Castlevania has provided years of hack-and-slash/RPG action for eager fans of the series. It’s no surprise then, that it should be a smash hit on the Nintendo DS. Its newest incarnation, Order of Ecclesia, provides the same white-knuckle challenge with more of some familiar characters, storyline, and gameplay.To compare it to series great Symphony of the Night is a bit farfetched, but what is presented here can stand well on its own two feet.

Story
In the mid-1800s (read: after the events that transpired in Symphony of the Night), the Belmonts have all but vanished. Because Dracula still poses a potential threat, a measure of protection is still very much warranted. Out of all the hopefuls planning to take precautions against his return, the Order of Ecclesia emerges as the most successful. The Order has put together a collection of glyphs who draw their power from Dracula’s own. These glyphs, entitled Dominus, are bestowed upon Shanoa, a member of the Order. However, before she can properly receive the glyphs, they are stolen by fellow Order member Albus. Shanoa pursues the glyphs, and on her quest discovers Albus’ purpose in stealing the glyphs. Some cunning twists are revealed as Shanoa realizes exactly why Albus decided to throw a wrench in the plan. Though this Castlevania adventure abandons the cast of characters gamers are already familiar with, the introduction of gallant Shanoa and the mysterious Order is an interesting take on the storyline. Providing plenty of twists and engaging, interesting characters, this story is one to remember.

Gameplay
If you’ve ever played a Castlevania title before, then you should know just what to expect. Smooth, solid action, challenging monsters, and varied locations abound. This is all quite familiar territory. Order of Ecclesia brings you more of the same satisfying Castlevania action that you’re used to, but this time around there are a few tweaks to get used to. While you will continue to side-scroll, defeating enemies to gain experience and level up with, the fighting system has been altered with the introduction of glyphs. The newly-implemented Glyph system is unique from both installments on the DS, and admittedly will disappoint those who are looking for a bevy of new, original spells and abilities at the very beginning of the game. Glyphs themselves can be found from completing puzzles or simply by conquering foes. Once you have obtained some, they can be equipped on Shanoa’s arms and back. Usage of the Glyphs’ special abilities consumes MP, and a good lot of them are actually required in order to make progress in some areas of the game. With over 100 glyphs to discover throughout, finding new and interesting abilities isn’t an issue, but the pacing of glyph discovery is a bit strange. Also, if you don’t quite fancy this new system, then there are not enough physical weapons or items to make up for the discrepancies. This leaves the game feeling a bit unbalanced in the combat department, as that is the most important aspect of a Castlevania title.

Most of the challenge in Order of Ecclesia draws from some incorrigible bosses.

This time around, level design has been downsized considerably. Areas are more linear than they have ever been, and this is one of the game’s weaker points. Those more interested in exploring levels to see what treasures are available may be turned off by the downsizing of once many-faceted, perilous grounds. Rather than exploring Dracula’s castle, you’re actually leaving to traverse a number of different areas, most of the while tracking down the stolen glyphs needed to combat the rebirth of Dracula. But once you’ve had your fill of one area, it’s likely you won’t ever really need to come back. However, after trekking through the first few hours of the game you soon discover that there are a plethora of different quests to undertake, all of which will take a good portion of time to complete.

Speaking of time, you’d better have a lot on your hands. This game is difficult. You’ll become great friends with the Game Over screen, many of the times due to cheap deaths. This is not a title for casual gamers. Prepare for onslaughts of tough enemies and austere bosses that will test even the most hardcore of gamers’ limits.

Though Order of Ecclesia is a solid Castlevania title, one glaring flaw aside from level design is the fact that the entire first half of the game feels more like a preparatory ritual for the rest of the game. In the second half you really begin to feel as though momentum has most certainly picked up. You’ll find more glyphs, fight a variety of familiar monsters from previous titles, and story exposition that is much appreciated after the gnarled plot twists have been exposed. Combine this with the stark difficulty and potential players will be driven away.

Visuals

The visuals are gorgeous and detailed, as evidenced in character portraits.

Castlevania has always been at the forefront of gorgeous 2D graphics (and some 3D at different points), and Order of Ecclesia does not stray from this norm.  Painstaking detail has gone into creating each and every area. Though what’s presented has been crafted with love, you still will discover that a good half of the enemies you encounter are indeed palette swaps of previous monsters or rehashes from other games. Still, the amount of artistic effor imparted into this release is magnificent, as always. Not many DS games can look as great as each and every Castlevania seems to manage.

Audio
Following suit with the fantastic visuals, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia brings with it some beautifully orchestrated tracks. Another magnificent soundtrack that you might want to consider adding to the collection. Baroque-inspired compositions will ring in your ears long after you’ve put the DS to rest for the day. Shanoa’s voice clips while performing attacks are an entertaining addition as well.

Multiplayer
There is no real multiplayer to be seen in Order of Ecclesia, save for an extremely lackluster race mode that pits you against a fellow gamer in order to see who can reach the end of an area first. There is also a shopping mode that will likely bore you to death, so multiplayer in Order is very much an afterthought. There’s no real reason to bother getting into it unless you’re just dying to share the adventure with another human being.

Lifespan
When the story mode has been completed, veterans will find much to enjoy about the sheer amount of unlockables available to keep the experience fresh. While running through many a linear path during the course of the game will wear on the nerves, unlocking the slew of extra content at the end is worth slogging through even the most boring parts, enhancing replayability. That is, if you can even manage to make it to the end. If you complete the game, there’s more than enough extras to keep you coming back for more, if only to see how much better you can do than your previous playthrough.

Recommendation
Any fans of the previous Castlevania games will find much to enjoy here, as well as masochists who enjoy frustrating moments in video games. Joking aside, this is a brilliant entry into the series that deserves your time and attention. Despite several of its flaws, this is a worthy handheld adventure that will be sucking up your free time for months if you allow it to.

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
System: Nintendo DS
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Find: Amazon - Gamefly - Goozex
All reviews are based on final retail code unless otherwise noted.

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