Costume Quest 2 sends its trick-or-treating heroes through a time hole into a dystopian future where Halloween is banned. A grown-up villain has outlawed candy and costumes and brainwashed the repugians into running a dental utopia.
The time-travel structure sends the kids back to stop the villain’s younger self, through the Tooth Academy, the sewers and the dental compound. The classroom scene, with brainwashed kids giving absurd answers, is a highlight of the writing.
Costumes remain the heart of the game, each with a traversal gimmick and an upgrade path that visibly recolours the suit. The combo follow-up attack and the charged counter are welcome additions to the combat.
The new techniques come from a returning mentor, and the familiar cast, from the gator and the candy dealer to a repugian, keeps the sequel connected to the original. The block-party epilogue reunites every resolved character after the story closes.
Combat is noticeably dumbed down compared with the first game, with every attack reduced to the same timing-ring press. The battle stamps become cards that waste a turn to use, and there is no full heal between fights.
The candy corn costume is useless in battle, one character takes disproportionate damage, and the health pools are smaller than the original. The XP curve climbs steeply and the game demands a 60Hz setting, while the finale closes as a free-roam epilogue rather than a set-piece.
Overall, costumes and humour carry Costume Quest 2 past its simplified combat. The time-travel story and the returning cast round out a warm, funny RPG.