Mario is one of the most famous and most profitable characters in the game business, there can be no discussion about that. But what about his brother Luigi? They wouldn't try in Nintendo, but if only the other, the green one, is always there. He had a more prominent role in sports titles, in RPG games, and even saw his own spin-off jumping. Even during his anniversary, however, he did not receive the attention he deserved. There is, however, one exception in the form of a series in which it shined. Even more than his brother. All they had to do was steal the legendary Ghostbusters and adapt them a little to the universe in which the two plumbers lived.
The Luigi's Mansion series took over the well-known premise of “ghosting” ghosts and linked it to the less-known Nintendo brothers. Luigi is not the hero. He's not the character who goes into battle, defeats the dragon, and rescues the princess. Even so, he became the hero of his own series, where it is paradoxically Mario who needs to be rescued. Otherwise, it will not be in 2019. Luigi's Mansion series is finally returning and after GameCube and 3DS is now aimed at Nintendo Switch. Although it is true that the game itself is a bit misleading.
Luigi's Mansion 3 does not take place in a family home or villa, but in a rather different place. Mario, Princess Peach and others were invited to spend their holidays in a luxury hotel. Luigi, of course, is among the invited, but he's one of the few who doesn't fall into the trap that King Boo set. Perhaps you didn't expect the game to end up as a holiday idyll. These are all things that the E3 demo game has told us. But besides, we were able to try one of the levels that awaits us in full. There was a classic passing through several rooms, but not a fight with the boss.
I have to admit that of all the games on the Nintendo PostE3 Show, I have only played this demo several times. The Elder Scrolls: I don't count Blades, as it was so short that you had to play it more than once to make any impression of it. A reason? It was just so catchy. The game doesn't seem to be challenging anymore. Actually, vice versa. It's very intuitive. If you played the predecessors, despite the news, you feel at home here. If you haven't played them, you can get there immediately. This is helped by Luigi's dog, who will explain the basic principles of gameplay. Whether they are well-established elements or complete news.
There was little news, but the three really follow exactly in the footsteps of their two predecessors. The principles are exactly the same here. The game offers a mix between action, puzzles and adventure. A whole megalomaniacal hotel is waiting for you, full of various rooms, in which there are pitfalls, ghosts and many hidden things that you should definitely be interested in. All of this in the house seemed to be well balanced, and in addition to that, there was an old school hall, which I can get to later. Simply the right genre mix that keeps you playing while still fresh. So if it turns out as in the previous sections.
Luigi is first and foremost a tribe. But he is also the only one who can save others. Once again, he joins forces with Professor E. Gadd, the inventor of the world-famous ghost vacuum cleaner, to have a chance to overcome all the obstacles that the Next Level Games developers have put under his feet. Even though I'm talking about action, Luigi is definitely not an action hero. Shivering, getting hysterical seizures, moaning, but still with greasy enemies. He takes the hose of his “vacuum cleaner” into his hands, grabs it with a ghost, throws it to the ground several times, and then wipes out a cold sweat from his forehead, which is usually watered in such fights. This is exactly what the game is about - a simple and non-violent action where you fight but don't spill a drop of blood
Catching ghosts with your main equipment is the basis of the game. You can soak up ghosts, but your new Poltergust G-00 can also blow everything away. Not just ghosts, but other things as well. This allows you to attract distant coins and objects, but also blow things away if the situation so requires. For example, you pull the watermelon out of the fruit rack to break it later. You can also shoot other objects and similar suction and blowing things later serve not only to fight, but also to solve various puzzles and situations.
Your ghost hunting is similar to the past. Often, the rooms are invisible in the rooms, so you have to notice if you happen to be attacked by a sword just moving in the air. You must first light the spirit with lightning from your weapon before it is vulnerable. So you can try to suck him in, but of course the spirit resists and wants to escape. So you have to fight and try to go in a counter movement. In addition, the spirits also have their “life”. The stronger the spirit, the more it will last and the more it will take you. You can help by barking it to the ground. This will literally knock out his life and greatly simplify the situation.
But you can also take advantage of brand new abilities, such as the pressure wave. It is very useful in situations where you find yourself surrounded by several spirits from each side. And it won't be as unique as you might think. The odds are against you almost constantly. Once you manage it more easily, other times you are more troubled. Especially when ghosts have shields against you. First, you have to overcome their defenses before you can fight. You can also use your UV lamp, which will reveal hidden things (and help you solve some side tasks). But there is also a Gooigi, a kind of green gelatin clone of Luigi that can cross sharp obstacles and at the same time you can interact with the mechanisms using two characters at the same time, you just have to switch between them. You may not be surprised that this demo showed us especially during puzzles.
Luigi's Mansion 3 really learns a lot from the old school, which showed us a lot of hidden rooms, side activities, or collectible items. Often you have them in front of your nose, you just have to move your head to find out how to get to them. Other times, you don't see them and only reveal them because of your curiosity. Expect so many hidden doors and similar elements. The game also adheres to the sacred rule of three, which showed us the fight with the boss. First, it needs to be disarmed three times and blasted to the ground, after which the real fight begins. It's classic, but it's fun too.
The visual game follows exactly in the footsteps of its predecessors. So it offers distinctly stylized graphics, based on Mario platforms, but adds a bit of spirituality and comedy-horror atmosphere. Animations have been very nice, even if you are not playing the main character just standing. Luigi was shaking if there was still a ghost in the room, which is a clear indication for you. In addition, the hotel rooms are full of details. Some can be destroyed, others not. You have to try it yourself and in time we will probably learn to estimate it. All of this is helped by appropriate music and sound effects, as the characters are not dubbed.
But I missed one thing very much in the house. Nintendo at Treehouse Stream E3 also featured multiplayer, which will obviously be a larger part of the game, offering both collaboration and rivalry. It can be great fun both in local and online mode, but we have to wait. However, the campaign sample appealed to us and was also quite entertaining. If the whole game is like this, there is something to look forward to. It plays well, it looks nice, there are a lot of references to the old school and a lot of discovery. In addition, the campaign is supposed to be longer than in Dark Moon, where it could have been those 14-15 hours.
