Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia/Gameplay

Players take on the role of Shanoa, a member of the Order of Ecclesia. The Belmont clan has vanished and Ecclesia is one of several clans that have continued the fight against Dracula.

Glyphs
Unlike previous Castlevania games, Shanoa's main attacks are glyphs. She has three glyphs: main glyph, sub glyph, and back glyph. Main and sub glyphs are attacks, while back glyphs are usually supportive. Each glyph uses a certain amount of MP, but MP recharges quickly when not attacking. Each glyph is also associated with a specific attribute.

Glyphs can be obtained in several ways. Some randomly appear after an enemy is defeated. Some can only be absorbed when an enemy is using a glyph. Others can be found in statues. Glyphs are absorbed by holding.

By pressing and either  or, a glyph union will be performed, which is a stronger attack. Glyph unions cost hearts instead of MP.

Attribute Points
Attribute points are gained when enemies are defeated with glyphs. There are six attributes: slash, strike, fire, ice, lightning, darkness, and light. The more points gained, the stronger the glyphs become.

Chests
Throughout the game are six kinds of chests that contain various items. Brown and green chests contain a random item from a small pool. Green chest contain rarer items. They can be opened again after revisiting a map. The other chests can only be opened once. Red chests usually contain max up items. Gold chests contains relics. Blue chests are hidden and can be revealed by pressing.