Castlevania returns with Order of Ecclesia, and some new gameplay conventions make this installment the best in years.
Every one hundred years or so, Count Dracula, Lord of the Vampires, would rise and spread his darkness throughout the land. For generations, members of the Belmont Clan would weild the Holy Whip and return Dracula to his resting place. Over time, the Belmont Clan began to dwindle, and now there is no one left to take up the whip and challenge Dracula, so a powerful order named Ecclesia has been formed in an attempt to find a new way to combat the most darkest of foes. Magic symbols called glyphs were created to shatter Dracula's power and seal him away in a vessel. But now, one of the members of Ecclesia has developed a taste for the power of these glyphs and has left the order. It's up to Shanoa to hunt down this defector and return him to the clan before Dracula arises once again.
There are a lot of changes to Castlevania this time around, and the first one you'll notice is that Shanoa requires MP to perform even the most basic of attacks. There are no weapons to be found or purchased, like in other Castlevanias. Instead, weapons are generated by glyphs, which require MP to use. You have a green bar, which represents your MP, and it goes down each time a glyph is used, but regenerates over time. Shanoa can equip a glyph to each arm, however, and with a steady rhythm of pressing X and Y alternatively, she can attack much quicker than just wielding a solitary weapon.
There are all sorts of glyphs to be found in Order of Ecclesia. Some will be contained in destructible statues, while others will be dropped by the monsters you slay. Certain glyphs will even be cast by enemies, and it is at that point only that you can absorb it. Shanoa can absorb glyphs she comes across by holding up on the d-pad. She'll need a few seconds in order to successfully absorb it, so if she moves or gets hit, she'll need to start over. She also gains 10 hearts from each glyph, which she can use to execute what's called a Glyph Union. Pressing up on the d-pad and then attacking brings the power of each equipped glyph together to unleash a devestating attack.
Glyphs from fallen enemies will usually pertain to how they attack. For instance, an axe glyph will be dropped by an axe-wielding suit of armor, while a glyph that summons medusa heads will be dropped by a certain type of medusa head. There are also glyphs that supplement facets of your character, such as increased attack or mind (which determines glyph attack strength). Later on in the game, you'll get a key item that will allow you to have three pages of glyph configurations that you can swap back and forth from on the fly, depending on your current situation. Enemies have different weakness based on the physical or elemental properties of your glyphs, so it's always best to experiment.
Another change you'll notice in Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia is the world is no longer confined to just one castle. You'll have a world map that will fill up with different locations once you reach them. Visiting different places outside of the castle really helps to refresh Castlevania and make it more exciting to explore. You can visit any location you wish, once you reach that location virst. There is also a nuetral location, an empty village that will become populated once you free villagers you find in different locations.
The villagers are also a welcome addition to the Castlevania formula, because they offer quests. For the most part, these quests are nothing more than fetch quests, but they can yield some beneficial rewards. Sometimes, you're given the prize outright. Other times, the villager will make something that can be purchased in the town's general store. These quests are by no means necesssary, though, but they help add some extra length to the game.
If you're a Castlevania buff, you're no doubt aware that the series' most recent entries haven't been entirely challenging. Order of Ecclesia will be a breath of fresh air in this regard. There are some enemies that are very hard to predict, and some that are incredibly lethal. The bosses, which is something the franchise has been reknowned for doing well, can take several attempts to finally defeat, and that's the way it should be. Some can also be gigantic; one such boss even takes up four screens. No doubt about it, beating this game will give you a satisfying feeling of accomplishment.
Just about every 2D Castlevania has looked remarkable, and Order of Ecclesia is no exception. The level designs are well-done, with excellent use of foreground and background effects. The sprites are terrific, and the animations are decent. A Castlevania trademark is that just about every enemy has their own unique way of dying. This, along with many other special effects, gives the title a very nice look for a 2D game. The only minor drawbacks are recycled enemies and environments, something that has plagued the visual style of Castlevania games for a while.
Again, just as with every other Castlevania, the audio doesn't disappoint. The smacking of weapons into enemies, the destruction of walls and objects, and the moans, groans and other death cries of the enemies are classic Castlevania. The voice acting, or what little there is in the game, is performed well enough. The game's soundtrack is also orchestrated beautifully. It's best to play Order of Ecclesia with headphones on, as the tiny DS speakers really don't do the audio justice.
The DS is a wonderful platform for gamers who love 2D action/adventure games, and Castlevania is one of the best franchises that fall under this genre. Since Order of Ecclesia is one of the best installments in the franchise, it only makes sense that this is a sure-fire purchase for any DS owner. Beating the game also unlocks a slew of modes, such as Hard Mode and Boss Rush mode (which has you fighting bosses in time attack), so it offers even more content for replayability. Plus, there's an option to sell and buy goods via Nintendo WFC, which is an excellent idea. Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia is worth the price of admission, no matter what that price is today.