The Order 1886 is a PlayStation 4 Exclusive Game, which was released on the 20th of February 2015.
So that’s it. Having now finished and platinumed the game, I finally have some thoughts to share on the first PS-studio exclusive for Sony‘s premier console in 2015. One of the big discussion points leading up to its release was the length of the game – the story. People mentioned that you could beat it in 5 hours, and while that may be true if you rush yourself – it took me about 7 hours to finish.
First things first. This game is absolutely stunning. For a little while The Last of Us was the prettiest PlayStation game. Then, in 2014, InFAMOUS: Second Son surpassed it. Now, about one year after InFAMOUS, a Sony studio has gone one step further. There are, in my opinion, two current-gen PlayStation games, excluding remastered editions, that look ‘next-gen’ – Second Son and The Order.
The detail in The Order is insane. Without a doubt the prettiest game ever on a Sony console. But I think we sort of expected this – with that having been said, they deserve recognition. Top-notch. Beautiful cinematic style.
As for the story? Well, I fear that I am in the minority when I say that I actually enjoyed it. The pacing was off, but I was entertained. My biggest problem with the game wasn’t the story, for it was fine until the very end – the end-game boss. That was lackluster, it wasn’t exciting at all. Oh and should the game be longer? This is basically MGS: Ground Zeroes all over again, so yes – the price demands it.
I don’t hate quick-time events, but if you do – be aware of the fact that this game’s mechanics are basically just a mixture of Gears of War-shooting and quick-time events. When you rely on QTEs in the boss-battles, then you’re bound to make players disappointed.
The dialogue was strong though, and, in length, so was the voice acting. Lafayette was my favorite character in the game, so kudos to Frederik Hamel. Steve West (Galahad) and Alice Coulthard (Igraine) were great as well – though I would’ve liked to have seen more from their characters – specifically more about their relationship.
I really want Ready at Dawn to perfect this style in a sequel, probably called The Order 1887, and the story needs one. Especially considering its epilogue, which was a bit too Arkham City.
Final Score: 7.0 out of 10.0 – The Order incorporates a beautiful cinematic style, but never reaches its potential due to simplified mechanics.
I’m Jeffrey Rex
I'm Jeffrey Rex 