Topic: Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia *** NO SPOILERS

[Reinhart77]

ok, they posted more villagers on their character site.

[Abster]

What I see here is a failure to recognize that there is such a thing as "artificial difficulty".

It's apparent that some here don't realize that bad design can make something frustrating.

What I see them saying in these reviews is not that it is a difficult game, but that because of design flaws there is a large amount of "false difficulty".

They don't go into detail but it most likely revolves around trial and error. It is easy to see how something can seem insurmountable because you are given no idea on how to counter certain situations.

A player should never go into a fight feeling that it's impossible and that only by luck will they be able to defeat an opponent, that is definitive bad design.
Completely unrewarding for the player, because the player didn't really beat anything, they just got lucky.

I really hope that isn't the case, but that sentiment is looking to be wishful thinking.

This is the best summary thus far I'm afraid.  Order of Ecclesia has fake difficulty up the ass.  For example, limiting the number of times you can attack, (All physical weapons being considered magic) and forcing yourself to a vulnerable state in the presence of enemies (If you want to steal glyphs from enemies you MUST do this)  Boss battles can be difficult, sure, but not enough to make them into a tiring chore.

[Algernon]

Loving the art style here.

I'm a little nervous about this highly prominent difficulty level here. I'll be getting a strategy guide to help me through this one.

[RichterX]

Even if this game is hard or not, just like I said before reviewers suck at games. Any "hard difficulty" is usually a load of crap.

[RichterB]

OOE got an 8.0 in Nintendo Power, whereas DOS and POR got 9.0.

QUESTION: Does this game have platforming with death pits?

[Soma Cruz]

Honestly, I am totally stoked with all of this talk of increased difficulty.  As I am sure most of you also feel, I thought that DoS and PoR were WAY to easy.  Way to much hand holding.

Soma

[Kamirine]

OOE got an 8.0 in Nintendo Power, whereas DOS and POR got 9.0.

QUESTION: Does this game have platforming with death pits?

Thus far, I haven't seen or heard anything about 'pits of death' yet. Nintendo Power's review was one of two of the reviews I took with a grain of salt to be honest though. (The other being Gamepro's, though admittedly, the latter's made me laugh.)

[RichterB]

Thus far, I haven't seen or heard anything about 'pits of death' yet. Nintendo Power's review was one of two of the reviews I took with a grain of salt to be honest though. (The other being Gamepro's, though admittedly, the latter's made me laugh.)

Thanks for the reply. Nintendo Power's statement that the stages were set up more like the 8-bit and 16-bit entries is what prompted this question. To me, if you don't have an organic layout where you can make a mistake on the terrain and die means the stages are probably still MetroidVania more or less, just bite-sized. A shame, because by bringing in an overworld map, I had hoped it would at least be like Simon's Quest. Any thoughts on if it's more like Simon's Quest or just another reworking of SOTN formula?

[azielsatori]

Well you can't complete the game without completing certain quests, "something that they don't really tell you is required", so I would say yea it's a bit like SQ.

Hopefully without the lies.

[RichterX]

Really? Hm, I like the sound of that.

[azielsatori]

As long as they don't make you take cheap unavoidable hits, it all sounds like love to me.

[erimocard]

Wait a sec, guys. Is that guy really saying, that there is no backtracking!? O_o I don't really believe that, but if it's right... That'd be kinda sad.

[azielsatori]

Not alot is what is meant.

There is sure to be some.

[Dark Nemesis]

If there is no backtracking, then how you are supposed to complete all the quests or find all the gliphs? Also when you finish one stage you don't go to the world map? I just don't understand it.

[darkwzrd4]

What the hell!?  If there is no backtracking, then aren't we returning to the oldest format of the game design in which we go level by level?  No matter I' still getting the game.