Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

It's the best game of the series since "Symphony of the Night" and those who buy it won't be sorry. This "100" is justified by the enormous quality and the care of how it was made, which is unusual to see on Nintendo DS.

Providing you're up for the challenge, this is the high point of the DS Castlevania series. [Feb 2009, p.92]

With this game, series director Koji Igarashi proves that he can still breathe new life into this long-running, often self-cannibalizing franchise.

An awesome Castlevania game and an awesome game on its own. If you're a die-hard fan of the series or just a fan of challenging 2d action games, don't miss this title.

Order of Ecclesia proves that the Castlevania formula is still as fun now as it was ten years ago, and the new gameplay mechanics keep things fresh and interesting. It’s a 2D action masterpiece, and absolute required playing for any DS owner.

I cannot recommend this title enough, especially if you're a fan of the 2-D games in the series.

An old-school, level-oriented presentation with unrelenting difficulty, making it one of the most refreshing experiences to be had on the DS this holiday season.

Stronger than Portrait of Ruin, Circle of the Moon, and Harmony of Dissonance? Is this reviewer's opinion, yes. The best on DS, or top in the series? I just don't think so.

These "Metroidvania" games may be a bit formulaic, but there's no denying that they're still great fun. Order of Ecclesia is a bit of an improvement over Portrait of Ruin, and it's right up there with the excellent Symphony of the Night and Dawn of Sorrow. This will be one of the best DS titles released this holiday season -- don't miss it.

It likely won’t unseat Symphony of the Night as fans’ all-time fave, but its inventive gameplay, outstanding visual presentation, and haunting music—always a high point in the franchise—easily make Ecclesia as good as the series’ DS debut Dawn of Sorrow.

Order of Ecclesia is one of the best Castlevania games ever produced. It manages to differentiate itself from the blatant self-reference of most post-Symphony games, and uses its unique setting, cast of characters, and engrossing gameplay to stand almost totally apart from its predecessors.

Despite minor quibbles about its online modes, Order of Ecclesia is a simply stunning handheld game. It ranks as easily the best portable game of the year and could very well qualify as the best Castlevania ever.

The 2-D graphics are wonderfully drawn, the soundtrack is epic and the bosses are among the best we've seen. We don't like the boring two-player races and item trading, but overall, this is one of the best Castlevanias to date.

Everything that makes Castlevania what it is; huge bosses, monster-slaughtering, as well as weapon-gathering and castle-raiding, is all here, and it's done spectacularly.

It’s just a shame that the game is so utterly short; even with so much post-game stuff to do, there’s always that lingering feeling that there could have been more. Regardless, Order of Ecclesia is the most engaging Castlevania game in ages. Pick it up if you want something good.

Ignoring the Wi-Fi Connection stuff, there’s still so much to see and do it’s hard to imagine gamers not absolutely devouring all the hidden details and ultra-rare items just to say “I did it.”

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia serves up slick controls, action, and challenge while infusing some freshness into the formula and blending it with some of the best elements of the past two Castlevanias.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this game, and there are so many things to love about it. Excellent visuals and sound aside, the gameplay is just as great as any Castlevania has been in the last ten years.

With all the hidden stuff and abilities there are to be uncovered within depths of Ecclesia, players will instantly be submerged in Ecclesia’s extremely solid gameplay.

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia is a must buy for any fan of the 2D Castlevania games or for anybody looking for a solid action/adventure experience.

One of Konami's biggest franchises is back on Nintendo DS with one of its best entries. A great game that offers amazing visuals and an incredible gameplay, several game modes and an adult story. The Castlevania series takes a step forward; Igarashi offers us one of the best games for the handheld, and one of the greatest Castlevania games.

It just goes to show that you can teach an old vampire some new tricks.

The story is top-notch, the graphics are excellent, the controls are great, and the gameplay, while difficult, is still rewarding.

Because this game has a steep difficulty curve, you’ll consider it an insult if you don’t keep going back until you’ve nailed that section/boss.

For hardcore Castlevania fans, though, this is the title that you've been looking for. It's long, it's challenging, and it doesn't fall over and die once you find the right weapon/subweapon combination.

Order of Ecclesia isn't a drastic departure from past installments, but it's a clear step up with tweaks to gameplay and level design and a cast of creative new enemies. Despite being broken up into smaller levels, there's still a heavy emphasis on exploration, and the merciless boss fights provide a satisfying challenge for any seasoned vampire hunter.

Order of Ecclesia is a top-notch Castlevania game. It has a few problems with linearity and length, but the flaws are few and far between. The gameplay is incredibly fun, the animations are lovely, and the overall enemy design is some of the best we've seen from recent Castlevania titles.

A successful blend of the Metroidvania style of Symphony of the Night and straightforward, extremely difficult nature of older titles in the series.

Ecclesia steps outside the castle walls and summons one of the greatest Castlevania titles in years.

With addictive, entertaining action RPG gameplay and an effective gothic atmosphere, Order of Ecclesia is a ridiculously fun game.

A fun and especially challenging action game, although the formula invented over ten years ago in Symphony of the Night is getting a bit stale.

The game’s greatness makes suffering through a few poorly designed bosses worth it for hardcore Castlevania fans and 2D action experts. But unlike many other titles in the franchise, I can’t recommend this much beyond this limited demographic.

Another brilliant adventure from Konami but only the hardiest vampire hunters need apply. [Feb 2009, p.84]

Take gorgeous graphics, intense action, and interesting gameplay concepts, marry it to the legendary Castlevania franchise and release it on the DS. [Nov 2008, p.100]

Order of Ecclesia may not have a wealth of newness to contribute, but the Castlevania formula still works like a charm, and the game's traditionally strong boss and level designs hold up well in the smaller, more focused areas. [Dec 2008, p.92]

A marriage of new variety with classic action yields a worthwhile union.

This is a difficult game, then, but it’s not an unfair or unusually frustrating one, and it’s a game good enough that the rewards for pushing forward are worth it.

Order Of Ecclesia represents a solid but never ridiculous challenge that breathes new life into a franchise that was beginning to flag. [Jan 2009, p.128]

Castlevania celebrates their 20th anniversary with full strength – perfect design an extremely long play time makes it a hot candidate for long winter nights. Be prepared for increased difficulty! [Issue#174, Jan 2009]

Better, but definitely not the best. Many steps in forwarding the action-adventure genre, despite the few flaws that remain from past titles in the series.

What it really comes down to is how much of a fan you consider yourself to be. The game is difficult and frustrating to begin with and anyone new to the series may well be put off.

A brilliantly made challenge, but rarely much fun. [Jan 2009, p.64]

The best portable Castlevania yet, with a long needed change of structure and a new focus on combat.

Over time, I found myself enjoying the intensity of combat, the familiar mixture of platforming puzzles, and the “gotta catch ‘em all” mentality of Glyph-hunting. While the difficulty level is tuned to obnoxiously high levels, Order of Ecclesia is still a decent outing for the most sadistically skillful fans. Just don’t expect the refined inspiration that made Dawn of Sorrow or the GBA entries such memorable classics.