The Order: 1886 Review - Almost A Knight

Sometimes, perspective is critical to properly assess the value of a product. Expectations can wildly interfere with objectivity and this happens too often with videogames; this is the case of The Order: 1886, which has just been destroyed in many launch reviews mainly due to its hype. Of course, The Order: 1886 doesn’t quite reach the standards set by the top titles in its genre, but it’s still a fairly good game in its own right; moreover, one has to consider that Ready at Dawn is on its first foray into triple A console gaming, as their previous work dates back to the PlayStation Portable.

Under this particular light The Order: 1886 really can’t be a massive disappointment, especially since it’s quite engaging while it lasts. The spectacular graphics sets the stage in the best possible way, thanks to the combination of cutting edge technology and unique artistic choices. Admittedly, not everyone will agree on the 2.40:1 filmic ratio which causes the signature movie black bars, or even the heavy film grain; however, the final result is undeniably splendid.

More importantly, Ready at Dawn managed to perfectly capture that Victorian London atmosphere. For a game so fixed on aesthetics, this was a crucial aspect and the developers nailed it, from the beautifully detailed clothing to the buildings and locales.

 

Of course, none of this would be even remotely enough if there wasn’t a solid game behind the curtain. Luckily that’s the case here, though it doesn’t quite reach the genre pinnacle.

Shooting feels good, which is always very important in such a game. I played on Hard setting and the AI provided a more than adequate challenge without straying into frustration;  Sir Galahad’s foes are also very persistent, as they will attempt to finish him once he’s down and reaching for his Blackwater, unlike most games where AI seems to give players the chance to rise back.

 

Still, there are definitely gameplay shortcomings to be found here.  The main problem is that The Order: 1886 almost always restricts the player’s combat approach to a single option: there’a s time for shooting (the biggest part), a time for stealth and a time for fighting half-breeds. You can’t ever be stealthy unless the game requires you to, and when it does you also need to comply to its rules to avoid the game over screen; you’ll have to sneak ever closer to the guard and then activate a Quick Time Event for a silent kill, but if you fail to press at the exact required time, the guard will invariably turn around and kill Galahad.

It’s perhaps even worse when the time finally comes to fight half-breeds (Lycans, specifically). This seems to happen in very similar environments (storage rooms or something like that), with fights always following the same pattern: the Lycans charge, you’ll press a button prompt to dodge and then unload magazine clips into them until they can be finished off with a melee attack.

Elder half-breeds are a bit different, with chase scenes and fights that lock Galahad and the Elder like they were in an arena bout. With the memory of Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us just refreshed thanks to the Remastered edition, it’s hard not to remember how that game provided larger environments and full fledged combat freedom, setting the standard for third person shooters.

Fortunately, the plot is gripping and easily takes the mind away from these issues while playing. While not groundbreaking by any means, The Order: 1886 managed to keep me hooked until the very end thanks to its interesting characters (provided with excellent voice acting), though the ending itself left me a bit disappointed as I believed the game would continue for some time to close at least another plot thread.

Music is also generally very appropriate and sounds (especially weapons) are rich and deep, which obviously helps with immersion.

As you probably already know, The Order: 1886 doesn’t feature any kind of multiplayer, be it cooperative or competitive. After playing it for the review, I’m even more dismayed as the basic gameplay could have surely made for an interesting proposition; of course, it would have taken significant resources to craft, but then again even Gears of War shipped with it back in 2006 - for a 2015 AAA game, its complete absence is slightly baffling.