One of my favorite things about playing video games is that they can really make you feel like a kid again. A few days back I finished Costume Quest; that game is the ultimate example of making you feel like a kid again. Costume Quest was a downloadable title created by Tim Schafer and his Double Fine studio. You play as Reynold (or his sister Wren, if you swing that way) on Halloween, you and your sister are new to the neighborhood and your mother tells you to go trick or treating around the neighborhood and make friends. Whichever sibling you're not playing as is dressed as a big piece of candy corn while you're dressed as a robot.

Monsters begin invading your town and taking all the candy they can find, including your sibling. You and the new friends you make a long they way use your costumes to turn into gigantic, over the top versions of whatever it is that you are dressed as to fight the monsters and rescue your sibling. Along the way you will use your different costume's abilities to solve minor problems and get new friends to help you save your sibling.

One of the best parts of this game is the writing, honestly if the writing wasn't so great this game might be kind of boring. There's no voice acting but all the characters have something important or witty to say. Even little details about the world are written well; there's a part of the game that finds you trick or treating in the local mall and all the stores are named something humorous, like “Husky Toddler”.



The whole idea of the game is pretty fantastic as well, when you're a kid on Halloween and you dress up as your favorite whatever or whomever you totally believe that you're that person! So the idea of transforming into these out of this world versions of robots, knights and ninjas is very appealing to the part of our brains that miss being a kid and enjoy reclaiming that feeling again even if for a short time. It's akin to the same feeling that you might get while watching a cartoon or a Pixar movie. Gives you the warm fuzzies.

The game isn't all that long, which is expected since it's a downloadable title, you can probably have it finished within 4-5 hours. Oh, but what a wonderful 4-5 hours it will be! It's a pretty basic RPG with a little customizable section involving battle stamps. You will also be collecting cards of candy that parody Garbage Pail Kids cards. Those aren't really the reasons to play this game though, it's all about the story and the dialogue between characters. The whole game is just so damn charming. If this game doesn't warm your heart and make you chuckle, then you probably need to loosen up.



Needless to say, I absolutely loved this game and really wish they would make a sequel or more games like it. I know it seems like I keep writing blogs about that but I really do feel that way! (Although, I am totally looking forward to Skyrim and Saints Row The Third!) I also have to wonder if this formula could work for any other holidays. I could see a Costume Quest sequel revolving around Easter or Valentines Day working pretty well. Have you guys played it? What did you think of it? Do you think it could work well with other holidays?

Check out the trailer why don'tcha?!