Costume Quest 2

In other words, despite its combat being such a chore, take that on the chin and Costume Quest 2 just about finds its way to being the sort of game we want Double Fine to make - a puzzle-adventure with gags and fun characters silly ideas. Only just about, though.

Despite its limits, Costume Quest 2 is a fun little treat, one that doesn’t last too long but perhaps that’s for the best. Double Fine has done a decent job overhauling the combat system but while there’s a more robust set of mechanics than the first game, they do wear thin towards the end.

Costume Quest 2's combat and story are both surprisingly good for an RPG that concludes in roughly a half-dozen hours. A few weird design choices in regards to the health system and navigation meant that just a bit too much of that time was spent backtracking and squinting at a map, but its humor and personality shine through to make this a good Halloween bounty.

All Costume Quest needed was a more interesting battle system, better quests and a longer more involving story to be a great game. Costume Quest 2 has better quests and a more interesting story, and a better designed world. It’s still got the excellent writing, sound, and music that’ll keep most people happy, but it was the battle system that needed an overhaul most and it hasn’t had it. Consequently fights are painfully tedious at the start and only get slightly more interesting over t...

No summary available

Costume Quest 2 is the latest game from lauded developer Double Fine, and is actually the firm’s first full-blown sequel to boot. The title depicts the continuing adventures of twins Reynold and Wren, as they combat a time travelling delinquent dentist determined to destroy Hallowe’en and its teeth-decaying deeds. Much like the first in the series, this adopts a turn-based role-playing game format, with some exploratory elements thrown in for good measure. Oh, and it’s got charm coming out of its ears.

Adriaan den Ouden is a stinky smelly-head who likes samey games. Would you trust his opinions over RPGamer's staff cutie? That's what I thought.

The original Costume Quest was charming and funny, but it was held back by RPG-lite gameplay that was about as deep as the water in a tub of apples. For fans, that was enough. The Halloween-themed adventure of siblings Wren and Reynold was a delightful romp, with witty dialogue and imaginative settings. Others peeled back the mask and were disappointed by its repetitive combat. For the sequel, Double Fine adds a grab bag of tweaks and enhancements to please the people who loved the original back in 2010, though it may not be enough to win over skeptics.

Costume Quest 2 is an enjoyable romp through an appealing story of fun and sugary treats. The characters are all delightful and the game looks the part. Unfortunately the novelty of the combat wears thin rather quickly and some crippling performance issues can at times make the game a frustrating mess. Its simplistic gameplay is more suited to those with less gaming experience, but there’s still plenty to be enjoyed by more hardcore fans looking for something a bit more relaxing or less complicated for a change; just be prepared to play for the charm and story instead of the repetitive combat ...

If I have anything positive to say about the combat system, it is that the game offered up some interesting special attacks. These attacks carried on between each battle, and gave me the freedom to strategically charge them up during a minion battle, and save their use for a boss battle. A particular favourite of mine was the ‘Declaration of Destruction’ that accompanied the Thomas Jefferson’s costume, and came with a neat little cutscene.