bobb the devs did say that they listened to the fans and added a more open level design with portrait ghost like bosses from what I've been told.
@Radbot42 nice idea, but they have very little in common. Luigi's is level based, and linear. It's also highly cinematic, and lacks all the items that Zelda games have that make them puzzles games. Zelda games are adventure / puzzle games with action elements. Luigi's is an action game, with some puzzle and adventure elements. The cinematic / set pieces are the highlights.
My copy is downloaded and ready to roll for this weekend with the kids ... They don't know yet. Should be fun.
@sixrings
True, it might never happen. Btw 2.5 years! I guess there will be another nintendo selects run.
The thing is, I buy my games according to priorities as I can't play them all and my backlog has grown to such an extent that I doubt I will be able to play it all, lol. Last month I got myself ni no kuni, links awakening and dq11. Still playing dq11 and havent even unpacked the other two. In the meantime they had a sale on etrian nexus on the german amazon, also bought dillons deadheat and sushi striker for cheap to get free shipping. Backlog growing. Still playing dq11 as we speak, lol. So yeah, I think I will wait a while to get Luigi.
Certain things in life cannot wait.
Games like this are supposed to reprioritize your gaming backlog.
This is just too good:)
Stoked for this one, it’ll be here on Monday. Currently really into Disco Elysium and Killer Queen Black, so might not get to it right away.
@Not_Soos if you go on gamerankings.com they log all the individual reviews for you to read and also do an average combining every review. Really good to get an overall pic of how a game is.
Fire emblem is amazing and still working on it ! Xenoblade as well in my backlog. Shining resonance, ys viii, I am setsuna, and that's just my switch. My Xbox is another story! Great time be a switch owner and gamer
I have had this preordered for months. I went to pick it up today and I’m pretty sure my car died. It’s gonna be an arm and a leg to get it fixed - guess this can wait for Christmas
@SuperEndriu same with me which is why I refuse to buy ARMs full price. I can afford it but I can't bring myself to do it. Like you I am waiting for a selects line instead of rewarding Nintendo.
Seems like an enjoyable game that will be forgotten in a month. I think I'll wait for a sale.
@sketchturner Why wait for a sale on everything? lol
Not gonna happen anytime soon.
Didn't get this yet as Luigi's Mansion as a series never really interested me greatly but I'll definitely pick it up sometime down the line. Just not quite yet.
Now if only they'd put Yoshi in there somehow that could convince me to buy the game right away...
I’m hoping I can get it tomorrow. Doesn’t look as good as the first but maybe it very well could be.
@Yosher Adding more Mario characters ruins the charm of Luigi’s Mansion imo.
@60frames-please Man, you need a different console. The switch is functionally a tablet from 2015 (literally). That some things run at all is impressive. 30 fps is the target because if they did shoot for 60fps in all games, you'd have to make a lot of compromises on how you want a game to come across visually. Basically, we need a new switch. I can dig that.
And now to wait for Amazon to ship my copy of the game. They still haven't shipped Wargroove yet =(
My son is quite excited to play this. He's about 6 now and loves Mario Odyssey. The Switch is for him what the NES was for me.
@Xansies To be fair, there's plenty of games on more powerful consoles which don't keep a consistent frame rate, whether because they push that hardware or because the devs don't care. Switching from the Switch wouldn't help that much. Maybe a gaming PC.
To lay my cards on the table, I don't care much about frame rate as long as it isn't less than 30 and inconsistent, but 60frames-please is always fun. I suspect there's some irony in their crusade, but to a level that becomes indistinguishable from sincerity and people's confused and angry responses are always a good time, especially since there's zero active trolling or insulting or hurting anyone going on, just essays about frame rates. I sincerely appreciate their contributions to the Nintendo Life comment section.
@Xansies I know what you mean, but I just don't have much interest in other consoles. I've got a PS3 and Wii U, but I never touch them. I just am really enthusiastic about Switch games that run at 60fps. Around half of Switch games do run that smoothly, so it's obviously possible if developers and companies make it a priority. Grid Autosport, Mario Kart 8, Smash Bros, Mario Odyssey, Bad North, Yooka Laylee and the Impossible Lair, DK Tropical Freeze, Yoshi's Crafted World, Mario Tennis, Pokken Tournament, Fire Emblem Warriors, Splatoon 2, Marble It Up!, Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz, Darksiders, Diablo 3, Gris, Super Mario Maker 2, Beach Buggy Racing, and Paladins all look beautiful at 60 frames per second. There are many, many more that run at 60fps on Switch. Anyways, I just wish it was a higher priority in general. It's looks way more than twice as good as 30fps to me!
@Dodger I agree. Basically I only care of a game is a bit stuttery. If it's not, I typically won't super notice.
@Cathousemaster
Except for maybe A link between worlds and maybe the original (not sure if it was ever intended to be open like that it's too old to ever know) All 2D Zelda games and most 3D Zelda games are linear and level-based. You might have a little exploration between levels, but the levels are there. Zelda has it's cinematic moments too, but making cinematic events a priority as you say Luigi's Mansion does is not a pro for a game. At that point, you're just watching a film with a little gameplay. I know you aren't with LM but I wouldn't say people come to LM because it is cinematic. I say they come because they love the gameplay, the characters, and the funness of the "spookiness"
@Radbot42 I played through and finally finished LM2 ... And although I enjoyed it, it was a grind. By the end of the game it was room after room of lots of ghosts, and became more about not dying from combat than anything else. I would argue the spooky and cinematic is heavily linked - portrait ghosts and the specials. If you took all that out, you would have an average action game.
Re: Zelda - I know what you are trying to say. But there are different levels of "linear". Zelda promotes exploration - especially after you get a new item - so you can find secrets such as extra hearts, or other power ups. In LM, you can always "backtrack" - but the only purpose is to collect something you missed in the first place. It's rare to get a powerup which acts as a key, which opens access to new secrets in places you have completed. And I say rare, as I can think of a couple of use cases ... In links awakening for example, I explored to entire island again after completing the third dungeon. And now I have the flippers, I can do it again. LM ain't like that ... But that's fine, because it's meant to be a different type of game anyway.
@Cathousemaster
And that's what I was trying to get at. It's a Zelda Light style of game. It doesn't have everything but it's pretty damn close.
I wouldn't mind an outside area to explore outside the mansion. Maybe a mountain to climb before the Mansion, a system of caves In that mountain, then A forest outside the mansion, a ranger station, swamp, everything spooky and interconnected.
If they implemented more Zelda things that would be my dream Luigi's Mansion
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