Costume Quest is a turn-based RPG developed and published by Double Fine Productions.

What I Like

The first thing I noticed about Costume Quest are the sound bars in the main menus. They look like rolls of candy, which is great, especially given the theme of the game.

As your characters are all children, the in-game menu resembling a small, spiralbound notebook is clever. All the items in it appear to be hand written or glued/taped in. It’s thematic and I, for one, quite like it.

Aside from the art and the color palette, which are great, but, by no means, the best thing this game has to offer, the animations are good. Your party walking around in single file is pretty cute, but it is also reminiscent of old school RPGs (Breath of Fire specifically comes to mind).

As with many Double Fine games, the dialogue is genuinely funny most of the time. You’ll find yourself laughing at small jokes and puns over the course of the game.

Most of the costumes you can acquire in the game (which, essentially function as character classes) allow you to perform an extra ability as you travel the game world. For instance, the Robot costume lets you move extra fast or the Knight costume lets you shield yourself from falling debris and other hazards.

One more thing about costumes, at the start of any instance of combat, a short video plays where your characters transform into their costumes. This sequence is really cool and, in my opinion, is a great respresentation of how costumes make kids feel in real life.

Battle Stamps and Creepy Treat Cards are items that you can collect in the game and, while only Battle Stamps have any effect on gameplay, both of these items evoke the joy of collecting things just like these as a child.

The music is well done and blends seamlessly with the atmosphere of the game. Overall, this all makes for an incredibly nostalgic feel for Halloween and Halloween through the imaginative eyes of a child.

What I Don’t Like

Combat in the Costume Quest, while simplistic in nature, is filled with sort of quick time events in order to have a critical hit/defend. While this is an okay idea, I’m not a big fan of quick time events controlling things of this nature in games. I think this is better left to RNG.

The first area is the worst offender, but the game could just use a map in general for you to refer to for navigational purposes.

The Vampire costume’s attacks don’t drain enemy health and return some to you. This, in my opinion, is wasted potential for a fun, thematic mechanic.

On the whole, this game is not very difficult.

Verdict

Costume Quest is better played as a nostalgia trip for childhood, Halloween, and old school RPGs if you’re an older gamer. There isn’t much here to make you come back to the game once you’ve beaten it. The atmosphere is great, but this alone can’t carry a game into greatness. It is great for a playthrough and maybe to revisit if you’re jonesing for something like this.

However, I think that Costume Quest is a fantastic introductory RPG for younger gamers. The game is simple, the mechanics are easy to pick up, and you seldom encounter a battle that requires much strategy. If you have kids or a younger sibling who is just getting into gaming, this is a good, kid-friendly game.

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My Two Cents: Grubbins on Ice DLC

The Grubbins on Ice DLC does not add a whole lot to the game. There’s a somewhat amusing Che Guevara reference, but, aside from a few new costumes, there isn’t much to see here. Take it or leave it. If you really like the game, you’ll probably like the DLC too.