Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

1. BrianS

   Dec 27, 2008

   10

   This is the best Castlevania game since Symphony of the Night, hands down. The characters are fresh (there aren't any Belmonts in it!), This is the best Castlevania game since Symphony of the Night, hands down. The characters are fresh (there aren't any Belmonts in it!), the gameplay is at an all-time high. If you're complaining about the difficulty, it's because you're bad at video games, not because the game is too hard. I'm at a fairly average skill level and I beat it in a couple nights. It's harder than most recent Castlevania games, and you will die many, many times on your way through it, but the difficulty never reaches the point where you just quit playing. On top of that, there's plenty of depth to keep you coming back for more. The highlight is the boss battles. This game has some of the coolest I've seen in a while. Wouldn't it be a disappointment if that really gnarly looking boss was the pushover so many people seem to be complaining about him not being? I think so. I dug this game.… Expand

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
2. systemjimmy

   Apr 3, 2013

   10

   Having played all three DS Castlevania games I must say that I enjoyed this one the most.
   Don't get me wrong, all three Castlevania on DSHaving played all three DS Castlevania games I must say that I enjoyed this one the most.
   Don't get me wrong, all three Castlevania on DS were awesome but order of ecclesia brought something fresh.… Expand

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
4. SeymourB

   Aug 8, 2009

   10

   This is by far my favorite DS and Castlevania game. My only complaint would be the ridiculous amount of time it takes to level up; you are This is by far my favorite DS and Castlevania game. My only complaint would be the ridiculous amount of time it takes to level up; you are forced to grind an awful lot to make it past the tougher challenges. And those complaining about the difficulty of the game should just try harder. Truly challenging games are rarities these days, and you're only helping to exacerbate that by complaining to developers. Once I completed the story, beat both secret areas and leveled up to 99, I was able to beat EVERY boss without even getting hit. This game is my idea of a perfect platforming title and the best $30 ever spent.… Expand

   • 4 of 4 users found this helpful
5. jksteiner1974

   Jan 26, 2014

   9

   This is an excellent game that pulls you in from the start. The glyph system is innovative and easy to use. Why some have called this gameThis is an excellent game that pulls you in from the start. The glyph system is innovative and easy to use. Why some have called this game difficult is hard to understand. It's certainly not easy, but to call it 'difficult' s a stretch. Many who complain that the game is difficult seem to offer examples that are in the beginning of the game, indicating that they haven't really put any time or effort into it. Grinding is not necessary if one takes the time to actually understand how the glyphs and elementals work (yes you might have to actually study the menu). The music is great, the boss battles are fun, the story is compelling, it's just an all-around great game that provides hours and hours of fun.… Expand

   • 1 of 2 users found this helpful
6. Caestus

   Mar 11, 2013

   8

   Better than dawn of sorrow.

   • 2 of 3 users found this helpful
7. ylnylmn

   Aug 25, 2021

   8

   What a tough game. I was expecting a game on Aria and Dawn difficulty. But no, it's definitely much harder. Especially Bosses. Blackmore wasWhat a tough game. I was expecting a game on Aria and Dawn difficulty. But no, it's definitely much harder. Especially Bosses. Blackmore was tough. I can't count how many times I've died in Dracula. I used 9 potions and 8 high potions. I finally managed to kill it. In general, it was difficult to evade the attacks of all bosses. But the bosses were good. I liked it. It was nice to walk around the Village and do quests. But it takes a long time to drop items from enemies. Large Cavern was very difficult. I didn't like Castle's level design. And the enemies inside were very challenging. It was a more linear game than previous CV metroidvanias. The story wasn't bad. The music was still good. It was a good game but a little too hard.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
8. AnonTheMouse

   Feb 26, 2020

   2

   Order of Ecclesia is, I'm sorry, a complete mess of a game. Konami seemingly took everything they knew about the Castlevania formula, and thenOrder of Ecclesia is, I'm sorry, a complete mess of a game. Konami seemingly took everything they knew about the Castlevania formula, and then ignored it completely. Whatever was kept, they made a conscious effort to make worse.
   
   Gone are the sprawling, interconnected worlds of previous entries for an overworld map. Need to get quickly to a previous area? Fast travel to the warp point closest to the area exit, then go through several intermediate rooms to said exit, select your destination on the overworld map, walk to another teleporter, find the closest warp point to where you need to go (and hope a convenient warp point exists in the first place), then walk some more. Oh, and heaven help you if you don't remember exactly where you need to backtrack, because area maps are only visible in that area.
   
   Rather than simply picking up things by touching them, and opening containers by hitting them, as every other game in the series does, you must now stop and press up on the control pad. Which, in the case of collecting "glyphs", which take the place of weapons, spells, and subweapons, requires you to stand still whilst unable to defend yourself for several seconds. Not to worry, though, as you won't be collecting glyphs often. Unlike in previous titles, where every enemy had something to collect from it, most enemies now drop nothing, and even those that do seem to have much lower rates than in previous series entries.
   
   Another thing enemies give less of is experience. Leveling up is a slow, tedious chore, especially in the early game. Bad news, since this game demands that you grind. Yes, you might be able to learn to get through some of the tricky sequences by skill, but mastering the game to the degree that you don't need grinding would take even longer - it's just not worth anybody's time. This can make even getting to the second boss a significant hurdle, as leveling takes forever, and you have to go through a completely unnecessary number of straight linear screens full of enemies (what I like to call "Corridors of Pain") to get to the next real map. You're going to end up avoiding most of the enemies on these screens, too, because fighting them at a low level with early equipment is just too much of a health tax for what precious little you'll have.
   
   ...and as an aside, it's not a good sign when the level design feels closer to Castlevania II than any other entry in the series.
   
   You're not missing much. Combat is horrible too. First of all, since Shanoa's ability to use glyphs apparently renders her incapable of holding a real weapon, all of your attacks use a regenerating mana bar. When the mana runs out, you can't fight. There's a "combo" system, but I don't know if you can really call alternating attack buttons to swing while one hand is on cooldown a combo. You could technically mix and match glyphs, but barring some specific combinations, this really isn't useful. Most of the time, you'll just end up using two of whatever it is you wanted to use. Nor are the enemies really updated to make use of this new system. They still behave the same as they did in previous entries, so the best way to fight them is still pretty much the same. All the new combat mechanics add is hassle for the player.
   
   That's really the core problem with Order of Ecclesia. It adds a lot to the Castlevania formula, but none of it is really an improvement. It all just feels like it's there for the sake of being different, without thought into how it makes the experience more fun. I hesitated about reviewing this game because it's held in such high regard, but the truth is, it doesn't deserve the praise. Everything about Order of Ecclesia is superficial. There's added complexity, but not depth. There's added challenge, but it's tedious rather than satisfying. The world feels bigger and the game longer, but only because there's so much padding.
   
   Without giving spoilers, the story...well, at it's core, it's formulaic. We've seen this story before in the Castlevania series. Multiple times. They try to dress it up with the bits about Ecclesia and the glyphs, but it's still rehashing tired tropes and well-trodden ground. At least, the parts that aren't a nonsensical mess. Grant you, it's not uncharacteristically bad for a Castlevania plotline, but there's nothing worthy of praise about it either.
   
   The art design and music are great, but not particularly exceptional for the series. They don't stand out as anything special. Ultimately, I'd say that they just make the game a well-polished turd with a shiny coat of paint.… Expand

   • 2 of 5 users found this helpful

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