The Order: 1886 Review (Second Opinion)

The Order: 1886

Developed by: Ready At Dawn

Published by: Sony Computer Entertainment

Available For: PS4 (reviewed)

Release date: February 20th, 2015

The Order: 1886 is one of the most interesting games I have played in a long time. Going into the experience, I thought that Ready At Dawn’s PlayStation 4 debut would be an explosive shooter with some unique elements. Basically, I expected a Victorian-era version of Wolfenstein: The New Order. However, I was surprised to find a game more focused on presentation and seamless transitions than on action or gunplay. The Order: 1886 was definitely different than the game I expected, but was this good or bad?

The Order: 1886 puts you in the boots of a knight named Grayson, who also happens to go by the name of Sir Galahad. As one of the Knights, Grayson dedicates his life to protecting London from the unknown while also upholding the laws of his order. Of course, this is a video game, so Grayson’s plan doesn’t work out quite as well as expected. The Order: 1886 is set in an alternate version of Victorian London where the Knights of the Round Table spend their time fighting “half-breeds”, also known as Lycans or Werewolves. For some reason, these Lycans are working with a band of rebels to cause havoc in the Whitechapel area of London, but this alliance may not be all that it seems.

Honestly, Ready At Dawn isn’t breaking new ground with The Order: 1886. All of the main story beats are checked off of the list, complete with a meaningful death and an obvious betrayal. Not once during the story was I astounded by the rich storytelling, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Grayson’s journey was interesting enough, and cameos by Nikola Tesla and other historical figures added some fun to the story. Plus, Ready At Dawn littered London with newspapers, audio logs, and posters that gave depth to the world. These little extras were done so well that I actually got excited at the first mention of Jack the Ripper. Fun little details can make a game much better.

A drunk and a special photograph. The perfect pairing.

Unfortunately, playing The Order: 1886 wasn’t quite as fun as watching the story unfold. Sure, the cover mechanics were solid, but the widescreen presentation hampered the cover’s usefulness by cutting off much of the screen with letterboxing. Firefights quickly became frustrating as I had to constantly pop out of cover, try to locate any enemies in the distance, squeeze off a few rounds, and then duck back into cover to regain my health after getting shot half a dozen times. This strategy made battles longer than needed, and I wasted a ton of ammo in the process. At least the letterboxing added an element of surprise by hiding flanking enemies from view, giving them a clear path to my unprotected backside.

The irritating viewpoint limitations wouldn’t have been too much of an issue if the battles didn’t rely on mostly useless weapons. Rifles, machine guns, and shotguns were all less effective against the vast majority of enemies, causing me to use revolvers and pistols for every battle. The science fiction weapons were decently entertaining, but they were only available for small portions at a time. The game also included a really cool crossbow, but it was only used for a stealth mission late in the game.

When I wasn’t shooting hundreds of generic enemies in gray coats and bowler hats, I was trying to make it through the different stealth sequences that relied on constant quicktime events. Instead of letting you sneak around the level and use takedowns on enemies—like every other game—The Order: 1886 forces you to sneak up on an enemy and hit a button with near perfect timing. Messing up means instant death, restarting from a checkpoint, and screaming in frustration. These stealth sequences are also the only time that Grayson is allowed to use his machete, which seems a little outdated. At least some of these stealth sequences allowed me to climb on buildings and walls using some basic traversal. Grayson may not be as spry as Nathan Drake, but he can still get around fairly well.

Climbing is actually pretty fun.

I could mention the shorter length of The Order: 1886, but to be honest, I didn’t particularly care after finishing the game. The shooting, generic enemies, and constant quicktime events wore on my nerves so much that I was ready to be done after about six hours. However, I was also surprisingly sad after finishing Ready At Dawn’s game because all I wanted to do was wander around the recreation of London. Don’t misunderstand; I didn’t want to fight any enemies. I just wanted to explore the city and talk to random characters, like I would in Mass Effect. The city was so beautifully realized that I simply wanted to spend time getting lost while exploring.

Just look at it. So foggy and beautiful.

The Order: 1886 isn’t the best game I have ever played, but it does have some redeeming qualities. The presentation, beautiful world, and interesting story are all fantastic elements, but the weapons and limited vision take away enjoying itproperly. Additionally, the game is a wee bit schizophrenic when it comes to filling the world with details. Each area has lots of little decorations and collectible photographs that make the world more engaging, but the areas are also filled with bulletproof glass and mirrors that only reflect certain images. I shot up dozens of plates and cakes, but I couldn’t crack a single glass, window pane, or mirror. It sure seems like Ready At Dawn had the best intentions for filling out this alternate world but got distracted halfway through the process, making the game seem incomplete. And ultimately, while the presentation is flawless, the lack of polish gameplay-wise is the game’s biggest fault.