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Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

EMAIL PRINT ds

8.7 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 46 critic reviews
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Based on 26 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Konami

Developer: Konami

Genre(s): Platform

Players: 2

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: October 21, 2008

Summary

The legendary Castlevania series is back in its 3rd installment on the Nintendo DS. 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 which 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. Castlevania: The Order of Ecclesia 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. Replay more than once to discover multiple endings. [Konami]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Modojo

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia's gameplay and presentation make it one of the best to date, alongside Symphony of the Night and other legendary entries.

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100

Wii Brasil

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.

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Official Nintendo Magazine UK

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

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1UP

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

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Gaming Age

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.

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GameZone

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.

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GameShark

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.

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Gaming Nexus

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

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Nintendojo

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

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GamingTrend

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

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Gamervision

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.

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Gamer 2.0

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.

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Kombo

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.

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Meristation

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.

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AtomicGamer

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.

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NintendoWorldReport

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.

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Wired

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.

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GameDaily

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.

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IGN

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.

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GameSpy

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.

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Destructoid

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.

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Thunderbolt

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.

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Games Radar (in-house)

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.”

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Zentendo

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.

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N-Europe

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.

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Game Over Online

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.

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Worth Playing

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.

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GameTrailers

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.

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Cheat Code Central

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

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GameSpot

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

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RPG Fan

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

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Pelit (Finland)

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.

Game Informer

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.

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Games Master UK

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

PALGN

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.

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Gamestyle

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.

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GamePro

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]

Nintendo Power

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]

Pocket Gamer UK

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

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G4 TV

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.

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games(TM)

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]

LEVEL (Czech Republic)

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]

NGamer UK

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

Teletext GameCentral

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

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Game Revolution

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.

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Edge Magazine

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]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.7 (out of 10) based on 26 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Dracula gave it a4:
I haaaaate this game. Enemies take fovever to defeat, the bosses especially take about a half hour to win assuming you never die, save points are too spaced out, you'll be wanting a health powerup every five seconds. You also have a variety of attacks and a stamina meter unlike some other entries in the series, which is a great leap in the wrong direction. The games were a little easy when you could just wip the daylights out of the bad guys, but this combat lacks that satisfaction, or any satisfaction at all for that matter. The music is also pretty boring, which is weird for a Castlevania game, and the level designs are extremely liniar. I don't have a problem with linear level designs untill I'm actually noticing it. What ever happened to "metroidvania?" One good thing I have to say is that the graphics are nice and the enemy design is very varied. The rest of the game just sucks. You have sooooo much text to read that the cutscenes actually give an accurate impression on how boring the game is. Also, the menus sometimes dont make any sense. In conclusion, take it from a hardcore SMT fan, the challenge in this game is just too unballanced. There is no sense of joy from defeating an enemy after dishing out like 8000 hits on it, or killing a boss that takes like three weeks to kill. It just sucks. It looks like half the other people who found time to share a user review feel the same, and the other half really enjoyed it, so all I can say is procede with caution.

chris B gave it a5:
This game (as well as all the other DS castlevania titles) is a disgrace to the series. Nothing about this catastrophic abomination resembles what has made castlevania a video game icon. "what is it missing?" you may ask. first of all, the music. this music is sickeningly mediocre and pitiful. it cannot hold a finger to the classics. also, the difficulty. When I play a casltevania game, I expect to be fucking challenged. this game is not challenging, it is only repetitive and boring. also, the story line is an illogical mess and has fuck all to do with the original games. in fact, it contradicts previous storylines at multiple parts in the game. What a shining disappointment. once again we are given a game not worthy of its name. this just drives the point home that in all respects castlevania is dead.

Seymour B gave it a10:
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.

Hans C gave it a9:
This was my first Castlevania game ever. I think the gameplay was really amazing. I enjoyed the boss fights -- I like it when you need to really think up strategies and practice them a bit before being able to beat a boss. The only thing I didn't like about this game was the story. Imo it's weak, and the pacing is not very well done. To be frank: storywise, I think the second part of the game sucks. Then again, I don't think story is that important in this kind of game. I'm really looking forward to playing the other Castlevania games on the DS. I got a hold of Dawn of Sorrow and am searching for Portrait of Ruin. Order of Ecclesia really got me hooked.

Adam D gave it a5:
This game(Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia) is one of the most overrated games of this current generation. While the background graphics are quite impressive, the character sprites could of been achieved on the Game Boy Advance. The gameplay is much different from the past DS Castlevania games, and is more similar to the original Castlevania. Instead of being non-linear, Konami chose OoE to be more of a move left to right and kill everything in your path. The games difficulty is very steep. Though you have a health bar, in most area's, especially towards the end of the game, you can drain your health in a matter of moments. I often find myself just running past the enemy's, instead of enjoying fighting them. The boss fights are often brutal and repetitive. The only real difficulty is that two hits and your nearly dead. You have to memorize the boss's pattern, which is more tedious than fun. One thing that the Castlevania series is known for is the music, and sadly, OoE doesn't like up to the standards set by Portrait of Ruin. Overall, the games more repetitive than fun and should be avoided.

jason c gave it a10:
I brought this game recently, the actual gameplay is brilliant, not massively different from past castlevania games but then this would not be castlevania if they changed the way it plays out too much. the game bosses are difficult...and i love it!!, a boss is called a boss because hes the big daddy at the end of the level, he's the one the other enemies look up to. this is what we loved about old school 2d scrollers, theres nothing more memorable that kick ass bosses. ok nobody likes being stumped by bosses, but there is always a way, a tactic to beat every boss, when you get it you are pleased and look forward to the next big boss!... aside from GTA:CW this is the next best DS game available, classic 2d scrolling with a few good new features and memorable kick arse bosses you wont forget in a hurry. you gotta love it.

Don gave it a4:
This game is a series of failures. Legibility is poor, enemies are annoying and poorly balanced or stupefyingly easy. The game complicates acquiring new weapons with the painfully annoying contrivance of having to 'absorb' them. Additionally, they will disappear if you don't collecting them within a few seconds. Nevermind the fact that if there are other enemies around they are impossible to collect since the absorption process takes several seconds and being hit resets this timer often resulting in the loss of the weapon. Bosses are tiresome to confront and vastly more difficult than everything else you have confront up until that point. The over-world map navigation adds nothing whatsoever to the game and is just another tiresome step in this dreary experience. The one and only thing the games has going for itself is production value. It looks and sounds decent.

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Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

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