Retro Game Friday: Castlevania Order of Ecclesia

This week for Retro Game Friday I’m back with another Castlevania entry! It’s Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia!

Plot: The plot is okay, it’s not the best of the series by a longshot, but it’s a hell of a lot better than the later 3D reboot that graced the last gen of consoles. It’s also nice that Shanoa is a completely standalone character and in no way connected to the Belmont line of the series.

Gameplay: The gameplay is a bit like Symphony of the Night and the more classic Castlevania games. It uses the heart system which was absent from the more recent prior entries to fuel certain attacks which was absent in both Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin. I enjoyed the gameplay, and if Dawn of Sorrow had forgone the touch screen completely I wouldn’t be torn between Ecclesia and that for my top Castlevania games after Symphony of the Night.

Characters: Shanoa is our main character and she’s quite a bad ass. That being said this isn’t the best entry in terms of characters as it really revolves only around a few, namely Shanoa and Albus her enemy and once compatriot.

Art: The art is okay, and sticks to the Symphony of the Night style that was the peak of the series in my opinion. It could be a remastered with today’s standards, but it holds up fairly well regardless.

Music: I don’t remember much of it and since it was a handheld I didn’t listen to much to begin with.

Overall: A good entry, but not the best in a long running series.

For those who like: Metroidvania games, Action, Exploration, Drama, Badass Female Leads.

Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above.

Retro Game Friday: Castlevania Circle of the Moon

This week for Retro Game Friday I’m covering the first Castlevania game to be released on the GameBoy Advance. It’s Castlevania Circle of the Moon!

Plot Synopsis: At an old castle, Camilla, a minion of Dracula, revives him, only to be interrupted by the arrival of three vampire hunters Morris, Nathan, and Hugh. Before they are able to banish him again, Dracula destroys the floor under Nathan and Hugh, causing them to plummet down a long tunnel. Surviving the fall and wishing to find his father, Hugh leaves Nathan behind. Nathan proceeds to search the castle for his mentor Morris…

Plot: The plot is okay, nothing spectacular however. Not quite as good as Symphony of the Night or even the Sorrow games.

Gameplay: It was the first GBA Castlevania so it paved the way for later entries in the series. It wasn’t as good as those games, but it was still fun nonetheless. The Dual Set-Up System was fun, but it could be a bit clunky as well. Still if you’ve never played this it’s worth playing!

Art: It has aged pretty well, although the backgrounds are a bit worse off than the character sprites. Still this is a great example of why 2D is more timeless, even more than almost a decade and half later.

Music: Don’t remember a whit, sorry.

Overall: Give this a shot if you’ve never played it before and have the chance, but it’s not a must play game.

For those who like: Castlevania Games, Platformers, Action, Adventure, Good Plots, Decent Cast of Characters, Excellent Art.

Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above.

Retro Game Friday: Castlevania Lords of Shadow

This week for Retro Game Friday I’m covering a game I despise. It’s Castlevania Lords of Shadow!

Plot Synopsis: Gabriel Belmont is sent by the Brotherhood of Light to the Lake of Oblivion, where his deceased wife, Marie, tells him that Spirits who founded the Brotherhood said that the Lords of Shadow’s power will save the world. Gabriel meets a man from the Brotherhood called Zobek, who states that a prophecy has been kept a secret by a select few, which tells of a pure-hearted warrior who will claim the Lords of Shadow’s power to overcome evil.

Plot: This game took the great plotlines of the past Castlevania games and ditched them to remake the series. As much respect as I have for Hideo Kojima, the fact that Koji Igarashi wasn’t a part of this game infuriates me to no end. Igarashi was a part of the series since Symphony of the Night, arguably one of the best games of all time, and defiling his legacy by making this piece of crap was terrible.

Gameplay: It played like God of War, which is to say too many Quicktime Events to be anything but annoying as all hell. That isn’t to say it’s terrible, the gameplay was solid enough, but it’s not Castlevania and branding it as such is a huge disservice to the series.

Art: Okay, good at the time, but now it’s just aged and worn.

Music: Probably the only good thing in the game was the music, but even that wasn’t super memorable like previous entries in the series.

Overall: Steer clear of this one, it ruins the name Castlevania.

For those who like: Quicktime Events, God of War, Action Games.

Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above, or games that claim to be a part of a once beloved brand.