Costume Quest – Review (XBLA)
| Game Name: | Costume Quest |
| Platforms: | Xbox Live Arcade |
| Publisher(s): | THQ |
| Developer(s): | Double Fine Studios |
| Genre(s): | Action RPG |
| Release Date: | Available Now |
| ESRB Rating: | E10+ |
As a kid, I looked forward to Halloween more than I did my birthday or Christmas. If it was socially acceptable for a thirty something year old male to dress up on Halloween and go trick treating, i would probably still be doing it year after year. As you can imagine, I was pretty excited to sit down with Double Fine Production’s new down loadable game Costume Quest, but would it live up to my unusually high expectations for a game that takes place on Halloween night?
The plain and simple answer is yes, oh god yes! Costume Quest starts off by introducing you to brother and sister, Reynold and Wren respectively. You are given a choice as to which character you want to play, once you decide, your mother informs you that you are in charge of your sibling for the night and the adventure begins.
As soon as you step outside your house to go trick or treating, two things become abundantly clear, Lead Designer Tasha Harris completely nailed the vibe and feel of Halloween night, and that the writing in the game is spot on perfect. One of the first lines of dialogue uttered, may be one of my favorite lines ever in a video game. I chose to play as Reynold and when Wren started trying to dictate how things were going to go for the night, Reynold stops her and says “This is not a Democracy , This is Halloween law, the only words i want to hear out of you tonight are Trick or Treat”. A huge smile came over my face that never left the entire time i played.
The background music and sound effects, combined with the neighborhood being completely decked out for Halloween with Jack-o-lanterns and other decorations makes for great ambiance, I was eager to go trick or treating, but as luck would have it, monsters hell bent on stealing all the candy in your town, kidnap your sister because she is dressed like a candy corn (I found this design choice puzzling because everyone knows candy corn is the worst Halloween candy ever). That being said, you are forced to rescue your sister before your parents find out and ground you.
Costume Quest is a Halloween themed action-adventure rpg that takes place in several locations and has two main components. The exploration segments of the game have you knocking on doors for candy, searching for pieces of material to make new costumes and accepting quests from adults and other trick or treaters. Sometimes, when you knock on a door for candy, instead of being greeted by a grown up with treats, you are greeted by the monsters who are running loose in your town and you transition into the second game play segment, combat.
Combat in Costume Quest plays out as turn based strategic battles, depending on the costume you and your friends are currently wearing, you will have different special abilities in addition to regular attacks. Your costumes and abilities are further fleshed out with battle stamps that are purchased from an entrepreneurial friend, who reminds me alot of Lucy from the peanuts cartoon. These augments can range from increased health, to more attack damage, to automatically counter attacking after a successful block. Mixing and matching the different costumes and battle stamps adds a layer of strategic depth. There is also a bobbing for apples mini game, a set of gross treat cards to collect and unlock able rewards for your avatar.
For many years, “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” has been the go to standard for children’s Halloween stories. I think it’s safe to say that Tasha Harris and the rest of the crew at Double Fine have layed the gauntlet down for that honor now. This game could easily translate into an incredible animated Halloween cartoon, because the story is charming and sweet, the characters and writing are pitch perfect, and it delivers on the premise that kids may be young and small, but with enough heart and determination, they can be empowered to do special things. Costume Quest is a must play game for adults and children alike, and earns a perfect 5 out of 5 fingers.
