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Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia | 
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| From: Konami
Category: Video Games
List Price: $29.99
Buy New: $26.99
You Save: $3.00 (10%)
New (23) Used (3) from $22.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 218
Platform: Nintendo Ds
ESRB: Teen
Media: Video Game
Batteries Included: No
Age: 12 - 20 years
Operating System: Nintendo DS
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 0.1 x 0 x 0
MPN: 24155
Model: 083717241553
UPC: 083717241553
EAN: 0083717241553
ASIN: B001CU4EJ0
Release Date: October 21, 2008 (New: Last 30 Days)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Intense side-scrolling action gameplay as you quest to collect elements that will help you in your quest against Dracula | | • | Explore all-new outdoor areas from the forests to the ocean | | • | Compete head-to-head via the Nintendo DS Wi-Fi Connection | | • | Sell and buy items and equipment you have found while playing with other players utilizing Nintendo DS Wi-Fi Connection | | • | Utilize multiple abilities and attacks simultaneously with the all-new Glyph attack system |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The legendary Castlevania series is back in its 3rd installment on the Nintendo DS. Order of Ecclesia follows on the success of Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin. This time you play as a member of the Ecclesia, an organization that has sworn to defeat the evil forces of Dracula. Use the brand new Glyph attack system that has more than 100 different combinations to battle Dracula and his minions throughout 20 explorable areas. Take part in side quests and collect items to power up your character in the next great Castlevania game produced by Koji Igarashi.
Replay more than once to discover multiple endings
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| Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
 A solid Castlevania title with a few twists November 7, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia is a really good game. Not great like some of its predecessors, but very, very good.
If you haven't played a Castlevania game before, the basic premise of the game is that every once in a while Dracula comes back from destruction in an effort to enslave the souls of man into dark servitude. The player explores Dracula's castle, gains levels, finds lots of loot, learns spells, and generally trashes Dracula's well thought out plans. Much like the Metroid series, backtracking to old regions is an important aspect of the game as you gain new abilities that increase you're character's mobility and lethality.
This iteration of Castlevania has done away with some sacred cows of the Castlevania legend. You don't play a Belmont, you don't use a whip, and you aren't Alucard (Dracula's half-human son, for the uninitiated). For the first half of the game you don't even spend any time in Dracula's castle. You will explore light houses, forests, ocean reefs, and rescue the residents of a small village for about half of the maps. This is different and generally works well. Instead of equipping weapons, this iteration of the game utilizes a "magic-only" concept and your character equips glyphs... which mostly act exactly like weapons in previous games. A large number of the enemies have received graphical facelifts, which is nice and I've seen a large number of creatures that are completely new to the game.
WHAT'S DEVILISHLY GOOD ABOUT ECCLESIA?
+++ The graphics and art-style are excellent.
+++ Stepping outside of the castle is good, but there are issues.
+++ Monster redesigns are excellent and the new animations feel fresh.
+++ The music is very good
+++ Gameplay mechanics have changed. The new glyph system takes some adjustment, but it is different from previous iterations of the game and works well.
+++ Villagers give you optional mini-missions, which is a nice bonus that extends the play. I wish there were more of these.
+++ The last half of the game is very excellent, so good that the first half is worthwhile.
WHAT SUCKS THE LIFE OUT OF THIS GAME?
--- The first half of the game is no where near as good as the last half.
--- The learning curve on this game is completely out of whack and unbalanced in the first half of the game.
--- While the music is good, most other Castlevanias have done better. As a fan of the series, I was let down by my high expectations of superior tunes.
--- Inventory feels more limited than previous games and provides fewer options.
Dare I say it, this Castlevania possibly possesses the best 2D art (mixed with some 3D effects) the series has seen. Graphically, I think Symphony of the Night was finally surpassed, but only because the art looks crisper and sharper. The downside is that some of these gorgeous backgrounds are little over-used so some areas give the player too much of a sense of deja vu. More variety from screen to screen would have been nice. The storyline is presented stiffly and painfully, full of cliches common to video games. There is some very limited voice acting, and it is at its best, mediocre; at its worst, embarrassingly bad. But no one plays Castlevania for the story. We know the story... Dracula is bad and he must be stopped. We play the game to explore and experience awesome classic 2D gameplay.
My biggest complaint probably won't bother hardcore fans of the Castlevania series, but I think the unbalanced difficulty level in the first half of the game could turn a lot of semi-casual players off from this game. It almost feels like some really tough monsters were randomly tossed into early parts of the game without recognizing that the character would only have a handful of levels and a lot of weak weapons and spells. To top it off, a few boss fights feel downright cheap and unfair in the first half of the game. I think the first 30% of the game is more immensely more difficult than the later sections, and in some cases just switching the play order of the different zones would fix most of these issues. My girlfriend loved the first two DS Castlevania games. She's just a casual gamer and focuses on if a game is fun. The first two DS Castlevanias had a smoother learning curve and eased new players into the franchise, but I know this game will frustrate her and it isn't likely she will try to complete this version.
All in all, I recommend this game to all Castlevania fans. To newcomers, I recommend playing through at least one of the other DS Castlevanias first (I recommend Portrait of Ruin personally). Once you've got your Castlevania chops up, dive into this one.
A Must Have November 5, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is the must have Castlevania game. Dawn of Sorrow was fantastic, both in story and in game play. The soul capture was exciting, since it worked better than the weapons. Portrait of Ruin went back to the Vampire Killer as the main weapon, but it didn't have the same excitement level. Order of Ecclesia seems to capture the best elements of Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin. Though it is a far more difficult game than most, for older gamers, the difficulty is a welcome challenge. The glyph system takes some getting used to, but is well worth it.
A new direction November 5, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I preordered this game since I have played every Castlevania games so far. Although this game is taken in a new direction, its gameplay and story are still very much enjoyable while the dark feeling this game gives is also impressive. Perhaps my one and only complain is that it feels too short, although you are not in a single place for long, I still find that some stages were to short. The glyph system is very refreshing, as it is very similar to my precious AoS and DoS soul system, while still retaining some originality(I especially enjoy it when you have to get them while the enemy is casting the spell.)
Perhaps the most enjoyable factor is the difficulty. Like it or not, the bosses will tear you apart if you do not play seriously. To us hardcore CV games this is the greatest thing ever, but it is not a game for a new person to the castlevania series to start with. Is it better than SotN? Yes, if only because of the difficulty. SotN is amazing, but it was too easy. Is it better than DoS? I do not think so.
In summary, the boss battles are great, the game is beautiful to look at, and the game is quite fun. The best? Almost, but not quite there yet in my personal opinion.
ONE OF THE GREATEST!, IF NOT, THE BEST! October 29, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
I've always been a fan of the Castlevania series, owning the original nes system + the 3 castlevania games. I've also transitioned to possibly the best castlevania of them all, symphony of the night. Order of Ecclesia is on a different level however because of the fighting/gameplay system. Being able to use two weapon/magic equips are good additions to an already darn-good series. Im most impressed with the music (YES, I AM A HUGE VIDEOGAME MUSIC FANATIC, very appreciative of many franchises), the quick fighting, the EXTREMELY HIGH DIFFICULTY (people say it's the "hardest." Don't believe them, the NES castlevanias are tougher, especially castlevania II. It doesn't match Contra 4's difficulty, which i can beat without dying =D, hard mode...and it doesn't match Ninja Gaiden NES games, but it does test if you have got the skills).
Amazing game.....this is game for the videogame purists!
One of the Best Castlevania's October 29, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Pros:
+A good story
+Glyph system is incredible
+A good challenge
+Very addictive gameplay
+Backtracking and getting lost is kept to a minimal
+Good artistic design
+Fantastic Soundtrack
Cons:
-It's challenging; you will die
In 2005, Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow brought the franchise to the DS and is often considered one of the best games in the series, rivaling Symphony of the Night as the best Castlevania title out there. Just two years ago, however, Portrait of Ruin didn't make as strong of a run. Portrait of Ruin was a good game on its own, yet switching between two characters felt like a gimmick after a while, and it was obvious that some of the exploration was becoming a drag. Order of Ecclesia works to put some life into the franchise the same way Symphony of the Night did in 1997, and the way Aria of Sorrow did in 2003. Fans will be pleased to know that it does a great job.
Order of Ecclesia puts you in the role of Shanoa as she has to go forth and once again vanquish Dracula. While Castlevania has never been too much for story, it has slowly begun to put an emphasis on its story through the years. While it centers firmly on its gameplay, Order of Ecclesia actually has a pretty good story, and Shanoa is easily one of the series's most likable characters.
Since 1997's Symphony of Night, Castlevania has abandoned it's level by level design and has a had a more Metroid style approach ever since. Order of Ecclesia holds onto that, but it also brings back the level by level run. You'll got to a "level" but you'll be able to explore it in the Metroid style way you've no doubt become accustomed to. It helps keep backtracking and running around aimlessly to a minimum. Most of the areas aren't too big either and it's a little hard to get lost. Yet there are plenty of optional things to do later on that will lead you back to these areas. So while it has a level by level design, exploring is still encouraged.
Order of Ecclesia's biggest strength is its glyph system. Throughout the game, Shanoa can absorb glyphs that give her certain abilities. At first it starts off being very basic things such as using a Rapier or being a magnet to shoot yourself from one spot to another. But they get more complex and allow for several different combinations. If you enjoyed the soul system from Dawn of Sorrow and Aria of Sorrow, you'll love the glyph system. It allows for many more combinations than the soul system does and allows you to utilize the glyphs more strategically.
Streategy is especially important in Order of Ecclesia. It's a tough game. One of the hardest Castlevania titles out there to be sure. While you probably won't have too much trouble getting through each area, you'll be put to the test in the game's boss battles, and they are by far some of the toughest moments in Order of Ecclesia.
Despite that, Order of Ecclesia is as simple to pick up as any Castlevania before it. Not only that, but the game still has a beautiful art design. As far as 2D Castlevania games go, Order of Ecclesia has some fantastic art design. You'll admire many of the backgrounds. In particular, the boss designs are some of the best the series has ever had. Artistically it's fantastic. On the other hand, it's not really a step above Dawn of Sorrow or Portrait of Ruin.
The biggest strength of Order of Ecclesia (and the Castlevania series in general) is easily its fantastic soundtrack. The Castlevania series is well known for having some of the best music in gaming and Order of Ecclesia sets a new high for the music in handheld video games.
Order of Ecclesia is one of the best Castlevania games out there. In terms of the DS games, it rivals Dawn of Sorrow as being the best on the handheld. If you're a Castlevania fan, you'll love it.
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