Costume Quest

Other asides see you battling monsters to locate rare 'Creepy Treat' cards to trade with kids who are missing that all-important one to complete their collection and there's an apple-bobbing mini-game. Like the rest of the game it's fairly simple, but it's an excuse to hear more of the sparkling dialogue. The stall-holder initially claims it's a protest against the abundance of candy on Hallowe'en before offering sweets as a prize. "It's positive reinforcement, duh."

The script is surprisingly subtle in places, not awash with outright belly laughs – though the Statue of Liberty's special attack is a rib-tickling highlight – but with clever observational humour that captures both the wide-eyed innocence and occasional worldly cynicism of kids of a certain age. You'll chat to wandering Hallow-tweenies just to hear their thoughts. "Man, I hope I'm the only banana tonight," mutters one. "Last year? Total banana-fest."

The relationship between Reynold and Wren is perfectly pitched, the dialogue nailing that mix of sibling affection and rivalry. The kids are smart and savvy without ever being irritating, which is quite an achievement.

One particularly delightful moment sees a group of miniature Abe Lincolns refuse Reynold entry to a Patriots Party until they're dressed appropriately. Arriving in Statue of Liberty garb, Reynold is convinced he's patriotic enough, before Everett corrects him: "Actually, it's a symbol of freedom from tyranny, which is a different and more inclusive concept than loyalty to country."

The action moves from the suburbs to a shopping mall and eventually to a village fair, though the fundamentals remain the same, even down to the apple-bobbing game returning (with suitably tenuous reasoning for its presence). Once you've added a third member to your party – the adorable, bespectacled science-loving Lucy – there's little variation barring the addition of new costumes.

While it's easy to underestimate their appeal, it's equally not hard to see some players' attention wandering a little in the final third. The forgiving timing inputs and the effectiveness of some of the more expensive battle patches mean the combat rarely gets particularly strategic, with just the odd healing move sprinkled among the constant attacks. It's never a chore as such, but by the end, you're going through the motions a little.

As with Double Fine's previous titles, you get a sense that you're playing a 6/10 game in a 10/10 world. Unlike those previous titles, Costume Quest rarely gets frustrating (its low difficulty level alone ensures there are no Meat Circus moments) but neither are its mechanics anything particularly special. Not everyone will take to the typically Schaferian humour – though Tim isn't in direct charge of this project, his fingerprints are all over it – and it's also worth mentioning that it can be raced through in around five hours.

But why would you want to? Like Psychonauts before it, Costume Quest presents a world that deserves to be savoured as well as saved. It's another delightful look into the minds of children; a window into their vivid imaginations, and the wonderful places their ideas and dreams can take them – and you.