Title: The Order: 1886
Platform & Format: PS4 via PSN / Blu-Ray Disk
Release Date: February 20th, 2015
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Developer: Read At Dawn
MSRP: $19.99
ESRB Rating: M
PS4 Pro Support: No
PS VR Support: No
Sony Interactive Entertainment revealed at E3 2013 that Santa Monica Studio and Ready at Dawn were gearing up for an awesome looking new IP set in some steampunk world during 1886. After over a year of delays, the game finally launched in 2015. Now here we are, only a little bit more than a month away from the game turning 2, the LNGamers review is finally here!
The story follows Galahad, one of the most experienced and well known Knights of the Round Table who serves King Arthur. The Order is hunting half-breeds which are half human and half werewolf called Lycan and there are even vampires. They are attacking the city and it’s their job to stop them from killing everyone. A secondary objective is to stop rebels from trying to overthrow the government. When you’re in danger, you apparently heal with a special liquid that heals you in minutes. That is quite the concept and it pays off big time.
The game feels very fluid when you’re playing it. It’s a 3rd Person Shooter so imagine Uncharted or Gears of War for how it plays. Most of the action is behind a cover, which isn’t so terrible. There is also some very annoying quick time events which I feel weren’t needed. As for other things, you have this gadget that stops electricity, which is cool and all but you have to focus and hit the right area using L3 or R3 and that is where I kinda rage quit. It’s simple once you get use to it, but it can be tedious once you first get your hands on it. Overall, walking, shooting, and looking around is very predictable, so there isn’t many surprises in the game in terms of controls. Although, it is nice to know that there won’t be a massive curveball thrown your way.
One of my favorite things about this game is stealth. The first time you encounter stealth is on the zeppelin and it’s quite simple to do. First, you slowly walk up behind someone or hide behind a corner and press Triangle. Yes, it’s truly that simple and that is what I LOVE about it. In a lot of stealth missions throughout various games, there’s usually some annoying obstacle in the way preventing the user to go through their way to complete the mission.
The Order also features some extremely advanced weaponry and gadgets. The game literally feels from the future and at the same time is set 200 years ago. For example, to unlock doors, you use this gadget thing that you press R2 while using L3 and it uses some high voltage electricity to accomplish that. As for weapons, you have some gun that charges and shoots lightning and another one where you can shoot fireballs and when you shoot at that ball, flames will come out and burn anyone within that area. Furthermore, things like thermal imaging, zeppelins, and wireless communications are ahead of its time, showing that this is indeed a game in both the past and future.
The game takes place in a Neo-Victorian London and it’s a stunning sight to behold. Everything from the tall buildings to the deep underground just feel too real. The character models to even the textures are incredibly detailed and this looks almost as good as Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. What really looks insane is the superb lighting and particle effects this game showcases. The only thing that could possibly make this game even better looking is the removal of the cinematic bars, placed in 4K on PS4 Pro, and added HDR to the mix so the game really pops.
The soundtrack is one of the greatest I’ve heard in gaming history. If The Order has a legacy, it should be about its stellar soundtrack.
At the end of the day, The Order: 1886 is a short and cinematic story with not so likable controls but an interesting story set in a gorgeous Neo-Victorian London.
As for a future, Ready at Dawn confirmed to GameInformer that there is more to the world of The Order: 1886 and that they’d love to do a sequel. When talking to GamesIndustry.biz, Chief Executive Paul Sams and Studio Founder Ru Weerasuriya said “We feel that The Order showcased the fruits of our labor on technology. That was one of the biggest focuses for the team having come from PSP and jumping directly to PS4,” said Weerasuriya. “The first game was more than anything a launch platform to build upon.” he further stated, “The Order was never written as a one-off story, there is a lot more to tell as you can see from the way the game ends.” The Order: 1886 might be Sony’s best new IP that hasn’t been given a real chance. We have Knack, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Days Gone, and others but I feel like this one has the most potential out of all of them. We already know that Guerrilla is gonna milk the hell out of Horizon and make 20 games in the series, so I think The Order deserves at least 1 more title in the franchise to prove it’s worth. At the end of the day, it is Sony’s call.
Score: 7.5/10
Reviewed on PS4
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