Players take on the role of Sir Galahad, a member of The Order, who battles against half breed, werewolf like monsters. The Order is descended from the ancestors of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round, and the group has come across weapons powerful enough to give them the upper hand when battling against the half beast half human abominations thanks to advancements made during this alternate timeline's Industrial Revolution. The story and setting featured in The Order: 1886 are both intriguing and go a long way towards making this title an enjoyable experience, especially for fans of the supernatural genre.
The Order: 1886 is full of rich and interesting characters. Galahad has his own history that makes players want to learn much more about the protagonist, while supporting characters offer their own merits and reasons to continue listening carefully to every piece of dialogue in the game to learn more. The game isn't historically accurate, but there are plenty of real life influences that play large roles in the game including the previously mentioned Knights of the Round and other popular figures such as Jack the Ripper.
There are several lengthy cutscenes present throughout The Order: 1886. The game's graphics stand out during these segments as some of the best that the video games industry has ever seen. Players will be in awe during the opening segments of the game, and even after being desensitized to the fantastic visuals after hours of gameplay, it still remains clear that the game is truly utilizing the full power of the PlayStation 4 console. There are many segments of the game where players will walk around and listen to other character interactions or solve puzzles, and the actual gameplay doesn't suffer much when actually allowing players to take control.
The Order: 1886 is full of quick time events that forces players to quickly mash on-screen prompts to perform attacks or duck out of the way of incoming hazards. Missing a cue will often result in the player's death, and there are some pretty cool death scenes to see in the game, particularly when fighting against the ruthless half humans. Still, these type of events should not be the primary focus of gameplay in any title, and they quickly become tiresome, while the player only wants to take a more interactive approach to the fantastic fights being showcased during the scenes.
There are segments of the game where players fully take control of Galahad in combat scenarios. Combat is definitely not The Order: 1886's strong suit, and it's easy to see why when involved in shoot outs with other humans. The cover based combat is not done well here. The camera zooms in far too much when ducked behind cover, and the cinematic view makes it even more difficult to get a clear line of sight on enemies. Staying exposed for too long against armed enemies will see the player quickly die, but most deaths will result simply from the player not being able to see what they are shooting rather than well developed AI or mistakes by the player. Battles against the half humans require less cover and focus more on quick reflexes though, so these moments stand out as some of the most exciting that The Order: 1886 has to offer.
The Order: 1886 creates a really interesting world to explore in its alternate vision of 19th century London, it's just a shame that more of the world was open to be explored or interacted with. During the sections of the game where players take control but aren't in combat, there isn't much to do except walk through designated areas and listen to non-playable characters have discussions about the events within their world. There are a few dozen collectibles to find hidden in the game, but outside of these and additional difficulty settings, there is nothing included in the game to make players want to come back and try the game after completing the main campaign for the first time.
The Order: 1886 is a gorgeous game that shows off the power of the PlayStation 4 but doesn't offer the abundance of content that most players look for when deciding whether or not to drop $60 on a new game. The title is fun but short-lived, and even when the game allows players to take control, the results are never exactly what fans where hoping for when the game was revealed two years ago. With no multiplayer support and few other reasons to come back after completing the game for the first time, some gamers will be disappointed with The Order: 1886. The Order: 1886 is out now exclusively for PlayStation 4.
The Order: 1886 is now available exclusively for PlayStation 4 and can be purchased for $59.99. The Order: 1886 is rated M by the ESRB for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content & Strong Language. For more information on the game, check out the official The Order: 1886 website.
Game Features:
- Single Player
- Discover Secrets of Alternate 19th Century London
- Multiple Difficulty Settings
- Hidden Collectibles
- Trophy Support
Game Information:
Developer: Ready At Dawn
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Available exclusively for PlayStation 4 (reviewed)
Release Date: February 20, 2015