A great downtime game
I was in a slump and didn't really want to bother with the typical game that would make me think too much, whether due to intricate puzzles or combat that required me keeping my focus on just the game. Enter Costume Quest.
I didn't expect much from the game, though I was enlightened to see it was made by Double Fine Productions. A company I've come to know for some quirky yet quality games. So, I took my usual place on the couch, controller in hand, and went in search for candy and costume pieces.
Just like real life, Costume Quest starts with the simple desire to obtain tons of candy. Of course, you're forced to go with your sibling. The game gives you the choice to choose to play as the brother or the sister, and I chose the brother. I've yet to see someone playing as the sister, so I wonder if it truly is even possible. Once you get through the initial sibling rivalry, you're kicked out into the streets to go and collect candy, as is normal on Halloween. As luck would have it, Halloween comes to life and creatures known as grubbins are out to collect candy, and your sibling just happens to be dressed as a large Candy Corn, leading to her abduction and to your night spent traversing through various environments searching for more candy, new costumes, and eventually getting your sister back from the evil grubbins.
The gameplay in Costume Quest is simple. Not mindlessly mash a single button simple, but simple enough that it doesn't require quick reflexes or tactical planning in combat or anywhere else in the game for that matter. It's something my six year old nephew could get the hang of.
Much of your time in Costume Quest is spent acquiring candy, new costumes, questing to open up new areas and collecting stamps, which provide bonuses or new abilities in combat. Candy is acquired by looting practically anything not nailed down, such as garbage cans and jack-o-lanterns. Candy's is used to buy new stamps from one of the kids who seems to follow you around to each of the three main game areas. New costumes are how you gain new abilities, each one offering its own combat attacks and some of them offering new abilities that are required to bypass certain game areas or just helpful in avoiding the grubbins. Quests vary but all have the goal of either opening up a way to get to a new area or learning a new costume pattern. There is a mini game in each area consisting of a bobbing for apples game which requires you get a certain number of points for a small reward. Each area has three levels of difficulty with the mini game, though you can do it as many times as you want to try and beat your previous scores.
Combat is initiated by running into a grubbin or knocking on a door that has a grubbin inside instead of the usual parent willing to fork over a ton of candy. Once initiated, your costume takes over and you and your grubbin opponents grow in size to such a manner that you stand over the current area. Your costume provides you with a basic attack and a super attack that charges up to full after two rounds of combat. Combat attack types vary from three types, melee, ranged, or magical. Each of these types have their own simple mini games that you play in with each attack, success resulting in a critical hit. It won't take you long to get to a point where you will constantly succeed at a critical attack. Super attacks don't have any mini game elements but are devastating attacks, area effect attacks, stuns, or heals. For all but the final battle, you really don't need to worry about when to use a special attack or not since combat is pretty fast and it doesn't take you long to defeat most of your opponents.
As you quest to save your sister you will encounter the various kids and adults out on Halloween night, providing comments that one would expect from Double Fine and surely one of the most entertaining elements. From the grubbins who are just trying to do the job they're commanded to do to the oblivious parents who need help fixing a train or ridding an arcade of grubbins, each area of the game is spiced up with enjoyable flavor text and really makes for a relaxing and enjoyable six to eight hours of gameplay.
As for my favorite costume combination, I loved to fight with the Vampire, Statue of Liberty, and Jack-O-Lantern costumes and had no problem completing all battles, including the end battle, with this combination. Regardless of your costume preference, except for the last battle, it's unlikely you won't be able to succeed in all of your encounters.
