The Order: 1886 Reviews
The Order: 1886 is not a perfect game by any stretch but it certainly wasn't deserving of the early criticism it received. Now that the release is finally here and you can play through the whole game yourself you'll find that despite some very minor misses in gameplay, Ready at Dawn sets a very high bar in terms of both presentation and story offering up one of the best experiences to date on your PS4.
We need more game developers and publishers willing to gamble on made-from-scratch worlds and ideas, but The Order: 1886 feels like it might have fared better as a film, graphic novel or TV series. As a game, there's just not enough propping up this shining suit of armour.
"The Order" will likely become a long running franchise for Sony. It will be interesting to see how it evolves. It could stay in content with being a game that is only interested in presenting a cinematic story with gorgeous graphics, or it could evolve into a game that grants players with more creative freedom. Its current form is a step back from what modern games have become. "Shadow of Mordor," "Dragon Age" and "GTA V" achieved accolades because their settings were molded and enhanced by the player's freedoms. "The Order" feels confining. Galahad is trapped between the gorgeous buildings of London with nothing to do other than play out his story. The player has nothing to do but watch.
The Order: 1886 is a paper-thin PS4 launch title delivered 15 months behind schedule. It's nowhere near as profound or innovative as it thinks it is—the epitome of all style and no substance.
A stunning graphical showcase that can't hide a so-so game. The Order: 1886 has a great premise and a decent, albeit clichéd narrative, but the cost of its cinematic values comes in restrictive gameplay, mediocre shooting and an over-reliance on quick-time events. It's a fantastic looking game with which to show off your PS4, but it's too short and too unimaginative for its beauty to be anything more than skin-deep.
Though a stylish adventure, The Order: 1886 emphasizes its cinematic polish at the crippling cost of gameplay freedom.
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'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.
Visually astounding throughout. Graphics fans will adore every grimy nook and cranny of the Victorian London setting. Sadly though, the game around it is crushingly average. The shooting sections are fun enough but far too few and far between, and much of the game is spent watching cutscenes or being forced to walk through one, so much so that it rarely feels like you're 'playing' the game at all.
The premise is solid, the graphics are great, the voice casting is excellent, but in the end you have to ask yourself, are we buying games to watch them or to play them? This is something you need to ask yourself before picking up The Order. It's a shame, too. Werewolves are always getting a bum wrap in entertainment, and this game isn't going to help their cause.
The Order: 1886 had every opportunity to make something of the Victorian setting, but calling it cinema is like calling 50 Shades of Grey literature.
Overall, The Order: 1886 is an exceptional game that can be mistaken for a film as much as it can be for a game. Ready At Dawn achieved their mission of showing how a game can be great even when priorities lie in the visual, sound and plot departments.
Literally no game has ever looked this good. It's strange to even write that, but The Order: 1886 raises the bar so far above its contemporaries that it stands in a class by itself. Joined by a soundtrack that perfects the mood, The Order is a cinematic masterpiece. If you want to show off your PlayStation 4 to your friends, this is the title to showcase.
A beautifully realized world that sacrifices more involved gameplay in the name of cinematic presentation
'The Order: 1886' is bursting with creativity when it comes to design, narrative, and setting, but its gameplay is far too linear and derivative to be worth a full price purchase.
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.
After almost two years of anticipation and endless hype, The Order: 1886 introduces itself with the bravado of a dead fish. With a premise interesting at surface level, enormous backing from Sony and technically incredible visuals, The Order seems like it would be a sure-fire hit.
The Order: 1886 is a disappointing and short game that fails to live up to the hype that surrounds it. However, if you're willing to overlook its faults and sit through its abundance of lengthy cutscenes, you'll find that there's some fun to be had. It's fleeting, but it's there.
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 lack of balance between gameplay and cinematics drags The Order: 1886 down. It's not a bad game but you will find better third person shooters on the market than The Order: 1886.