Costume Quest 2 (PC) Review

Time travel to save Halloween.

I loved the first Costume Quest. Its simplistic nature and Double Fine humor really added something to the turn-based RPG. Sure, it wasn’t the best looking game, and sure after a while the combat got a little old, but the witty dialog and different costumes made it a rather fun and entertaining experience. So, naturally, I was really excited to hear a return to the series with a proper sequel. For the most part, Costume Quest 2 holds up while still being bigger, and at the same time mixes in some new mechanics that bring the game down a bit.

Costume Quest 2 shows the return of the twins Wren and Renold, as they must time travel through portals to stop an evil dentist from taking over the world and getting rid of Halloween and candy forever. The story is more predominate here, and actually has some pretty funny moments.

Platforms: PC
MSRP: $14.99
Price I’d pay: $14.99
Multiplayer: N/A

Timing the perfect hit.

For anyone that has played the first game, the combat will feel very similar. It is all timing-based, with simple button presses to add more damage to an attack as well as block incoming attacks. Players can use special attacks and support moves after filling up a super meter by attacking and getting attacked, as well as use buff and debuff trading cards that can come in handy in a pinch.

New systems include the new rock, paper, scissors mechanic with the costumes and the enemies. Certain enemies are weak to certain costumes, and exploiting that will make a fight go by much faster. Another change is the health system. In CC1, all party members were healed after a fight. Here, they stay damaged and must go to a drinking fountain to restore health. This is one change that I didn’t like. It meant me having to backtrack far too much just to heal back up. It honestly felt like unnecessary padding. Players can now purchase costume upgrades to make them even stronger, on top of finding new costume pieces to create even more.

Lost with nowhere to go.

The biggest problem I had with the game was the lack of direction. I would sometimes get a quest that wouldn’t explain where to go or even hint at it. I could purchase a map of certain areas, but the map wouldn’t show my current location, so I ended up having to go by landmarks. Even then, it’s still not telling me what general direction I needed to go.

The formula doesn’t change much throughout the game. I’m still trick or treating a number of houses to either get candy from adults or fight a monster that’s behind the door. I’m still trying to find all the kids playing hide and seek in a certain area. It all feels a bit familiar, but I still couldn’t help myself from continuing. The writing is very well done, and since the story is more interesting, I was excited to see what was next.

And boom goes the dynamite.

The art style has a very cartoony look to it, and it fits with the overall tone very well. I just really loved the combat animations and look of all the costumes and characters. I could tell this had way more production value in it. Everything is a bit more flashy and fluid. The original soundtrack is great as well.

Costume Quest 2 is still a charming game. The writing, look and over all feel of the game had me constantly coming back, even when the combat and health mechanics dragged the game down a bit. Seeing all the new costumes and areas/time periods made me want to keep playing, and while the RPG elements are simplistic, there’s enough here for the casual RPG player. It has its missteps, but overall Costume Quest 2 is an improvement over the first game, and a pretty entertaining game that fans should really enjoy.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.

Good
  • Fun story
  • Interesting costumes
  • Great look
  • Overall improvements
Bad
  • Constant backtracking to heal
  • Poor map and lack of direction
  • Can get a bit monotonous
7.5
Good
Written by
Drew is the Community Manager here at ZTGD and his accent simply woos the ladies. His rage is only surpassed by the great one himself and no one should stand between him and his Twizzlers.