Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia is a Metroidvania developed and published by Konami for the Nintendo DS, released on October 21, 2008. The Belmonts are gone, and in their absence the Order of Ecclesia raises a warrior to stand against Dracula. Her weapons are glyphs: runes absorbed from fallen foes and the world around her, burned into arm and back at a cost. Absorb, strike, and the power is yours.

The game is remembered for its difficulty among the handheld Castlevania titles, and for Shanoa, a heroine who fights without a whip and without a word to spare. Beyond Ecclesia’s walls lie villages, mountains, and a castle that waits as it always has. The night is patient. So is she.