The Order: 1886 Reviews
The Order: 1886 isn't a disaster, nor is it a particularly good game. It's a hollow diversion, entertaining but outmoded and caught somewhere between a medium it repeatedly fumbles and one it fails to effectively embrace.
Though a stylish adventure, The Order: 1886 emphasizes its cinematic polish at the crippling cost of gameplay freedom.
Beneath the technical wonder this is just a dull, aimless Gears Of War clone – where the attempts at storytelling are just as boring and lifeless as the action.
Worthy in its (assumed) intent, and visually spellbinding, The Order's archaic, player-detached approaches to interaction and narrative make it a dated and instantly forgettable experience.
A beautifully realized world that sacrifices more involved gameplay in the name of cinematic presentation
The Order: 1886 is a boring collection of game cliches that betrays its fascinating premise.
Though it nails some of the fundamentals, The Order: 1886 has been released without answering the essential question of what it offers that other games aren't already doing better.
There's a word for games like The Order: 1886. Rental.
A dreary, joyless lump of a game.
The Order: 1886 ends by leaving itself wide open for a sequel (The Order: 1887, one presumes), and I'm interested enough in the series' premise that I'll definitely give it a look. But I can only hope that inevitable sequel offers the sort of improvement we saw from Assassin's Creed to Assassin's Creed II. There's a decent game here, but it does little to set itself apart from those that clearly inspired it. Here's to the future, and to differentiation.
Outside of the sleek presentation and interesting world building, there's nothing truly special about The Order: 1886. It's a shame in many ways, because I'd love to see a more tactical style of gameplay in line with Valkyria Chronicles, or a more in-depth game in general using the same engine and lore. I sincerely hope this isn't the last we've seen of this universe, but for now, it's only worth visiting once, briefly.
The Order: 1886 unfortunately feels like that ho-hum action-adventure game that accompanies a console's first-year launch. This PS4 exclusive is by far the most stunning visually of the bunch, but is that enough for players starved for something new and original for their console?
In the end, The Order: 1886 is truly an exciting spectacle in a setting that we thoroughly enjoy, elevating our expectations for PlayStation 4 games to come. However, it's held back by its limited scope and abbreviated plot. It may not have the most well-rounded strengths, but it's a remarkable game nonetheless.
The Order: 1886 features a wonderfully crafted and realistic alternate history setting with the greatest visuals and production values so far on the PS4. While the first half or so of the story really works, it's let down by the final few hours, which abandon things shouting out to be explored in favour of introducing forced plot points which do the world and the main cast a disservice. Despite that, the gunplay is a lot of fun and it's not a bad story overall, just one which could've been far better.
I give this game a Hold. It's not a bad game, but the inexplicable game design decisions that bog it down, and the relatively short amount of time you actually spend playing, make it a tough sell at $60. It's one of those games I find myself liking, but even more so wishing were something more—more the game it could have been, and less the game it is.
Ready at Dawn's first foray into developing a completely new property has paid off as The Order: 1886 is among one of our favorite games to be released this year.
Avoid it until and unless they patch in a satisfying conclusion.
The Order: 1886 is a great game, as long as you treat it as a mindless shooter and not the bevy of innovation we were all led to believe it was. Graphically appealing, the title shows us once again, we should not judge a book by its cover.
A stunning action game that relies on story and performance over padding and tacked-on game modes, The Order: 1886 will nonetheless divide gamers with its short run time and reliance on cinematic dazzle.
Ready at Dawn, finished by the afternoon.