As an investment analyst and gaming industry expert, I highly recommend Luigi‘s Mansion 3 as a must-buy game for Nintendo Switch owners. With extremely positive reviews, excellent replay value, and fun co-op, it‘s one of the best exclusives available on the platform.
Overview and Background
First, let‘s quickly recap what the Luigi‘s Mansion series is all about. The games star Mario‘s lanky brother Luigi, who must explore haunted locales using a specialized vacuum cleaner called the Poltergust to suck up ghosts. It blends an unlikely mix of ghostbusting action, puzzle solving, and adventure through creepy environments.
Luigi‘s Mansion first released in 2001 for the Nintendo Gamecube. The sequel, Luigi‘s Mansion: Dark Moon, arrived on the 3DS in 2013. This third entry comes exclusively to Nintendo Switch.
Steady Sales Growth for the Series
Looking at sales data, we see a steady upward trajectory for the Luigi‘s Mansion franchise over time:
- Luigi‘s Mansion (GCN): 3.6 million units
- Dark Moon (3DS): 5.45 million units
- Luigi‘s Mansion 3 (Switch): Over 8 million units and counting
This shows a viable existing fanbase, and an opportunity to court new fans among the Switch‘s growing install base.
Universal Acclaim from Critics
Reviews for Luigi‘s Mansion 3 are stellar across the board:
- Metacritic: 85% average from over 100 critics
- IGN: 9/10
- GameSpot: 8/10
- GamesRadar+: 4.5/5
Critics praise the gameplay, visuals, content variety, and humor. It stands out as one of the highest rated Switch exclusives.
Key Improvements Over Previous Games
Let‘s discuss some of the new gameplay features that make Luigi‘s Mansion 3 the best entry in the series yet:
- Gooigi – This gooey doppelganger enables two-player co-op throughout the entire story, perfect for kids and parents playing together.
- New Vacuum Abilities – Luigi can now slam and burst ghosts with powerful new suction moves, leading to satisfying combat.
- Expanded Exploration – With 15 themed floors to explore, this adventure is much bigger than the prior games.
These improvements modernize and expand the classic Luigi‘s Mansion formula into a fully realized 3D action-adventure.
Co-Op, Multiplayer Add Longevity
A major strength of Luigi‘s Mansion 3 is the wealth of content beyond the 10-15 hour main story, adding tremendous replayability:
- Two-player co-op across the full story and ScareScraper mode
- Up to 8 player local wireless and online – ScreamPark mini-games
- Hidden collectibles – Gems, boos, money rewards to vacuum up
- Achievements – Challenges to complete like no damage runs
With so much variety beyond the main game, you‘re looking at 30+ hours of entertainment. This level of content matches or exceeds the top Switch games.
Fun for All Ages
While featuring ghosts, Luigi‘s Mansion offers spooky fun minus any real scares. There‘s no blood or gore. It earns a kid-friendly ESRB rating of E10+. Common Sense Media recommends it for ages 7+.
So whether you want to cooperatively play with a younger sibling, or have a laugh trapping ghosts as an adult, Luigi‘s Mansion 3 accommodates all ages. This gives it an edge for families and groups with players of varying maturity.
A Unique Adventure
Super Mario Odyssey was phenomenal, but in some ways Luigi‘s Mansion 3 carves out an even more distinct gaming identity. The ghostbusting premise stands apart, letting Luigi shine outside Mario‘s shadow for once!
The change of pace is welcomed – Luigi‘s Mansion excels by offering lots of variety beyond a traditional platformer. If you crave imaginative Switch experiences, Luigi‘s latest adventure should be on your radar.
Satisfied Fans
Glancing at gaming forums and Reddit, Luigi‘s Mansion fans are thrilled by how this sequel turns out:
- "The floor themes are so creative I‘m smiling the whole time!"
- "Finding all the hidden collectibles took me over 20 hours."
- "Co-op is a blast, I already played through the story twice with different friends."
After nearly a 12 year wait since Dark Moon, fans feel it was well worth the wait.
Game Length Breakdown
According to HowLongToBeat, here is a breakdown of Luigi‘s Mansion 3‘s length:
- Main Story: 10 hours 25 minutes
- Main + Extras: 17 hours 25 minutes
- Completionist Run: 23 hours 45 minutes
So you‘re looking at 10-15 hours for a standard playthrough, or 20-25 hours for a 100% run. That‘s excellent replay value on par with top Switch games like Zelda or Mario.
Final Recommendation
In summary, Luigi‘s Mansion 3 offers unmatched variety, from its ghostbusting adventure to co-op hijinks to hidden collectibles. It modernizes the series with new abilities and a gorgeous new hotel setting. Low on scare factor yet big on fun, it‘s suitable for all ages and perfect for sharing laughs and screams with friends and family this Halloween and beyond.
So should you buy Luigi‘s Mansion 3? As an investment analyst focused on the gaming industry, I wholeheartedly recommend picking it up. This franchise continues to grow, and this new entry stands tall among the Nintendo Switch‘s best exclusives.
