While everyone's playing Metaphor: ReFantazio, I'm getting my turn-based combat kicks from an Xbox 360 game about fighting goblins on Halloween

Wren and Reynold are my new best friends. Or rather, Wren is, since her twin brother has just been snatched away. It's my job to rescue him in Costume Quest, one of the sweetest, silliest, most charming games I've ever found on Xbox Game Pass that now has me battling enemies called Grubbins on one fateful October night. Despite its mechanical simplicity, there's a timeless and cheeky joy about it that speaks to the very spirit of Halloween, and I couldn't be happier to have stumbled upon Costume Quest in time for spooky season..

Much as in my favorite episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the "oldest" twin Wren gains special abilities from the costumes she wears. From the Knight's shiny armor to the Robot's speed-walking special move, Wren's imagination allows her to embody the strengths of these popular Halloween characters. Her mission is simple: rescue her brother from the Grubbins beyond the spooky gate, who have kidnapped Reynold for the crime of his costume resembling a giant piece of candy corn. Candy seems to be a weakness for the Grubbins, the cause of the chaos they wreak this Halloween. But as I explore the town of Auburn Pines, gathering candy and materials for new costume patterns, I'm delighted to find out how much more there is to this action-adventure game than meets the eye.

Treats

The first thing that strikes me about Costume Quest is how much it reminds me of the best Zelda games. I'm talking about SNES classics like A Link to the Past more so than Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, isometric games that enkindle a sense of wonder and intrigue as a small hapless bundle of pixels ambles around an exploration zone.

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That's how it feels to traipse about Auburn Pines, first on my own as Wren and then in the company of newfound friend Emmett. Hitting random streetside items with my candy pail earns me a little sweet treat here and there, while talking to the children and grownups around town helps me uncover new mini quests to solve. With the goal of trick or treating at 20 different houses, talking to the other townsfolk is imperative if I want to find out how to unblock certain pathways through Auburn Pines. A little boy holding a patriots party for a bunch of Abraham Lincolns will only let me in if I'm dressed for the occasion (in this case, as Lady Liberty). Once successful, I have to swap to my Knight costume and use my shield ability to deflect the acorns being thrown at me from a mean squirrel, all while ducking beneath a tree to fetch cherries for a Halloween bake sale that's blocking my path ahead elsewhere. The long, winding, journey through Auburn Pines reminds me of the task-driven likes of Nintendo's finest Metroidvanias, allowing for a lot of backtracking and exploration if I want to see all that the spooky town has to offer.

It's the kind of kitschy, interconnected Halloween fun that never seems to get old – simplistic as the puzzles might be. But the whole point of solving the puzzles is ultimately to gain access to more houses for a spot of trick or treating, since you'll be trading all your Halloween winnings for your annoying sibling. You can tell which houses you've yet to visit because the lights will be on, with the household occupants switching them off for the evening after you depart. However, it's also possible that a grownup won't answer the door at all, but a Grubbin – and that's where Costume Quest's turn-based combat gets to shine.

Tricks

There's something distinctly JRPG about these head-to-head moments as Wren and Emmett transform into their costumes, embodying their powers to get the upper hands on the Grubbins. Oddly enough, the whimsical, flashy nature of the cinematics reminds me of Atlus' Persona series – most notably, Persona 3 Reload for its freshness in my memory and how much I unexpectedly fell in love with it. Costume Quest's combat might lack the tactical depth of the Arcana, but there's a shared supernaturality in how both take on qualities of different entities to get the power to fight back. Also, Power Rangers is another throwback I feel gets referenced heavily here – which is awesome, because I'm already psyched for Rita's Rewind.

These combat encounters rely heavily upon quick-time events and being very button-savvy when it comes to your controller or keyboard. When your turn comes about, you get the option to perform either a basic attack, a defensive one, or a special move that is unique to your equipped costume at the time of triggering the fight. My favorite one? The robot, purely for its devastating missile strike. The Knight's special move is a powerful group deflection, making it a great costume for Emmett in these earlier missions – unless you prefer to play support roles, of course. Wren is not invincible, so it is possible to get knocked out in Costume Quest, but that just means you can come back prepared next time and try out a different costume for the occasion. This trial and error approach is to be expected, especially when you start to encounter more advanced enemy types like magic-wielding Shamans and Warlocks, but it makes victory all the sweeter.

Playing Costume Quest in 2024 has been an unexpected delight, one I only wish I'd been treated to earlier in my life. Finding nifty new (old?) games on Game Pass is the main reason I maintain my subscription, and thanks to the range of backwards compatible Xbox 360 titles on the service, it's how I'll be spending my time until Slitterhead launches to deliver some more mature scares.

There's a host of upcoming Xbox games slated to launch day-one on Xbox Game Pass, and we've gathered them all in one place for you.