Costume Quest was released in 2010 on Xbox. It is one of the many games that I missed out on during that time because I was in college and had other stuff going on. It is a short turn-based RPG that involved trick-or-treating.
This looks like a bit of a cute take on a Halloween story. The idea for it sounds like a lot of fun, especially since it deals with trick-or-treating. It reminds me of trick-or-treating with my friends. When I was a kid, there wasn’t a set time to go trick-or-treating. You started when the streetlights came on, and went until you got too cold to keep going, which could be 10 or 11 pm.
Costume Quest is available on Game Pass, so that is how I’m playing it. It is a really cool idea for a game. I wish there were more games like this. Having a short RPG like this is great, and it reminds me of other games that I’ve missed out on.
TLDR: Fun graphics and decent gameplay make for a great game
Narrative of Costume Quest
Costume Quest takes place on Halloween. Two siblings are out trick-or-treating, and one of them gets kidnapped by a demon. You can choose which kid to play as, which is pretty cool.
Reynold and Wren are new to their neighborhood and are trying to make new friends. They get dressed in their costumes, and one of them gets kidnapped by a demon. The player’s character dresses as a robot, and the NPC dresses as a piece of candy corn.
So, the monsters have invaded your town, and their goal is to steal all the candy. I can’t think of a more diabolical thing that they could do! Your sibling is kidnapped because they’re dressed as a giant candy corn. It is a very good way to set up the game.
You recruit a team of characters from the other kids in the neighborhood and gather costumes. There are a few areas to explore, and eventually you fight Dorsilla. Then there is a secret enemy to fight, and then you rescue your sibling.
The story is pretty simple, but I really like it! It is pretty different from the other RPGs I’ve played, and it makes good use of Halloween. Stuff like this is a lot of fun, and I really like finding games like this, especially when they’re good.
Gameplay
I like most of the gameplay in Costume Quest. There are a few things that I didn’t like right away, but they got better as I kept playing. Because this is a shorter game, I don’t mind all the gameplay. The combat is the area I have the most problems with.
You don’t have character classes in the game. Instead, you have a bunch of Halloween costumes and Battle Tokens. These give your characters different abilities and special attacks. Your special attacks act a little like a limit break from Final Fantasy VII. It is kind of cool to see stuff like that.
There is a timing aspect to the game’s combat. I don’t like this sort of thing, but it does add a degree of interactivity to the combat. It makes sense for a game like this, but I would’ve liked to have regular turn-based combat.
When not in combat, there are a lot of puzzles for you to do. Each costume has a different skill outside of combat that helps you to get over other obstacles. You can also sneak up on some enemies, which can help you in battle. There are a bunch of costumes for you to collect, so you have an incentive to run around and explore the game’s world.
Costume Quest really encourages you to explore the game’s world. There are a bunch of quests to do, and costumes for you to collect. Messing around with different combinations is a lot of fun. It is also a lot of fun to read the dialogue. This is a very funny game.
Overall, I really like the gameplay in Costume Quest. There are parts of it that I don’t like as much, specifically the combat in the game. It is one of those things that takes a while to get used to, but the game sets you up to succeed.
Visuals
I really like the graphics in Costume Quest. It is a very cute game, even if it is a little dark. The kids look fun in their costumes, and everyone looks a little creepy. I can totally believe that monsters would exist in the game’s world.
The human characters look a little creepy. It is a style choice, and I really like it! The kids all look very good, and the adults look awkward and creepy. The monsters really stand out from the other characters, and it is easy to tell that they’re the bad guys.
On the combat screen, the characters look very good. I like the little transition scene for your character turning into your costume. The characters all look much bigger and pretty awesome!
The Halloween theme works very well in this game! It is a little dark, but the game does take place at night, and I like all the Halloween decorations. It isn’t all good, though.
The camera is at a fixed angle, and that can make things a little weird when you’re walking around. There are a few places where you walk behind something, and it is a little hard to see. I do wish I had control over the camera at times.
Overall, I really like the graphics in the game. Just like the gameplay, there are a few things that I don’t like as much. Just about everything looks very good. This isn’t really a horror game, but it does make me feel like I’m playing a cozy Halloween game. Despite the subject matter of your sibling potentially getting eaten by monsters.
8.5/10. There is a lot of charm in this game that more than makes up for my issues with the combat. The graphics are fun, and I like exploring the game’s world. I also really enjoy the story in Costume Quest.
Pros
- Great Story
- I love the characters
- Fun graphics
- Good gameplay
Cons
- Short game
- Combat is a little weak
Conclusion
Costume Quest is a lot of fun! It is a decent RPG with a very good story. This feels like a cozy game that just happens to take place on Halloween. I wish the game were a little longer, because a 5-8 hour turn-based RPG feels a little short to me.
The first part of this game made me think of my childhood. Getting dressed up in a costume and going door to door was always a lot of fun. I’m the weird kid who did this all the way until my 18th birthday. I also got into a costume one Halloween when I was in the Navy, and we were underway.
There is a sequel to this game, and I’ll get to that at some point. I wish this had turned into a much bigger series because it has a lot of potential. The story is a lot of fun, and I really enjoy the idea of wandering through a town and collecting candy and costume pieces.
If you liked this post, check out some of my others on indie RPGs. Such as Demonschool or Cosmic Star Heroine.
One thought on “Costume Quest is a Great RPG”