Castlevania: Order Of Ecclesia

This is my first game review, so woot, I'm not sure how my format is gonna go yet, but I'll figure it out. I've been able to gain more access to my library's comps as well as a better understanding of how to use this thing so I'mma try and write here more cuz this shit is really fun.

So this is a game I bought when I was homeless in Ohio around a month and a half ago or so. It really helped kill boredom and it really is a great game.

Castleroids has been a nickname that has been given to this specific title because of the fact that this game has multiple areas unlike previous Castlevanias which would have the entire game in Dracula's castle this one allows you to go to different smaller areas and than finally to Dracula's Castle which is also huge...but nowhere near as big as previous Dracula castles.

This game changes a lot of things from previous Castlevania entries, it removes the partner system from Portrait Of Ruin which I somewhat appreciate yet don't. While the partner system in that game was great, Castlevania isn't that type of game IMO. This game also removes all weapons...completely. This is the first Castlevania to not feature weapons, instead you can equip two Glyphs, or as many of us know em', souls.

Now the Glyphs can be weapons Glyphs or magic, or w/e so usually we find ourselves equipping one weapon Glyph and one magic glyph, or in some cases two magic glyphs, or two weapon glyphs.

I found this Castlevania's possibilities of strategies with quite a good depth and the ability to have three different sets equipped helps. Although armor doesn't change with the changed set, which is bull...<__<

Obviously you will wanna change your armor to accommodate the style you're trying to achieve with each set. Which I mean...this idea was featured in the previous Castlevanias...so why not carry it over here?

There's two characters you can play in this game, one must be unlocked first, he's the guy with the gun....<_< I forgot his name, and the gal. Who's the main character.

Shit I forgot both their names to be frank...FML.

W/e. The graphics are kick ass as usual, not as interesting as previous Castlevanias on the DS but still good. I would have to say this is probably the worst Castlevania to come out on the DS, but that doesn't mean it's bad by a long shot.

Dawn Of Sorrow and Portrait Of Ruin were just pure brilliance is all. The characters in this game to be really honest, are boring or more boring than most Castlevania characters, the girl is probably the only remotely interesting character. Hell fucking Dracula is not shown until the final boss fight and there is no back story for him given. It's just go and defeat him at the end....that's pretty much it.

The boss fights in this game to be really honest....are really easy compared to previous Castlevanias.

One boss in this game is a complete waste of time, all you have to do is absorb his soul and he'll die and that takes around 5 seconds you know what you're doing. <___< However, that's not to say that there's not a lot of bosses and I'm sure we all have our faves from this game, my personal fave is of course Death or the Shadow boss...forgot his name, but he was a REAL Castlevania boss, meaning he was actually tough, meaning I had to try more than 5 times to beat him.

Story sucks ass, combat is chill, but they seriously lack physical weapons, there's like 15 in total in this game...and it's Rapier, Knife, Scythe, Sword and the big sword....and three versions of each.

And those versions if you wanna know....weak, medium, strong. And you just put the best one on there, so only 5 really. And there's not much that magic either, honestly compared to previous Castlevanias this seems like a downgrade.

It got bigger yea, but I feel that I only put around 20 hours into this game because they just made it harder to get rare souls and items in this game.

Yeah that's right...they made it even harder, I hate how they make games harder now a days by doing cheap things like making probabilities lower, or giving enemies more health or making them more damage instead of making it actually harder. I had my luck at 51 at the end of this game, and I still was having difficulties getting 4 star items.

-___-

But this game has a nifty training hall thing which has intense platforming....the first time you do this. After you get it down, it's easy as crud. The magnet ability is amazing in the game, it works well for a Castlevania game.

The training hall is also quite challenging, it takes a while to get it down, and the enemies I found here are harder than the bosses in Boss Rush mode....it's that ridiculous, the training hall is pretty hard, it's probably the hardest thing int his game.

Dracula....is not. He take around 5 mins to beat the first time you play him.

Overall though this game is great, and was fun to play, it is a skill based platforming RPG, that has depth in it's combat. A mix of Megaman and Metroid, as well as Zelda and Final Fantasy. Castlevania still got it. x]