Developer: Double Fine Productions
Publisher: Midnight City, Majesco
Rrp: £10.99
Released: 7th October 2014
Available on Steam
Played using: A Xbox 360 Controller
Costume Quest 2 picks up from where ‘Grubbin’s on Ice’ left off, right down to the part where the opening screen (after the title of course) features your characters, in costume, appearing through a portal. Of course this isn’ the game proper but an interactive menu akin to what they did with Psychonauts. The portal on the far left (which you appeared from) exits the game, the middle opens the options menu and final one, labeled mysterious portal, starts the game.
As with the first game you are given a overworld (for lack of a better term) to explore this time, however the levels are more complex and expansive than before. The side quests you find are be better and generally more interesting too, from trying to track a mysterious creature to beating the devil in a music battle. You can, of course, still collect candy through the destruction or damage of in world objects just as you could in the previous title. Although it much more lucrative to get it from trick or treating and entering battles.
Switching between costumes (using the right trigger) is now more in depth than in the previous game. Previously the costumes didn’t provide any bonuses beyond their special attack or overworld power. Now, however, the costumes have weakness and strengths as well as some stat changing properties, for example; the clown costume is strong against magic but weak against monsters, it also provides 10% extra health. Along with this new stat boost is the ability to upgrade each of the costumes from a store which will make them more powerful.
Thankfully one change they have made is to include the ability to zip around on your roller skates to all the costumes rather than just the one, just hold down the left trigger and move.
Double Fine have kept to the same stylised look that the original game has. Anything other than the cartoony graphics would not suit the style of the game. This time the graphics seem more crisp and clean as well as having more little details. The quality of the music has been improved too being much more varied and clearer to the ear.
The combat systems has been changed quite a lot from the last title. While its still turn based the mini-game style combat bonuses have been switched out for what I can only call a ‘active attack’. What I mean by this is when you attack you have to time a second press of the attack button (Y) to cause a critical hit, now depending on your timing you could get a simple light attack, a nice attack that does a decent amount of damage or lastly if you get it perfect you get amazing which deals a very large amount of damage to a monster. The same system applies for defending yourself. Once you reach a certain point in the early game you are able to acquire a new ‘combo’ skill. This allows you to preform two attacks in quick succession from the same character, of course you have first have a successful attack and both of these attacks use the active attack system i described earlier.
Just like in the previous game most costumes have a special attack, the key difference between Costume Quest 2 and the first title is that the special attack isn’t able to be activated every three turns like in the first game. Instead now you must charge up a meter by taking and giving out damage, once it’s full you can select the special attack (which is done by moving the left analogue stick).
There are also items that can be used in the game in particular the creepy treat cards. In the last game these were just a collectible but in this they are a item you can use against your opponent. While these aren’t mere one shot items they do have limitations to their use. Once one is used it will have cooldown period of a few fights before it can be reused.
Now here is a rather major difference with the combat system from the first game, remember that special power meter I mentioned? Well it remains at the level of fullness even after combat is over. This also applies to your health as well though, no longer does leaving combat automatically regenerate your health. These two small differences completely change the dynamic and tactics of the combat system (or at least it did for me).
You can save and regenerate health by visiting fountains that you will find scattered around the game. There is also an ability to consume twenty five candy and regain full health as well by pressing the right bumper button (RB), please bear in mind that it won’t save your game though.
Now if I have a complaint about Costume Quest 2, and it’s to do with the ending. Now please understand this isn’t a spoiler at all, it had nothing to do with the story main or otherwise. No, my issue is the fact that the ending doesn’t feel like one. What I mean by that is your just left to wander around… That’s it, there are character to speak to and that’s great but it just feels like there’s no resolution, you just pause and quit. That’s it. I think most people would agree that it’s not really satisfying.
Personally I think Costume Quest 2 is well worth the money being asked for it, Double Fine have pulled off something special with this title. Costume Quest 2 is a bit closer to being a traditional RPG than its predecessor while still managing to retain the heart of what made the game so unique. With that in mind I wholeheartedly recommend this game to anyone who just wants a bit of fun.
If this interests you then perhaps try;
Costume Quest
Evoland
Knights of Pen and Paper +1 Edition
