The time of a download, that of Luigi’s Mansion 2 HDand the leap into the past it served. Today like yesterday, ghosts, sympathy and a lion’s heart to help, among puzzles and gloomy but not too dark locations: lucky you, Switch owners.
Developer / Publisher: Nintendo / Nintendo Price: €59.99 Location: Complete Multiplayer: Online and local cooperative PEGI: 7 Available on: Switches Release date: June 27
Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, with his technical revisitation of the original Luigi’s Mansion 2 which saw the light on Nintendo 3DS in 2013, is ready to drag us bodily into Doctor Strambic’s secret laboratory and then, if we are brave and skilled enough, to the end credits of an adventure… “ghostbusterosa”.
We had already discussed it a few weeks ago, during thepreview. After the third chapter of 2019The here reviewed Luigi’s Mansion 3, the big N has decided to graphically modernize the second episode of the series centered on Mario’s brother to allow everyone, console gaming veterans and apprentices alike, to enjoy its spooky adventures.
THE LIGHTNESS OF LUIGI’S MANSION 2 HD
Put in these terms, some might even think that we are talking about a video game based on fear, jump scares and tension. None of this, nothing further from reality: Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD talks about ghosts and paranormal entities, but it does so with the lightness typical of Nintendo productions that dot the Super Mario universe. From the introduction it is clear that Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is perfect for adults and childrenonce you turn on the Switch, age loses its meaning and value, the only essential requirement to be able to appreciate it is to love good video games, the ones that many of us grew up with and some regret.
Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD talks about ghosts and paranormal entities with the lightness typical of Nintendo productions
King Boo destroyed the Dark Moon, whose positive influence was able to calm the restless ghosts of Cupavalle. Without it, ectoplasms immediately transform into intangible thugs and start getting into one mess after another, with as many hilarious consequences as you can imagine. Having discovered that the five remaining fragments must be recovered to restore Cupavalle to normal, Doctor Strambic can’t help but rely on dear old Luigithe improvised ghostbuster who had already demonstrated his abilities in the first chapter (for the moment not yet landed on Switch, ed.).
Don’t be fooled: every room hides secrets, ghosts and treasures.
Playing as a reluctant Luigi, our task is to gather courage and recover the scattered fragments five different settings, each well characterized in terms of gameplay, design and personality. Thanks to some fundamental tools such as the Poltergust 5000, a perfect vacuum cleaner for sucking up ghosts (but also for blowing away objects, recovering coins, inflating balloons and a whole series of actions that I will gladly leave you the pleasure of discovering), the Rainbowlight to flush out illusions and Strobobulb to blind enemies, our mission is not impossible.
you need to rack your brains, sharpen your vision and completely immerse yourself in the shoes of the paranormal investigator
So much equipment would be the envy of Archimedes and Igon, but it’s not enough, you need to rack your brains, sharpen your vision in search of useful clues to overcome the many obstacles and completely immerse yourself in the role of the paranormal investigator. There are carpets to roll up using the Poltergust 5000, edges of upholstery to tear off to reveal secret passages, places that are only apparently inaccessible, invisible doors to reveal and much, much more. Always keep your eyes open: all the details are important.
ONE LEVEL LEADS TO ANOTHER?
As in the original, unlike the first and third chapters, The adventure setting is layered therefore there is not a single freely explorable scenario. Each scenario is divided into missions so it must be tackled several times, but don’t despair because the devs have seen fit to insert some environmental changes here and there that don’t hurt. The road that leads to the precious fragment and, therefore, to the next setting is littered with objectives to complete, whether they are gears to recover to unlock a gate or a hydraulic pump to reactivate in order to access another area. After completing the series of missions included in each level, we reach a boss fight, which promptly turns out to be the highlight not only because it allows us to continue the story, but also because it always puts us in front of fun, imaginative and engaging battles. , in which the game does its best to put us in difficulty. Although in each mission the objectives change as well as the areas in which it is possible to access, having to visit already known areas is to be taken into account as well as a certain amount of repetition. The feeling is exacerbated by the lack of intermediate checkpoints, a solution which, in the event of departure, forces us to start the mission all over again regardless of where we have arrived.
Every enemy has its weak point, even that carnivorous plant back there.
It’s not the end of the world, after all it’s not a roguelike where you die a lot, but when it happens you have to ask yourself: Couldn’t we have intervened in some way? For some it will be trifles, I realize. Probably also the rhythm interrupted by the constant coming and going from Dr. Strambic’s laboratory will be, just like any too many difficulties with the checks which will be declassified as my personal impediment, this too is there. In this last case, however, let me break an argument in my favor: since Luigi cannot dodge but only move a little more quickly, during the most frenetic moments it is not the most comfortable to aim the Poltergust precisely and at the same time use the Strobobulb , Here you are.
Like those eternally wonderful people regardless of age, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD was and remains a great game
Like those eternally wonderful people regardless of age, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD was and remains a great game, both in single player (fifteen hours of campaign, but completionists could double it) and in the Tower of Chaos and its co-play challenges -op local or online, with different timed modes ready to give us a hard time. Graphic retouching gives a semblance of contemporaneity to models and environments that takes nothing away from the stimulating gameplay, curious in its proposed mechanics, light in its approach but not to be taken lightlyIndeed, it strengthens its hold on the player as it eliminates the wrinkles caused by time, allowing ideas to stand out and showing us that the valid ones are immortal. Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD carries with it the defects of the original but, in the same way, it is flecked with all those notable qualities which, eleven years ago, for many of us made it a memory to be cherished with care. So that’s fine, Nintendo strikes again and does so with the confidence of someone who trusts blindly in his attacks or in his games. Blessed are the owners of the Switch, a great little console that, apparently, absolutely doesn’t want to know about retiring.
In short: Fun, light-hearted, stimulating, ghost-busting and adorable, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is a great game that mixes joy, brilliant ideas and ghosts with expert craftsmanship. It’s not perfect because the original wasn’t perfect, for example the level setting can make you turn up your nose as can the repetitiveness or the resulting rhythm, but there’s no doubt that those who appreciated the chapter on 3DS will also love this revisitation. Those who have never played it before can finally fill the gap with a game suitable for adults and children, full of passion, attention to detail and curious ideas, both in single player and multiplayer. As usual, when Nintendo is involved: if we had more video games like this, the world would probably be a better place.
Test Platform: Oled Switches
How It Is, How It Runs: Good frame rate and overall rendering in high definition, we are faced with a good technical sector and good modernization work. You may notice some graphic artifice related to the lighting and the use of the Strobobulb, but nothing tragic.
