History Videogame / CastlevaniaOrderOfEcclesia

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Shanoa defeats Dracula and saves the world, but Albus is dead. Barlowe, the man who raised both of them, was revealed to be a batshit insane Dracula worshipper, and the ending states flatout that the only people who will even remember the events of the game are Shanoa herself and the villagers she rescued. On the plus side, even if Shanoa won't be remembered, she ''still'' saved the world, Albus retrieves her memories, and it's implied that the villagers, who are actually descendants of the Belmont line that have lost their way, have begun training themselves in the ways of the Vampire Hunter.]]

%%* PowerWalk: [[spoiler:Dracula.]]

* PlayerNudge: [[spoiler:If you don't rescue all the villagers, you get the bad ending halfway through the game. This bad ending pans over all the villagers you failed to rescue.]]

* SpeedRun: Like most 2D Metroidvanias, dash-cancelling makes for speedy movement, and [[spoiler:Albus Mode]] gives the player a teleport move that can bypass walls.

Compared to [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaChroniclesOfSorrow the other]] [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaPortraitOfRuin DS games]], ''Order of Ecclesia'' is much harder. Shanoa cannot take many hits, her ability to attack is limited by her [[{{Mana}} MP]] (granted, it fills up much more quickly than it has in previous games, but it's still a major limiting factor), and leveling up doesn't make hard enemies suddenly trivial. Shanoa can absorb [[PowerCopying glyphs from fallen foes]] and can [[CombinationAttack combine them]] for stronger attacks. Another dramatic change is the map structure: Rather than making use of large, sprawling maps, the game primarily employs much smaller maps that focus on action rather than exploration.

* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning[=/=]IncendiaryExponent: [[spoiler:Albus]] can do spinning jump kicks ''that are on fire.''
* EverythingsCuterWithKittens: There are cats you can rescue and take back to the village. When you meet them at the village, you can [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential attack them]], play with them using the stylus, or use the catgirl transformation glyph to talk to them. You even have to save one as part of a villager quest.

* CryCute: [[spoiler:Shanoa]], at [[spoiler:Albus']] request, shows a TearfulSmile when it's all over.

** Equipping the Death Ring takes this UpToEleven. Shanoa gains generous stat boosts, including of course her offensive stats, but [[OneHitPointWonder taking a single hit will end the game]].

* NintendoHard: Only one of two Metroidvania-engined ''Castlevania'' games to exceed the Website/GameFAQs difficulty voting threshold of 3.5 to qualify for Nintendo Hard (the other being ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaCircleOfTheMoon''). Taken UpToEleven in multiple stages: level 50 Hard mode, level 1 Hard Mode with a NewGamePlus, and level 1 Hard Mode without a NewGamePlus. Enemies deal absolutely ''insane'' amounts of damage and some of them are faster, demanding you to use everything you've got and come up with some new strategies.

* SequelDifficultySpike: It's shades harder than its predecessor ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaPortraitOfRuin''. This can come off as a [[ItsHardSoItSucks shock]] to players who grew up with ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'' and its successors.

* NiceHat: All of [[RetiredBadass Daniela]]'s quest rewards are nice hats. The Boss Rush mode has the most earnable treasures yet (11) and they are all headgear that reduces the cost of Glyph Unions for specific type of weapons. The nicest hat is probably Laura taking [[PimpedOutDress all the jewels]] you've brought her to make the Royal Crown. Unless you count the game's [[InfinityPlusOneSword hardest earned treasure with the best stats]], the Queen of Hearts. Hey, man, you have a lot of... [[Creator/MitchHedberg cranial accessories]].

* DebateAndSwitch: "Is the [[HeroicSacrifice complete destruction of an innocent individual]] justified if it could destroy the ultimate evil?" When the game starts, Barlowe certainly agrees and Albus violently doesn't. We're not sure what Shanoa's position was before she lost her memories, and it isn't until the ClimaxBoss that we learn of the price. Instead, just before the ClimaxBoss fight, we promptly learn that [[spoiler:the sacrifice would have ''freed'' Dracula instead of destroying him, and Barlowe is insane, rendering his position as obviously wrong.]]
** Revisited later, [[spoiler:when Shanoa uses Dominus to finish off Dracula after all, and Albus sacrifices his soul in her place.]] There is an important distinction, however: [[spoiler:Barlowe tried to sacrifice ''another's'' life without their knowledge or consent, while Albus sacrificed his ''own'', knowing full well what he was doing, and Shanoa ''tried'' to do the same as Albus.]]

*** Possibly not, given that [[spoiler:Dracula asks Shanoa if she was the one who freed him. Barlowe was simply DrunkOnTheDarkSide, or simply AxCrazy.]]
*** On the other hand, we have [[spoiler:Albus, who is possessed by Dracula after being consumed by Dominus. He briefly regains control to tell Shanoa to run, before Dracula takes over and launches into his BossBanter and the battle itself.]]

* EverythingsCuterWithKittens: There are cats you can rescue and take back to the village. When you meet them at the village, you can [[VideogameCrueltyPotential attack them]], play with them using the stylus, or use the catgirl transformation glyph to talk to them. You even have to save one as part of a villager quest.
* EvilAllAlong: [[spoiler: Barlowe. The leader of the Order that's supposed to be trying to destroy Dracula is actually trying to resurrect him.]]

* FemaleFelineMaleMutt: In addition to the classic werewolves, the ''Ecclesia'' introduces werecats. Guess what gender they are?
* FetchQuest: Nearly every single quest given by the villagers- nine of the twelve quest givers give quests of this type. The other three are a very small AmateurPhotographer sidequest, a monster slaying sidequest, and two games of hide and seek.

* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: Death will occasionally mock the "GAME OVER" screen from ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'' after he kills you.
* {{Gashadokuro}}: One of these is an early boss encountered at what appears to be a prison. The thing will chase you to the edge of the screen necessitating using the little jump points to get over it to the other side. Funnily enough, it can't turn around to fight, so it just bends over backwards and crab walks after you to the other side of the field.

* GoodAllAlong: [[spoiler: Albus. The early scenes make it look like he'd stolen Dominus out of jealousy, when he'd actually been trying to protect Shanoa. He found out that Dominus would kill the one who used it, which is why he was insisting that it should be him instead of her.]]

* TheGunslinger: Albus. His gun can rapid fire, shoot swirling bullets of light and darkness and unleash a massive energy sphere.

* HealthDamageAsymmetry: Inverted in hard mode, where monsters' attack power can be as much as 10 times of their own HP.

** When it's revealed that [[spoiler:Barlowe was EvilAllAlong]] right around the point where the game decides whether you get the bad ending or move on, [[spoiler:he duels with and is killed by Shanoa, i.e. his own disciple.]]
** The Dominus glyphs [[spoiler:used to defeat Dracula are made of ''Dracula's own power''.]]

* {{Irony}}: [[spoiler: Barlowe had planned on summoning Dracula using Dominus under the guise that it would destroy him. In the end, the latter actually worked, with Dracula once again defeated.]]

** [[spoiler:Dracula doesn't have 6,666 HP, he has ''9,999''. Also instead of taking on some monstrous second form, he just turns into a 3D model and starts walking around to attack you.]]

** Shanoa stands in sharp contrast to previous ''Castlevania'' heroes, on account of being a LadyOfBlackMagic, as opposed to a Fighter/Warrior or MagicKnight. As such, she starts off with almost humorously low attack power, an unimpressive rapier glyph and what might be the least useful (if [[AwesomeButImpractical cool looking]]) backdash in the series. It also [[EarlyGameHell takes her a while to get her momentum going]], not getting any good spell glyphs until around the lighthouse level. Still, by the end, she can be so [[GameBreaker brokenly loaded]], the game expects you to take down the TrueFinalBoss as part of the timed boss rush mode.
** While the above point is franchise wide, it's also true in-game, when you compare Shanoa's abilities to that of the game's resident SecretCharacter.

** Shanoa [[{{Catchphrase}} liked to call herself]] "[[RedBaron The blade that banishes evil]]" in the japanese version, which got turned into a ContinuityNod in the english version. However, she still says it in the pre-battle dialogue with Dracula, and [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools the continuity nod was pretty badass in its own right]].

** Female werecats don't appear to be wearing anything when they die, but they collapse in such a way their arms and legs cover anything too explicit.

* MetroidVania:

* MirrorBoss: [[spoiler:Albus]], especially in Hard Mode as the boss can use three glyphs available to you: Ignis, Grando and Fulgur. And they hurt just as much as yours.

* MoreDakka: [[spoiler:Albus fires that gun of his REALLY fast in Albus Mode.]] Made even more awesome by the fact that this game takes place in the early 1800s and the gun is a muzzle-loaded flintlock.

* MultipleEndings: Two of them here. To get the good ending, you have to [[spoiler:rescue all of the trapped villagers.]] The bad ending borderlines on NonStandardGameOver.

** And if that wasn't enough of a clue, each of Dominus glyphs are called Hatred, Anger and Agony.

* NintendoHard: Only one of two Metroidvania-engined ''Castlevania'' games to exceed the Website/GameFAQs difficulty voting threshold of 3.5 to qualify for Nintendo Hard (the other being ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaCircleOfTheMoon''). Taken UpToEleven in multiple stages: level 50 Hard mode, level 1 Hard Mode with a NewGamePlus, and level 1 Hard Mode without a NewGamePlus. Enemies deal absolutely INSANE amounts of damage and some of them are faster, demanding you to use everything you've got and come up with some new strategies.

* OneWingedAngel: Subverted by [[spoiler:Dracula, of all people. He doesn't transform; he just starts walking around and using different attacks.]]

* PressXToDie: Equip Dominus Anger, Dominus Hatred, and Dominus Agony[[note]]Yes, you need to equip the back glyph as well, even though no other combo in the game includes one.[[/note]]. Press Up + X to die.
** [[spoiler:Except at the very end, where you need it to finish Dracula off and trigger the final cutscene. You better be quick about it too - if you aren't, Dracula will cast Demonic Megiddo, aka a giant explosion that will instantly kill you. It can be avoided by flying into the corner of the boss room, but it goes on forever and since you can't use the glyph union in midair and it doesn't work after he casts the spell even if you use cheats to make yourself invincible, you have no choice except give up and die regardless.]]

* RandomDrop: Enemies will drop money, usable items and objects for the various missions you'll go through. You can also get them from chests that replenish themselves.

* SimpleYetAwesome: Meet the Fidelis Medusa glyph. If you take the time to get it to level 3 (which doesn't take long since the grey Medusa Heads have a 100% drop rate for it) it can shield you from most projectiles, ward off GoddamnedBats, petrify certain monsters rendering them weak and stationary, and break walls to find secret treasure or passages you might otherwise ignore.

* TookALevelInBadass: The tinmen are MUCH harder than they were in ''Symphony of the Night'', even despite having basically the same attack patterns. This is because they can whack you even if you jump over them (double jump works though), move faster than you, and can do a lot of damage VERY quickly.

* TreacherousAdvisor: [[spoiler:Barlowe did not found the Order of Ecclesia and forge the Dominus glyphs because he wanted to prevent Dracula's rebirth. Everything he's done was to manipulate Shanoa into unleashing the Dark Lord back into the world]]. If the player fails to rescue every villager before the final battle against [[spoiler:Albus]], Shanoa fails to realize his trickery, leading to the BadEnding.
* TrickedToDeath: in the bad ending, [[spoiler: Shanoa is tricked into using the Dominus glyphs together on Dracula's coffin, unaware that Dominus will, in fact, revive Dracula at the cost of the caster's life.]]

** Dracula decides to ditch his OneWingedAngel routine for once and simply decides to start [[MundaneMadeAwesome walking around the arena]] after you weaken him. Oh, and his attacks become ''much'' more brutal and difficult to dodge. Good luck - you'll probably need it.

* UnableToCry: Shanoa laments this after [[spoiler:Albus' death]] in the path to the good ending. [[spoiler:Subverted in the actual ending]].

* UnwittingPawn: Shanoa must learn Dominus so [[spoiler:Barlowe can free his master, Dracula.]] In the bad ending, she falls for it.

* ViolationOfCommonSense: [[spoiler: Once you get Dracula's health low enough in the final fight, he becomes invincible and begins charging an unavoidable attack that will kill you instantly. Luckily, the game all but spells out to you what you need to do to finish Dracula off. Despite ''everything'' you've been told up to that point, you MUST equip all three Dominus glyphs and use their glyph union to win.]]

** Meet the Giant Skeleton. Utilize the Magnes, Ascia and Macir glyphs properly or you'll die over and over.

** It says a lot about this game that the first stumbling block ''is a DegradedBoss later.''

* WhamEpisode: [[spoiler: And one doozy of a Wham Episode, at that. After she defeats Albus (and provided she saved all the villagers first), Shanoa finds out that Barlowe sacrificed her memories and emotions to control Dominus and that it'll kill her if she uses it. Albus was GoodAllAlong and stole Dominus to protect Shanoa, and only kidnapped the villagers of Wygol because they're descendants of the Belmonts and hoped that samples of their blood would allow him to use Dominus without being consumed by it. On top of all that, it turns out Barlowe was EvilAllAlong and ''wants'' to resurrect Dracula. [[ForegoneConclusion And he succeeds.]]]]

Compared to [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaChroniclesOfSorrow the other]] [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaPortraitOfRuin DS games]], ''Order of Ecclesia'' is much harder. Shanoa cannot take many hits, her ability to attack is limited by her [[{{Mana}} MP]] (granted, it fills up much more quickly than it has in previous games, but it's still a major limiting factor,) and leveling up doesn't make hard enemies suddenly trivial. Shanoa can absorb [[PowerCopying glyphs from fallen foes]] and can [[CombinationAttack combine them]] for stronger attacks. Another dramatic change is the map structure: Rather than making use of large, sprawling maps, the game primarily employs much smaller maps that focus on action rather than exploration.

* AbsurdlyHighLevelCap: Unlockable by beating the game on Hard Mode lv1, which increases it to 255, when normally you'd be somewhere around 60-70 at most at the end of the game - and leveling up past around 80 requires ''multiple playthroughs per level''.

* AmbiguousTimePeriod: A minor example but the official chronology places the game before {{Literature/Dracula}} in 1897 with the only statement of when this takes place being 18??. It could be the Georgian or the Victorian Era.

* AxCrazy: [[spoiler: Barlowe upon the reveal. It's also heavily implied that he was like this all along, and that his betraying Shanoa was due to his insanity, as, during his TeleportSpam attack, he says, with each punch, "HOW DARE YOU...! EVEN FORGETTING... WHO RAISED YOU...! YOU... STUPID DISCIPLE!!"]]

** Death, more so than ever before. "HERE IT COMES! TAKE THIS! BURN! GO! DIE! Thy time to die IS NOW!!! I SHALL CUT YOU DOWN!!!" The candle of your soul has burned itself out. GAME. OVER. Hahahahahahahahaha..."

* BoringButPractical: The Macir glyphs. Good damage, good range, good attack speed, not too harsh on the MP and quite a few enemies are weak to blunt damage. They might not be spells, nor the strongest weapons, but they give the most bang for your buck.
* BossBanter: From [[spoiler:Barlowe]]: HOW DARE YOU..! EVEN FORGETTING..! [[spoiler:WHO RAISED YOU! YOU..! '''STUPID DISCIPLE!!!''']]

** Unlocking of the level 255 mode is accomplished by beating the game in level 1 Hard Mode.
* BribingYourWayToVictory: If you want to get the best helmet in the game, Queen of Hearts, you have to play through Hard Mode with a level cap (Lvl 1 or Lvl 50 are your initial options). If you want to unlock the ability to set the level cap to 255, you have to play though Hard Mode with level cap set at 1... or you can just buy ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaJudgment'' for the Wii and sync the two games together to get both rewards.
* BrutalBonusLevel: 2 of them, in different flavors, even. Training Hall is a PlatformHell. Large Cavern is full of DemonicSpiders and a BonusBoss (a ChineseVampire)

** The first boss is VERY similar to the final boss of ''[[{{VideoGame/Contra}} Super Contra.]]''

** Anyone who played ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}}'' may have this strange feeling when listening to Sorrow's Distortion [[spoiler:Albus's boss theme]].

* ChewingTheScenery: Brachyura's "SHOOOOOAR" and Albus's "SHANOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

* ChurchMilitant: The titular Order of Ecclesia - A portion of the Church has been looking for a way to defeat Dracula without relying on a Belmont. [[spoiler:Of course, it's soon realized that they only wanted to defeat the seal.]] [[spoiler:Then again, they could have been looking for a way to destroy Dracula when they started, but his seal drove them insane. Dracula has a knack for [[BrainwashedAndCrazy doing that kind of stuff to people]].]]
* ClimaxBoss: [[spoiler:Barlowe]]. He's the last boss before you go to [[spoiler:Dracula's Castle]], you fight him after you find out about [[spoiler:Albus' motives and the true nature of Dominus]], and he has his own battle theme music.
* ColossusClimb: The battle with Eligor. Albus can kind of cheat with his teleporting though, and if Shanoa takes time to get the Redire glyph from Training Hall before fighting him, she can use it to quickly get to his weakpoint as well. Both characters might have some trouble actually taking him down without destroying the crossbows on his flanks, though.

* CostumePorn: Shanoa's battledress is quite elaborate in official artwork.
* CryCute: [[spoiler: Shanoa]], at [[spoiler:Albus']] request, shows a TearfulSmile when it's all over.

* VendorTrash: Some chests and enemies will have items that ''look'' like they should be part of a quest, but actually aren't (like Copper Ore). These items can be sold for cash at the shop.

%%* RapunzelHair: Shanoa.

* PuzzleBoss: [[WallMaster Wallman]]. How do you defeat a demon that keeps hiding in the walls, throwing VideoGame/{{Bomberman}}-style explosives at you, and has a ''limitless'' supply of healing items? [[spoiler:Absorb the glyph that allows him to enter walls... ''[[TeleFrag while he's still in one]]''. Alternatively, you can absorb the glyph ''before'' he enters the wall, which will leave him [[HoistByHisOwnPetard unable to escape the explosives that he's tossed into the room.]]]]

%%* ZettaiRyouiki

** Shanoa [[{{Catchphrase}} liked to call herself]] "[[RedBaron The blade that banishes evil]]" in the japanese version, which got turned into a ContinuityNod in the english version. However, she still says it in the pre-battle dialogue with Dracula, and [[TropesAreTools the continuity nod was pretty badass in its own right]].

* LikeBrotherAndSister: Shanoa and Albus are both orphans, but they basically became this trope.

** In previous games, you can use the basic attack as much as you want; special attacks are the ones that cost MP or hearts. Here, ''all'' attacks use MP or hearts, even basic ones. To make up for it, the Manameter regenerates faster than in other games.