As a college kid, going trick-or-treating is a little out of the norm, but for twins Wren and Reynold, it’s about to get even weirder.
“Costume Quest” is a game designed by Double Fine, the team behind quirky hits such as “Psychonauts” and “Broken Age.” The game centers on a group of twins that are out on Halloween to fill their bags with candy, only to discover monsters have invaded to steal candy for an evil plot.
Just after leaving home, your sibling, depending on which one you chose to play as, is kidnapped by a monster known as a Grubbin. From there, the game becomes a turn-based role playing game as you team up with kids around the neighborhood to stop the Grubbins, save your twin and collect as much candy as you can before curfew.
As you explore the neighborhood, you’ll come across a variety of obstacles blocking your path such as a bully teasing some nerdy kids. To clear the way, you’ll have to use your roller skates to escape the bully and lead them into a dead end while you hop a ramp.
After clearing the way, Everett, a neighborhood kid teams up with you to help you find your sibling. He offers to trade costumes, which opens up the game’s key feature.
The costumes you equip aren’t just for snagging some extra candy while you trick-or-treat. During battle, your simple cardboard costume transforms into a giant version of itself.
Each costume has its own special ability that can be used in battle, ranging from healing your allies to delivering a crushing blow to a group of enemies. Reynold’s robot costume became a giant mech, capable of launching a missile barrage to destroy a group of enemies.
My personal favorite of the bunch was the Statue of Liberty, which called upon the powers of patriotism to heal the party. Other costumes had their own flashy, over-the-top gimmick that made me laugh as I fought my way through the story.
Combat in the game is turn-based, with a slight twist. Each move is timing-based, with a mini-game to accompany the move to deal extra damage or block a potentially fatal blow. Even if you miss, you’ll still land a hit, but you’ll definitely want the boost to help ease the difficulty of battle.
You can also equip battle stamps that are sold by a character in the park that can help turn the tide of battle. Each character can equip a stamp to help boost overall health, allow them to dodge a hit completely or even cause an enemy to flee in terror.
“Costume Quest’s” story is short, only lasting around two to three hours, but it’s filled with humor. Each quest in the game follows a specific character and their need for something specific, such as a dentist that has children bob for healthy apples only to reward them with a bag of sugar-filled candy.
One of my favorite gags in the game is early on where you meet a group of kids dressed more like they’re ready for a Fourth of July party, rather than Halloween. Upon collecting the pieces of the Statue of Liberty costume to be able to enter the party, it quickly becomes apparent that every kid had dressed up as Abraham Lincoln.
“Costume Quest” is light on role-playing game elements, but what it lacks in gameplay, it more than makes up with its humorous story and characters. The game is available for PC, consoles and iOS.
