E3: Luigi’s Mansion 2 sucks the right way

I had to rush through my time with Luigi’s Mansion 2 because there was much stuff to see at the secret inner sanctum on Nintendo’s E3 offices, but I definitely say that the game’s open moments remain true to the the spirit of the original title. I was concerned at first that the sequel would try to hard to “keep up with modern” gaming, and in doing so, lose a bit of its soul. The first game worked great as a parody/tribute to the older, slower paced Resident Evil titles, so I instinctual assumed that this new Luigi’s Mansion might try to keep pace with the likes of later Resident Evil titles like Resident Evil 5.

There was some validity to that assumption, as Luigi is now able to move much more quickly, and there is a little more emphasis on action. You can strafe, and fire bolts of light from your with your flashlight, as well as use the more passive suck and blow features of the Poltergust. You can even charge it up for a concentrated, bombshell burst of light, which really makes those ghosts feel bad.

Beyond those new additions, the game seemed to stick the same atmospheric, light-hearted, action/puzzle/horror fun from first game. I’m not too sure that this game will draw in people who didn’t like the first Luigi’s Mansion, especially in in today’s modern CoD/GoW/WoW focused gaming climate, but fans of the original title can safely place their pre-orders now.