《惡魔城 被奪走的刻印》（Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia）是由KONAMI於2008年發行的動作角色扮演遊戲，並由五十嵐孝司監製，為《惡魔城》系列在任天堂DS平台上的第三款作品。主角並非系列中的經典角色「貝爾蒙特家族」成員，而是「女戰士夏諾雅」（Shanoa），隸屬於教團·聖教宗教組織「埃克雷西亞」（Ecclesia），該組織旨在對抗吸血鬼德古拉及其手下的黑暗勢力。

故事發生在貝爾蒙特家族消失之後，吸血鬼德古拉的威脅依然未平息。隸屬於秘密組織「埃克雷西亞」的夏諾雅接受任務，成為組織用以封印並對抗德古拉的終極武器「主宰刻印」（Dominus）承載者。

然而，當夏諾雅正在接受教團導師巴隆的移轉儀式時，她的師兄阿魯貝斯（Albus）突然闖入，中斷儀式後多米納斯變成三個碎片分散各地，也導致夏諾雅失去記憶和情感。為找回阿魯貝斯和「主宰刻印」，踏上冒險旅程，揭開阿魯貝斯背叛的真正原因，並最終直面德古拉的力量。

當啟動真正的結局時會發現多米納斯的真身就是德古拉所擁有的黑暗力量-主宰之力，一旦啟動使用者就會死亡。當夏諾雅決定與德古拉同歸於盡的時候，寄身在多米納斯內的阿魯巴斯靈魂出現，自願成為祭品並將情感歸還給夏諾雅，最終與德古拉一同在黑暗中消失。

在操作方面，引入全新的「刻印系統」（Glyph System），可以在主角的身體部位上裝備不同的「刻印」來獲得能力。例如，用於近戰攻擊、魔法攻擊，甚至觸發特殊的輔助能力。每個刻印都具有各自的屬性和技能效果，將它們裝備到左手、右手和背部來進行戰鬥組合。左右手刻印的組合搭配，能夠使用連招和特殊技能，而背部刻印則提供被動增益效果或解謎用的能力，這種系統給玩家高度的自定義和策略性。

此外，操作設計適合DS雙屏機制：上螢幕顯示地圖和狀態信息，而下螢幕則展示遊戲畫面與角色動作。敵人的設計多樣，包含不同的屬性弱點，選擇正確的刻印來對應敵人的弱點，加強整體的策略性。

採用「半開放式」的世界，與傳統的《惡魔城》不同，分為多個獨立的關卡地點，並非一個連續的巨大城堡地圖。要在各個場景中尋找散落在村莊或野外的失踪村民，並完成支線任務以解鎖新的地圖或道具。這些村民不僅提供支線任務，也為後期帶來更多的商店和支援，提升探索的樂趣和遊戲的重玩性。

各個場景擁有截然不同的主題，例如森林、礦坑、海邊等，都有各自獨特的敵人和解謎元素。某些區域的地圖還設有隱藏的寶藏或秘密房間，利用特定的刻印能力來解開謎題。這種結構使得《被奪走的刻印》在保留系列傳統的同時，增加更多的自由探索性。

當年在發售後獲得普遍的好評。玩家和評論家對其深刻的劇情、獨特的角色設定、刻印系統的創新設計，以及挑戰性的戰鬥體系表達高度的讚賞。IGN稱讚遊戲不僅延續《惡魔城》系列的經典要素，也帶來許多創新，特別是刻印系統讓遊戲的可玩性大大提高。然而，有些玩家批評遊戲在難度上偏高，特別是一些強大的敵人需要玩家進行精確的刻印搭配和操作技巧，使得遊戲的學習曲線困難。

總體而言，《惡魔城被奪走的刻印》被認為是《惡魔城》系列中一部充滿特色且創新的作品。儘管難度高，但由於其精緻的系統設計和引人入勝的劇情情節，仍吸引許多系列愛好者和新玩家。

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, released by Konami in 2008, is an action role-playing game directed by Koji Igarashi. It is the third Castlevania installment on the Nintendo DS platform. Departing from the iconic Belmont family protagonists, this game introduces a new lead, Shanoa, a warrior affiliated with the Ecclesia organization, a religious order dedicated to combating Dracula and his dark forces.

The story unfolds after the Belmont family has vanished, yet Dracula's threat persists. Shanoa, a member of the secret Ecclesia organization, is chosen to wield a powerful weapon known as the “Dominus Glyph,” designed to seal and defeat Dracula. During the ritual to transfer Dominus to Shanoa, her mentor Barlowe’s ceremony is disrupted by her colleague Albus, who seizes the glyph, causing Dominus to shatter into fragments and resulting in Shanoa’s loss of memory and emotions. To recover the Dominus pieces and confront Albus’s betrayal, Shanoa embarks on an adventure that ultimately leads her to face Dracula’s power.

Upon reaching the game’s true ending, it is revealed that Dominus is infused with Dracula’s dark power and that using it would result in the wielder’s death. As Shanoa resolves to sacrifice herself to defeat Dracula, Albus’s spirit, now residing within Dominus, appears and offers himself as the final sacrifice, restoring Shanoa’s emotions before disappearing alongside Dracula in the darkness.

In terms of gameplay, Order of Ecclesia introduces the innovative “Glyph System,” allowing players to equip various glyphs to Shanoa’s body, granting her abilities such as melee and magic attacks and special auxiliary powers. Each glyph comes with unique attributes and effects, and players can strategically combine glyphs on Shanoa’s left hand, right hand, and back to create combat combinations. The hand glyphs can be paired to unleash combo attacks and special moves, while the back glyph provides passive enhancements or puzzle-solving abilities, allowing for a high degree of customization and strategic play.

The game design is tailored to the DS’s dual-screen layout: the top screen displays maps and status information, while the bottom screen shows gameplay and character actions. Enemy designs are varied, with each possessing distinct elemental weaknesses, encouraging players to select the appropriate glyphs for optimal combat strategy.

Unlike traditional Castlevania titles, which feature a sprawling castle map, Order of Ecclesia employs a “semi-open world” structure divided into distinct levels. Players explore various locations to find missing villagers scattered in areas such as forests, mines, and shores, completing side quests that unlock new maps or items. Rescued villagers offer support services, adding stores and additional assistance, enhancing exploration and replayability.

The game’s areas each feature unique themes and challenges, with some maps containing hidden treasures or secret rooms that require specific glyph abilities to access. This structure retains the traditional feel of Castlevania while offering greater freedom for exploration.

Upon its release, Order of Ecclesia received widespread acclaim. Players and critics praised its compelling storyline, unique character designs, innovative Glyph System, and challenging combat. IGN commended the game for preserving classic Castlevania elements while introducing fresh concepts, particularly the Glyph System, which significantly boosted replayability. However, some players found the game’s high difficulty level daunting, with formidable enemies that demand precise glyph combinations and control skills, resulting in a steep learning curve.

Overall, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia is regarded as a standout, innovative title in the Castlevania series. While its difficulty can be high, its refined system design and captivating storyline have made it a beloved game among series veterans and newcomers alike.