Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia review


Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia is Konami’s latest Castlevania game for the Nintendo DS. This 2D offering follows in the vein of previous Castleroid games; one of the nicknames affectionately given to entries in the series that follow the model introduced by Symphony of the Night, which itself was heavily influenced by the earlier Metroid games. The Castleroid games all use experience systems and multitudes of equipment to strengthen the character, which is why they hold so much appeal for RPG players. I’ve come to love this style of play and Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia was one of my most awaited titles of 2008.



Gone is Portrait of Ruin's two-character party. Instead the player is in charge of just Shanoa. She is one of the younger members of the "Order of Ecclesia," a secret order dedicated to developing a weapon strong enough to defeat Dracula once and for all. The weapon, Dominus, is found, but only Shanoa can wield it. Dominus is stolen by another member of the order, Albus, and Shanoa must track him down to retrieve it. Along the way she must also rescue some local villagers that he captured, who in turn offer her services and side quests.

Shanoa doesn't wield the typical whip featured so prominently in the series, but rather glyphs that she uses to create physical effects. Glyphs can cause weapons to materialize, fireballs to fan out in front of her, or even turn her into a bat-like creature. At any time, she can equip three glyphs—-two weapon glyphs and an effect glyph. The weapon glyphs can be combined to form unions, powerful attacks that drain hearts. Some examples include imbuing physical attacks with elemental properties and increasing the strength of regular attacks by doubling up on the equipped weapon type (for example, using two sword glyphs creates a larger, more powerful sword). Each glyph is affected by different stats and each is powered up by her elemental affinities (which are increased by repeatedly killing enemies with abilities). Glyphs can be obtained from fallen foes, from statues, from puzzles, or even stolen during battle.

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia is a 2D platformer. Shanoa will be doing lots of jumping, attacking, and dodging just like in previous Castlevania games. The controls are top-notch and extremely responsive. The challenge of the game is really high and it is a good thing that the controls don't add to it. That being said, this game is hard—-even regular enemies can pack enough wallop to lay Shanoa out. It often takes several tries to find out a boss' vulnerabilities and patterns. But like most games of its type, practice makes perfect, and everything ends up being perfectly balanced in Order of Ecclesia.

Like previous games, Order of Ecclesia has a large collection element. The in-game menus provide the player with lists of things to acquire—-from the regular bestiary, to expansive lists of equipment to fill in. Only by grinding enemies to get their drops, farming the rare chests that randomly appear in set spots around the game world, and exploring every nook and cranny can the player collect 100% of everything. Collecting items is made a little bit easier since the game allows the player to connect to the Nintendo Wi-Fi service and shop at stores that are set up by other players. All but the rarest of treasures can be purchased in this way. For someone that suffers from OCD, this game is a treasure!

Unlike most previous Castleroid adventures, Order of Ecclesia does not take place completely within Dracula’s castle, but rather in multiple areas. Shanoa will find herself in many outdoor areas, some as short as a few screens. While some levels are short (under five minutes long), they tend to be pretty tough and balanced with the longer levels. For those who want to experience the main storyline, Order of Ecclesia takes around fifteen hours to finish, but completionists might find themselves playing much longer while trying to collect everything and finish the two nasty bonus dungeons. For those that wish more challenge from the game after completing it, a harder difficulty with a variable level cap is unlocked. Also, like previous Castleroid titles, a second playable character can be unlocked as well, offering a different style of play.

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia is a beautifully detailed 2D game. The game makes good use of the two screens: the bottom screen displays the action, while the upper screen either shows the map or enemy information. From beginning to end, everything is superbly animated, the sprite work is beautiful, and the backgrounds are stunning. The music is similarly enthralling, with the occasional voice work adding to the splendour. The trash-talking enemies can sometimes be a bit much, but are nevertheless a nice touch.

The latest Castlevania game has everything: tight controls, interesting play mechanics, beautiful graphics, marvellous music, and an engaging story. While the difficulty takes a while to get used to and can be frustrating to some players, it does make victory that much more sweet in the end. I highly recommend this game to those that have a DS, and even to those that don’t—-it is about time to get one.