Castlevania: Order Of Ecclesia

Castlevania: Portrait Of Ruin marked the start of an interesting change of direction for the handheld Castlevania games. Gone was the labyrinth-like structure that has worked so well since the astonishing Symphony Of The Night, it was also possible to switch between two characters, and the levels were far shorter in length. But despite these bold changes, it didn’t quite work.

How fortunate, then, that producer Koji Igarashi has learned quickly from those mistakes and delivers a game that not only eclipses every handheld Castlevania adventure that’s gone before, but almost comes close to giving the imposing Symphony Of The Night a run for its money. While we’re still patiently waiting for that Symphony beater, we’re more than happy to continually play through Order Of Ecclesia, a title that turns the franchise on its head while also going back to what originally made the series so enjoyable in the first place.

The most notable change of direction is that the main character is now an emotionless female named Shanoa who, not being a Belmont, doesn’t use the traditional Vampire Killer whip, but instead relies on an assortment of magical glyphs. Then there’s the dark and absorbing storyline that, while predictable in places, soon takes some genuinely interesting turns and actually gives many of its characters a depth seldom seen in Castlevania titles.

Add to this a variety of sub-quests that aren’t a chore to complete; huge punishing bosses; and a difficulty that hasn’t been seen since the NES days and Order Of Ecclesia represents a solid but never ridiculous challenge that breathes new life into a franchise that was beginning to flag.

Some will no doubt take umbrage at Konami’s decision to retain Portrait Of Ruin’s smaller levels – don’t worry, investigating Dracula’s castle is a welcome return to form – but now they’re more focused and are rife with secret areas to uncover and explore. They’re also exquisitely beautiful to look at, with varied locations that range from storm-whipped seas to foreboding underground caverns, all of which are meticulously detailed and mostly filled with an assortment of completely redrawn sprites that again help make Order Of Ecclesia stand apart from its handheld peers.

The online aspects still feel underdeveloped, but there’s still enough here to justify the dalliance online – the ability to sell items is particularly welcome. There’s also plenty of replay value – you’re unlikely to get the good ending on your first outing, which means Castlevania: Order Of Ecclesia offers decent value for money. Of course, the game is not without its issues – bosses still require an insane amount of level grinding to consistently beat – but this is easily the best handheld Castlevania we’ve ever played. Let’s just hope that the same care and attention is applied to the recently announced Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 game.