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You Really Should Be Playing This Game: Castlevania – Order of the Ecclesia By: PoisonRamune, the Apathetic Lizardman I’m not going to beat around the bush, I love this game. I love this game to the point where I’d even call it a “killer app” for the Nintendo DS (and no, I don’t use killer app in my vernacular; since I look at game systems in a Gestalt sort of way where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, or games in this case). However, this game is 2-D platforming mastery. We are definitely experiencing the 2-D gaming Renaissance in full force! The game is very much the same as, yet very different to the other recent “metroidvanias” out the market. While you do work your way through a semi-open ended world gathering various equipment and items to advance further along; you’re no longer just romping through the Count of Darkness’ lair. In fact, you begin the game roaming the Transylvanian country side with “Castlevania” itself not being accessible until late in the game. While this seems like a huge stumbling block and even a deal breaker for Castlevania purists, it really is almost a moot point. Your brain will soon get over the fact that you’re not going to be smoothly transitioning from locale to another, and truth be known you’ll actually embrace it as you can more easily access save points and the item shop. Another difference in this game is the choice of the lead character. Instead of a hearty Belmont, apprentice vampire hunter, or emo kid with a “dark” secret; you play as Shanoa, a sexy magic user in thigh high boots. This choice of the main character is somewhat of a strange twist, for not since Castlevania: Legends on the Gameboy have we seen a female lead in the game. Pretty much every playable female character has been a secondary character or some unlockable bonus character that’s not part of the game’s canon. Even Koji Igarashi, the current producer of the Castlevania series has stated that Sonia Belmont (the lead in Castlevania: Legends) wasn’t a believable main character because she was a female.
The final difference in this game and the slew of other “metroidvanias” is the difficulty. Though I’ve already mentioned how hard this game is, sometimes feel that I’ll never beat this game. I’m somewhat prepared for my defeat too, as I’m often tempted to look up the ending on youtube just so I can lie to my friends and say that I’ve seen the end. However, I’m trying not to level grind here, so perhaps that’s adding to a lot of my problems staying alive. The game’s challenge is just hard enough to keep you addicted. Even though you die in frustrating ways; you still find yourself bypassing that “Game Over” screen just to have another go. I’d compare this game to fighting Goku from Dragonball, where it doesn’t kill you outright. It actually toys with you and makes you feel like you have a chance before it crushes you. Aside from those big differences, this is still pretty much a recent gen Castlevania. As always it plays as a perfect mix of platformer game and RPG. I believe this to be the key to the huge fanbase that the newer Castlevanias have, as you can beat the game with either skill (learning patterns and out jumping your foes) or with patience by doing relentless level grinding. Either way the game doesn’t penalize you for being too twitch or a total palsy, it plays your way (even if it happens to be lame).
The story also mirrors the other Castlevanias in that Dracula is not your only adversary. Before taking on the Count of Darkness you are to fight Dracula’s earthly right hand. In previous installments of the series you were to take out dark priests that have summoned Dracula from the dead, cult leaders, and even a brainwashed Belmont. This time, you’re after a little weasel of a man named Albus that reminds me of Eric (the douchebag that tries to take over Madison Hotels) from Billy Madison. I’d much prefer if they used someone cooler, even a cliché villain archetype, since Albus’ laugh track seriously gets to me. Sadly, the one thing that does suffer in this game is the plot. However, the plot and storyline is a bit shallow in a Castlevania game. Which is a really strange coincidence in itself because the series has such a deep backstory told within its instruction booklets and supplemental material (comics, concept art books, illustrated timelines, etc). You play as a girl who is the only non-Belmont worthy to kill Dracula. After having your memories stolen you’re to relearn the basics of being a great vampire hunter, kill the man who stole your memory and then battle Dracula himself. Though you’re not really playing a Castlevania game for its elaborate storytelling, you’re here to kick the ass out of Dracula. I must say, that I almost wasn’t going to buy this game because I wasn’t impressed with its demo last month. However, I got it just to have it in my collection, as the handheld Castlevanias are run in really limited prints (I had to wait a year for the re-release Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow in the stupid “Konami Best” box to get my hands on it). And this time around the game really didn’t fail to deliver. If you have a DS; get this game tonight, since it might not even see a price drop before getting taken off the store shelf rotation. If you don’t have a DS this game may be the ultimate reason for you to buy one (I’m looking at you, Gavin). You really should be playing this game… In fact, I’m going to right now!
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