To my surprise after a little ways into the game I discovered this is an RPG. From the small amount of knowledge I had of Castlevania prior to this game I figured they were simply just 2D action-platformers. While this game can be described as that, it can also be described as an RPG as well as it contains a lot of the elements that define an RPG. First and foremost there is a heavy emphasis on stats and stat progression. You level up and manage stats such as HP, MP, ATK, INT, and LUCK and also have elemental properties to take into consideration and those have their own stats attached to them as well. Equipment, shops, loot, and side quests also have prominence that affect these stats.
It felt fresh to be playing a 2D action-platformer. I've played Kingdom Hearts which can be described as the 3D variation especially the first game, but being restricted to just 2 dimensions makes it feel like an entirely different experience. The implementation of these elements are handled pretty well for the most part in this game, but there are two elements that could've been done better. The side quests should have been more varied. The majority of them require you to collect an item or multiples of the same item. I would've liked to seen more that didn't require as much loot hunting like the quests where you draw sketches for an old woman or take pictures for a journalist. The item fetching quests aren't that bad in their own, but in later segments in the game, they become a hassle to complete and this is due to the game's loot system. Some monsters drop items when you defeat them and some treasure chests contain rare items and while this is not different from a lot of other RPGs, it is grind intensive and frustrating. The drop rates on some items are so incredibly low that even with two luck boosting items I had equipped on my character I couldn't get them to show up.
I didn't start to get these rare drop items on a consistent basis until I was towards the end of the game at level 40 with a luck stat of about 23 or 25. It wasn't fun killing enemies dozens of times to still not get the item you needed for a quest or to keep re-entering a level in order to get the right item you need from a rare treasure chest. Even with a treasure hat equipped, it doesn't mean you'll get the rare drop you'd need and this brings about another point. The info on where to acquire some of these items are not made clear either. You're just told to get the item with no mention of where it could be found. You could guess the location of some depending on the name of the item, but for stuff like onyx and cashmere thread you can't determine. I find it bad design if the player has to look online in order to find out which level I have to go to get the item I need.
The drop rates aren't just limited to items either. Enemies also happen to drop glyphs which are the game's weapons, spells, and abilities. Some glyphs are pretty common and others are extremely rare. Sometimes in the game you'll get a glyph that will let you summon a monster to help you out in battle and all of them start at level 1. You can increase the level of the monster by have it defeat enemies, but that takes forever according to a source online or you can absorb about ten additional glyphs of that same variety to level it up. This would be fine normally, but almost all of the summoning glyphs are rare and you could kill about thirty enemies and the glyph will never drop. It wasn't until the end of the game when I was finally able to level up my owl and that took a considerable amount of grinding. I'm not against rare drops, it's just when they become too rare is when it becomes a problem.
On the positive side of things, this game is thoroughly entertaining when it comes to the combat. The glyph system that the game is based around lets you equip two weapons/spells and a third special glyph. Weapons in this game are abundant and offer plenty variety. You have close range, long range, weapons that hit at an angle, multi-hitting weapons, and spell based weapons. Special glyphs offer diversity outside of straight combat. Some give you a stat boost, one increases money drop rates, you have summon glyphs, and transformation glyphs that transform your character into a monster with its own set of abilities. There's plenty of variety in this regard and it makes it exciting when you pick up a new glyph. As far as how the actual combat functions it feels gratifying. You feel the weight of your attacks due to great sound effects and hit detection. The enemies also come into great variety. They are not only interesting to look at, but plenty have you try out different techniques. Some enemies are only weak against certain weapons and you also have enemies that may fly or quick enemies that you have to dodge carefully. The bosses in this game also provide a great challenge. They are pattern based, which most of the time for me makes them boring, but not in the case of Order of Ecclesia. The bosses test your ability to effectively dodge and max out your damage output when you have an opportunity for a free attack.
The platforming I can't say much about other than it's there, but I found the Magnes implementation interesting. This game also has a lovely art style that with a great amount of colors despite this being a game in a Gothic series. The character portraits look rather nice as they're painted and have a lot of detail. My particular favorite is Laura's. There are also a few songs I like in this game quite a lot. Music is effective in creating an atmosphere and Order of Ecclesia does a substantial job in this department. The tracks create intensity, brooding, or adventure when necessary.
Overall I find this game to be pretty good, it just has one major flaw in its loot design that I find troublesome. Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia was a decent introduction to the series.
7.5/10
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