Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Release Date: Oct. 21, 2008
System: Nintendo DS
ESRB Rating: T
Official Web page (Japanese)

In a nutshell: Ecclesia-tastic

0:00 I have no idea what an Ecclesia is, but I have a good idea what a "Castlevania" is, after playing many games in the series over the last two decades. Super Castlevania IV on the SNES is probably my favorite.

0:01 A ring of light floats onto a girl's forehead as her long black hair blows in the breeze. Some still paintings of monsters and a guy with a gun fly by. A guy studies a closed book. The monsters all get sucked into a white vortex. Close up on a vampire with red eyes. The monsters get sliced in two, one by one. Zoom in on the girl's iris. A tower rises up above a desolate plain. Bats fly by. Aaaaand title!

0:03 "Returning to life time and again since the ancient Middle Ages, the evil Lord Dracula had driven people to terror." The Belmont clan has stopped him time and again. But in the early 1800s, Ecclesia was born as one of many backups for the Belmonts. Many of these backup organizations fell, but Barlowe, the founder of Ecclesia, thinks he might finally have something that can stand up to Dracula this time.

0:04 Shanoa is talking to Albus in an ornate hall. Shanoa has been chosen by Barlowe to be "the bearer." Of bad news? No ... her body's going to be a vessel for Dominus. Albus is mad ... he wanted to be the bearer. The master told Shanoa he's "unfit." By the way, Dominus is "the balde to banish all evil."

0:06 Just like that, I'm in control of Shanoa, jumping across carefully placed platforms that are hanging around this ornate hall for some reason. The 2-D sprite-based animation is excellent ... I love the way Shanoa's long coat flaps in the wind as she falls.

Read the full review at Crispy Gamer