I'm about to say some mean things about a game that I feel is still very good, but I can't help but feel disappointed because I expected something different.

A lot of complaints about the second game point to the mission structure, and while here you don't have a mission select menu I feel like each floor feels even more segmented as a mission and disconnected from the whole. With the second game there was still a sense of discovery at the new areas you got to explore in each mission, and a progression that felt connected. In this game you barely get to feel any sense of exploration as each floor plays mostly as a linear mission to the boss and you don't experience anything else in that space again, just taking the elevator to the next set of rooms (Don't even try to bring up the Polterkitty).

Also in the pursuit of a bigger, more complex game Luigi's moveset is expanded with too many similar possibilities. Let's suppose there is an object you need to break or open, you'll have five moves that could potentially be the solution:

1 - Interact directly with it with the X button
2 - Use the Poltergust to vacuum it and open
3 - Use the Suction Shot and pull it open
4 - Use the Burst and send an air wave to break it
5 - Throw something bigger/harder at it to break

Sometimes puzzles need one of these specific moves and nothing else works, some trial and error ends up happening and you can get somewhat stuck for things that just lack a visual clarity in what it requires.

I feel both prior games achieve better results being simpler games, but it is hard to be a big budget game and not just be bigger to justify the price or even it's existence. Luigi's Mansion 3 is a gorgeous game, it has many unique bosses and many environments to see, but if I ever decide to replay any games in the series, I'll certainly favor the first two.

Reviewed on Feb 15, 2023


1 Comment


1 year ago

Because the review was already long enough I left this out but I'd like to add that, to be fair, most things that you can use the Suction Shot do have a target or somewhat circular shape, but I feel there are too many ambiguous situations, the glass cases in the museum section are particularly esoteric at first glance, and the kitty did stump me once or twice with furniture interactions.