Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD Review

The Dark Moon takes the limelight once again with the release of Tantalus Media and Nintendo’s Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, a release with roots that can be traced back to the Nintendo 3DS. Should players grab their Poltergust 5000, or does this title simply suck?

Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD Review

Things go sideways right from the offset, with the ghosts of Professor E. Gadd’s world changing from pacifist to terrorist after the Dark Moon was shattered. Making a swift retreat to his bunker, Professor E. Gadd enlists the help of his good pal Luigi to get the pieces of the Dark Moon back together – and collect some goodies like gems along the way.

Thankfully, Luigi has the right tools for the job. For those who have yet to bust ghosts in the Luigi’s Mansion series, this tall hero differs from his brother’s outings by having players utilize the Poltergust 5000 to suck up ghosts – and anything else of interest.

As a result, Luigi’s Mansion 2 prides itself on exploration. As Luigi utilizes the Dual Scream (heh) device, Dark-Light Device, and Strobulb, they’ll scour each area in the hunt for items, ghosts, and more. Each item keeps things fresh without overwhelming players with too many options.

On that note, think of Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD as puzzle-based gameplay rather than the more traditional pixel-perfect platforming of Mario’s outings. No need to be scared, though; wrangling ghosts in Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is easily a highlight. 

Originally made for the Nintendo 3DS, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD’s world of Evershade Valley gradually unlocks new areas over time. Haunted Towers, Old Clockworks, Manors, and more all await, each culminating in a bout with a possessor that contains a bit of the Dark Moon you so rightly seek. 

While it is nice that the title breaks each area down into bite-sized chunks (complete with a ranking system!), don’t expect each area to be too overly in-depth.

The same goes with the overall presentation of Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD. While it certainly lives up to its HD moniker with a higher resolution, the graphics noticeably show their age compared to his brother Mario’s adventures. 

One thing worth noting though is that the multiplayer ScareScraper mode manages to make the formula work well with others. Broken down into Hunter, Polterpup, and Rush, these different modes serve as a nice break from the game proper. They’re not overly in-depth, but they are still welcome nonetheless – and with online support to boot.

Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is well worth a play for those looking for sheer charm and puzzling adventures in equal measure; just don’t expect too many new twists and turns as you bust ghosts in the moonlight.

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