Review: "Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon" (2013) "If You're Gonna Save Mario You Can't Always Be Scared."

REMEMBER to BECOME a FAN by LIKING our FACEBOOK page! Our Honest View

I remember playing Luigi's Mansion for Gamecube when it first came and saying to myself "Maybe he can make it on his own." Well he may have for the predecessor but Luigi has a tough time making the hero in the sequel.

Unlike most reviewers I did not like this game. Well let me rephrase that, there was more stuff I didn't like in this game than did like.

It's easier to start off listing the stuff I did like.

The 3D for one is great in this game and probably the best 3D for the 3D since Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time. However the game constantly wants you to "tilt" your 3DS to angle the Poltergust 5000. To me this was a turn off because it changed how the 3D looked and started to give me a headache. Graphically it is far better than it's predecessor that was on a console. And for the Mario & Luigi franchise this is the best looking game.

I find it amazing how far Nintendo has come, seeing as 3D graphics were the initial plan to the original game but then scraped.

BAM!

You make a sequel that looks better than it's original on a HANDHELD and HAS 3D graphics.

I loved the Poltergust 5000, one weapon to rule the game. It is a all in one that also freezes the ghosts so Luigi can suck them up! This leaves the game simplistic with controls. I mean you use the system itself, the r button, x button and a button to adjust what angle you need.

The story of the game is as amazing as the graphics once again you have the fate of the world depending on Luigi. You must collect 5 pieces of the Dark Moon when your asked upon by Professor E. Gadd. Like I said 5 pieces of the Moon and there are 5 Mansions to go through this time.

With 5 mansions this game is literally 5 times longer than the original. I clocked in about 16 hours to beat the game, and if I remember correctly the original only took me about 5. I however like to find everything which took me so long to beat the game. 

Not to go much into plot but once you find the fourth piece of the moon you are intercepted by King Boo who by no surprised has captured your brother.....MARIO! I thought Peach was suppose to be captured?

Now let me get back to more stuff I didn't like about this game.... The major thing in my eyes is the difficulty. Since the game has no real structure it's hard to collect everything for a level or mansion your in. Don't get me wrong I like the variety of enemies and their difficulty but if I'm in a haunted mansion with someone that is petrified I DON'T WANNA have to think about everything.

I also had to remember this is LUIGI NOT MARIO. So it's not a side scroller that takes a hour to beat with a high replay value. It's a action adventure game with a game. BUT the difference between the two brothers is Mario has more structure when side scrolling which is surprising.

Also the game is hard to find what your looking for. You'll watch a ghost run off with what you need and find yourself stuck in a room for 25 minutes to realize you can use your Poltergust to get out and go find the ghost THEN return. Granted the maps are small I don't particularity want to be traveling back and forth.

Back to difficulty, since there is no real targeting besides when you blind them with light, it is sometimes difficult to change a ghost and stop then when your Poltergust goes in a range motion.

And with no real checkpoints you can spend hours on a puzzle trying to solve something and HAVE to do it again. Sorry but if I'm investing this much time in a game I want to get one solid play through and not do it several times.

This game unlike most has one special feature which redeemed it in my eyes and it's the concept of MULTIPLAYER!!!!

I'd never thought that I would play a game just for the multiplayer but I did in Luigi's Manson. It is so much fun playing with other Luigis. You even have a command options to shout out at the others. You can play through different mansions clearing out of ghosts, or collecting items. There are bonus missions and time trails and other fun extras. For example they have a free for all to find 4 red coins at the end of each mansion when collecting ghosts. You have 10 seconds to go after them. So oblivious one player per coin. This adds up your total score at the end too.

It's truly Mario Party on steroids. The only thing I didn't like about the game is the clumsiness of it. Your playing on the same small maps with 3 other people, there's bumping into each other, stealing prices and keys and other course just sometimes a cluster. Sometimes you can suck up a item that another friend threw because your going after a ghost which is kind of annoying.  A ironic part about multiplayer is when you go to open a door it physcially opens and you walk through. However when a friend does, they phase through...

I'm confused here.

Who am I after then??

The game includes local, online and even a download mode for multiplayer. So even if your around a friend who doesn't have the game it stays true to the multiplayer Mario games. I was hoping however with the multiplayer you could play co-op that would help make this game a little less challenging and a little more exciting.

This new idea with the multiplayer though is the closest thing you'll get to Ghostbusters in 3D.

Our Honest View gives Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon 7.5/10. We've waited for almost 3 years for this game. With the hype that it would be the best 3ds game it is and it isn't. Graphically and story wise it's the best game in the Mario & Luigi I've played. Difficultly wise it was rather disappointed with no set structure. However multiplayer in a Nintendo game will always be redeeming for us!

Replay Value: Moderately (Campaign) Moderately High (Multiplayer)

Similar Games:

By: Gabriel Roderick

• Super Mario Land 3D
• Luigi's Mansion  
• Mario Party DS

REMEMBER to BECOME a FAN by LIKING our FACEBOOK page! Our Honest View