better in our memories, and many of us are afraid to fall in love with the bizarre new ones. The best candy is straightforward — there’s nothing wrong with a plain old chocolate bar when you’re in the mood for a treat. Simplicity is not a bad thing.

That’s why Costume Quest is so delicious.

Developed by Double Fine (Psychonauts, Brutal Legend), this new downloadable PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 (reviewed) game is a Halloween-flavored role-playing game. It’s short and sweet, offering plenty of turn-based combat and an adorable story.

While it might only take you five or six hours to play through the whole game — maybe eight, if you tackle all the rewarding side quests — you’ll be smiling the whole time. The humor is clever and subtle, with enough pop-culture references to fill a Family Guy episode and dialogue interesting enough to warrant conversations with every character in the world. Costume Quest doesn’t attempt to feel unnecessarily deep or complicated — it’s just simple, chocolatey fun.

The plot revolves around a pair of twins, Wren and Reynold, who are instructed by their mother to stick together while trick-or-treating on All Hallows’ Eve. You get to choose which twin to control for their stint together, which lasts all of one house before they’re attacked by a monster. A real monster — not just a guy in a monster costume, much to the twins’ dismay. When the monster kidnaps your sibling (whichever one you didn’t choose), it’s up to you to rescue him/her. Not because you care, but because mom and dad would totally ground you if you didn’t.

Along the way, you’ll run into ghosts, goblins, an evil witch, some friendly companions and countless monotonous adults who are all blissfully ignorant about the looming monster threat. You’ll have to trick-or-treat from house to house, collecting candy and fighting off baddies in order to track down your sister. The settings, which span from a cozy suburb to a monster-infested mall, carefully blend horror and comedy in a delightful way.

Then there’s the game’s most unique design choice: the costume system. Costumes are this game’s metaphor for character classes. Your characters can each choose from a number of outfits — robots, ninjas, the Statue of Liberty — each of which has its own bonus and special ability. Upon entering combat with a monster, the characters actually transform into physical manifestations of their costumes in bizarre and imaginative fashion.

It’s a pleasure to watch, although the combat system itself isn’t ideal. Much as in Super Mario RPG, combat in Costume Quest challenges you to push the right buttons at the right times in order to fight at an optimal level.

Unfortunately, there’s no real depth beyond a few easy timing challenges. There are no items and each character only has two or three combat moves, so your options are limited to basic attacks and the occasional special ability. Battle strategy consists of choosing the right costumes and battle stamps (bonus-boosting accessories), hitting the right buttons, and hoping you don’t get pummeled too hard.

What’s particularly interesting about Costume Quest’s design is the way it punishes players for looking away from the screen. Blink during a cutscene and you might miss something important, since the dialogue bubbles shoot by at rapid speed. Stop paying attention during combat and you won’t get the chance to block enemies’ attacks, which can often wind up wiping out your party.

There isn’t even a map to watch while you explore; your eyes will be solely glued to your characters. Some RPGs might encourage you to mash one button and run on autopilot through boring hallways, but Costume Quest demands your full attention.

Costume Quest is not as perfectly designed as it could have been. The save system could use work — the game auto-saves, but only at certain times, so it’s difficult to tell if you’re OK to quit. Walking around can feel a little bit clunky. The combat could have been deeper. The camera angles could have been placed better. The characters could have been more developed.

But damn is it fun.

WIRED Delightful presentation; charming story and characters; real blast to play.

TIRED Lack of combat depth; save system is a drag.

$15, Double Fine

Rating:

Read Game|Life’s game ratings guide.

See Also:

• Activision, Double Fine War of Words Continues
• Double Fine Unveils Tim Schafer Flash Game

Authors: Jason Schreier

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