Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

 DS
  • Publisher: Konami
  • Release Date: Oct 21, 2008
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 46 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 43 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 46
  3. Negative: 0 out of 46
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. Metro GameCentral
    70
    The best portable Castlevania yet, with a long needed change of structure and a new focus on combat.
  2. Game Revolution
    67
    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.
  3. Edge Magazine
    60
    It is a shame that Konami so overinflates the experience through early chores, especially as it has struck the balance between hardcore fans and casual explorers so well in the past. [Jan 2009, p.88]
    All this publication's reviews

Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Best DS Game of 2008
5
#5 Most Discussed DS Game of 2008
3
#3 Most Shared DS Game of 2008

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 172 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 142 out of 172
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 172
  3. Negative: 12 out of 172
  1. 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.… Full Review »
  2. duckypwns
    Dec 11, 2011
    9
    This is the most under rated DS Castlevania. It is often labeled as being the "worst" of the three. It's actually the best. It has theThis is the most under rated DS Castlevania. It is often labeled as being the "worst" of the three. It's actually the best. It has the interesting glyph system, the best boss battles, the most prominent challenge, the best enemies, the best levels, the best secrets, the best weapon variety, the best music, the best story, the best characters, and the best visuals. If you haven't played this one, you have missed out on one of the greatest Castlevania games of all time, even up there with Super Castlevania 4 and Symphony of the Night.… Full Review »
  3. 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.    … Full Review »
See all user reviews »