If this forever remains the final Metroidvania entry by Koji Igarashi and his team for the Castlevania series, what an incredible swan song it is.
Order of Ecclesia is a breath of fresh air when it comes to difficulty, especially compared to the previous games which were a piece of cake. The boss fights in this game are genuinely some of the toughest in the entire series, but they are challenging in a fair way, unlike the bosses in Circle of the Moon.
The weaknesses for enemies and bosses in Order of Ecclesia are now much more important, which means I have to constantly switch between my equipment slots. This, combined with the glyph system that has been streamlined compared to the souls' system from the Sorrow duology but still has layers to it, adds a whole new level of strategy to the game and makes combat the most engaging in all of 2D Castlevania for me.
The game's structure pleasantly surprised me, especially the hub village that gradually becomes more alive as you rescue villagers from different areas. It reminded me of Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest, but with a way better execution. Moving from one area to another feels like embarking on a journey through a vast land. The stunning visuals and incredible soundtrack, which is already a trademark of this series, further enhance the experience.
This journey is made even better by the emotional tale between Shanoa and Albus. Their story isn’t mind-blowing, but it's enough to make these two some of my favorite characters in the whole series. I genuinely care about their personal journey, even if the mystery surrounding it is predictable. Despite that, the end game is still incredibly satisfying.
I really believe that Order of Ecclesia is in my top 3 favorites in the series. However, I'm constantly debating whether this or Aria of Sorrow is my favorite Metroidvania game in the entire series. But one thing is for sure, it will go down as my favorite Metroidvania game on the Nintendo DS, and it's the perfect way to wrap up my Castlevania journey that I went through for over 2 years
Order of Ecclesia is a breath of fresh air when it comes to difficulty, especially compared to the previous games which were a piece of cake. The boss fights in this game are genuinely some of the toughest in the entire series, but they are challenging in a fair way, unlike the bosses in Circle of the Moon.
The weaknesses for enemies and bosses in Order of Ecclesia are now much more important, which means I have to constantly switch between my equipment slots. This, combined with the glyph system that has been streamlined compared to the souls' system from the Sorrow duology but still has layers to it, adds a whole new level of strategy to the game and makes combat the most engaging in all of 2D Castlevania for me.
The game's structure pleasantly surprised me, especially the hub village that gradually becomes more alive as you rescue villagers from different areas. It reminded me of Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest, but with a way better execution. Moving from one area to another feels like embarking on a journey through a vast land. The stunning visuals and incredible soundtrack, which is already a trademark of this series, further enhance the experience.
This journey is made even better by the emotional tale between Shanoa and Albus. Their story isn’t mind-blowing, but it's enough to make these two some of my favorite characters in the whole series. I genuinely care about their personal journey, even if the mystery surrounding it is predictable. Despite that, the end game is still incredibly satisfying.
I really believe that Order of Ecclesia is in my top 3 favorites in the series. However, I'm constantly debating whether this or Aria of Sorrow is my favorite Metroidvania game in the entire series. But one thing is for sure, it will go down as my favorite Metroidvania game on the Nintendo DS, and it's the perfect way to wrap up my Castlevania journey that I went through for over 2 years