Luigi’s Mansion 3 EGX 2019: Nintendo is on top form
Amongst the immersion of Cyberpunk 2077, the bombastic Final Fantasy VII Remake, the thrill of Marvel’s Avengers, the exciting Pokémon Sword and Shield, Luigi’s Mansion 3 might just be my game of the show.
Admittedly I played the hell out of the Gamecube original, so maybe I’m biased. But the game is Nintendo at their finest: bold, creative and impeccably polished.
The whole demo takes place in a haunted castle, one of many floors of the game’s hotel setting. The section I played (apparently created solely for this demo), shows off a little of everything: combat, puzzle-solving and a boss battle. As with the first game and its 3DS sequel, Luigi hoovers up ghosts Ghostbusters-style using his trusty Poltergust G-00 after stunning them with his torch. Puzzles revolve around sucking and blowing (stop it) with the vacuum cleaner, tricking enemies into becoming vulnerable with the plunger attachment, and shining dark-light on invisible objects. And of course, you must collect as much cash along the way.
New to this game is Gooigi, Luigi’s doppelganger made of green goo. With a click of the right stick, you take control of the sidekick who can squeeze through spikes and activate switches. One section of the demo sees you alternating between the two characters to spin fans, raise and lower a lift and collect treasure. It’s simple stuff, but no doubt there’s more complexity to come.
Combat reached a peak with the demo’s boss, a ghostly knight in armour riding a horse. Luigi must dodge arrows and stun the knight at just the right time using the torch and then rip away his shield with a combination of his plunger and vacuum cleaner. Once sucked, Luigi uses his new slam maneuver with a tap of the A button to deal massive damage. It’s incredibly satisfying and fun to play through.
What’s most impressive, though, is the adorable animation. Scaredy cat Luigi has always been the kind of guy you just want to hug and protect, but now his animations are even more expressive. His persistent frown and shaky voice, his jelly legs, and a new move that sees him launched into the air with a gust of air. This expressiveness is clear in the world too: sucking up evil ghosts and fluttering cash alike is just a joy to behold. And with much more variety in its themed levels this time, there’s more room for Nintendo’s creativity to shine.
The game is released in a couple of week’s time, so not long to wait before a very cute Halloween.
For more coverage of EGX 2019, keep your eyes glued to Gayming Magazine!
