Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

[CHOZO]

I don' know about everyone else, but I am finding this game very challenging. Anyone else finding it difficult? I miss having a whip.

[mailman187666]

it is very challenging but I really like it alot. I do wish they had a whip also but I got used to using different weapons with other releases. I'm kind of glad they upped the difficulty a little bit with this title. I welcome all the changes made in the game compared to the GBA and other DS titles. I think I like it better than portrait of ruin, but I liked dawn of sorrow more.

[Arcade_Ness]

The added difficulty and linear level progression reminds me of the old school CVs. The glyph system is similar to the soul system in DOS, but there's so much more to it. I really dig the dual wielding aspect. Also CRAB BATTLE!

[CHOZO]

CRAB BATTLE!

Hahahahaha, That's the part I'm actually on... Ugh, it broke my knife!

[jonnyutah]

castlevania64 owns all newscool castlevania's

[Sudo]

I liked the game a lot, it's the best Castlevania since SotN IMO. I finished it a couple days after it came out, and the higher difficulty was definitely welcome.

[super nes]

I finished it yesterday i think the final battle wasn't really challenging i beat it on my third try but i think that this was a great game im doing Albus mode right now and im really enjoying it. After im gonna try hard mode and see how it goes but anyone who hasn't tried it already should definitely pick it up.

[aclbandit]

castlevania64 owns all newscool castlevania's

My god, I hope that was a joke...

[heybtbm]

I'm just happy they abandoned the lame anime-inspired art direction. This game seems more in line with SotN and the GBA Castlevanias.

[2Dskillz]

I think reworking Rondo of Blood for the PSP gave Iga fresh insight into what people enjoy about this series, and the biproduct is an amazing DS incarnation.

[Sotenga]

As a massive CV addict, I naturally have to say that this game rules, and... well, it does. No, not just because I'm biased, but it is one of the better recent CV games. Perhaps for me, it's because the game eschews elaborate exploration for crushing challenge. Holy crap, this game is hard and I have died MANY times. Portrait of Ruin was fairly challenging, but OoE makes PoR look like a pie walk. The amount and strength of enemies that you encounter are often very difficult the first few times you pass through them, Shanoa seems to level up at a slower rate, and the boss fights are as impressive as they are difficult in this game. Side note to the bosses: They freaking rule in this game. Almost all of them are original in concept (though a couple of familiar faces are expected, and an unlikely enemy from a previous title gets upgraded to boss status here), but the sprites are all new and incredibly well-animated. Graphically, this is THE most advanced game yet, and while the music is a bit of an acquired taste first, it really sinks in as you play and I'd match it up as being about as great as PoR's music.

It's hard to say which game I like more among those two, but they're both incredibly solid, better than Dawn of Sorrow and all the GBA CV titles in my opinion. PoR MIGHT still be ahead, if not mostly for having four character modes (seven characters overall), However, for being one step closer in design and challenge to an "old-school vampire killing jam" (credit to Dire 51 for that term, I use it way too much nowadays ), OoE is a fantastic title that I highly recommend.

If there's any fault with it, it's that it doesn't REALLY change the formula radically. I do acknowledge it feels somewhat different with the aforementioned boot up in difficulty and stratification of levels, but at its core, it's still another "Metroidvania," a term that I almost hesitate to use as it seems to have taken on a pejorative tone lately. Still, it's a solid formula that has become the model for most CV titles as of late, and I'd rather they'd stick to it than make every title like "Castlevania: Judgment" from here on out. I doubt that will happen, but if it does, I will put a stop to such madness personally.

[walrusmonger]

I don't find this game too hard yet, but it is fantastic.

[Oobgarm]

I'm quite happy with it. I really liked the last 2 DS outings, and this one is similar enough for me, yet does some things differently to breathe new life into the formula.

[calthaer]

I hate this stupid crab.

[super nes]

the crab was easy just stay to the left platforms and you'll be fine then when you see an elevater with spikes at the bottom go to it and press down and thats it.

[tomaitheous]

I hate this stupid crab.

If my 6 year old can beat the crab in the tower without any help, I'm sure you can do it too

[kupomogli]

The game is alright, though I'm a bit disappointed with it. The CV series has went downhill since CoD(minus IGA remaking Rondo.)

[CHOZO]

I hate this stupid crab.

You have no idea how much I hate the crab...

[2Dskillz]

I hate this stupid crab.

I was stuck on the Crab for 2 days, I feel ya on that one. I have since made it much further and this is easily the best Castlevania since SotN.

[calthaer]

Oh, I beat the crab. It's totally do-able - but it's a pain in the neck. It's back to the old-school "memorize all the boss patterns" type of thing. Which was fine back in the NES days. Nowadays I like less trial-and-error and more think-fast-on-your-feet type of action.