The Order: 1886 is the most controversial video game of the generation. Many argue that a seemingly ceaseless slew of negative headlines prior to the game’s launch are partly responsible for the lukewarm critical reception. Averaging only a mid-6 and earning mediocre scores from some of the industry’s largest and most respected sources, Ready at Dawn’s PlayStation 4 exclusive has fallen shy of expectations. And while I will agree that it’s not the AAA Game of the Year contender I’d hoped it’d be, I’ve come to the equally unfortunate conclusion that so many of my peers really handled this game poorly. Almost to the point where I think the critic community owes the developers a heartfelt apology.
First up, there’s no denying that this title is a graphical tour de force. Character detail is exquisite and the virtual world through which we travel is wonderfully designed. For those who have at least some semblance of artistic sentiment, they will appreciate such an atmospheric environment. The animations are beautiful as well, although I will say that at one point, the game’s frame rate basically broke for a couple minutes. Perhaps it’s an isolated incident but hey, I can only score my play-through and as such, that blunder keeps the visuals from earning a 10. It’s easily the best-looking game of the new generation thus far, as everything, from the subtle details of an alternate reality London to the intensely sharp special effects, is just a sight to behold.
The sound is almost as good; players should note and enjoy excellent voice performances throughout, along with a creepy, fitting soundtrack that enhances the atmospheric feel. In so many ways, the game plays like an action-based third-person shooter mixed with horror and suspense, so haunting effects are critical for the experience. Speaking of which, it’s that intended combination of action and horror that is reflected in the gameplay and I’ll get to that in a moment. For now, let me add that in addition to stellar voice performances we get a musical score that, while it doesn’t always play a big enough role in my estimation, is remarkably pretty. On the downside, it seemed like a few of the weapons sound too tinny.
Now, before diving into the nuts and bolts of the gameplay, let me add an important point: Gameplay will always be king. This is an interactive medium, first and foremost, so without solid and well-implemented gameplay, a bunch of pretty pictures are borderline useless. That will always remain true. However, to completely dismiss technical aspects like graphics and sound, to pretend they have no significant impact on a player’s enjoyment and immersion, is equally inane. It almost seems as if all these negative reviews have a tagline that would read, “oh, it looks great, but…” Quite frankly, there are some reviews that spend almost no time discussing the top-notch graphics and sound, which is not only unfair to the developers, but ultimately, unfair to the consumer.
There appears to be a nasty little secret floating through the critic community today. It says a reviewer can dock a game for having poor or mediocre graphics, but that same reviewer is not allowed to raise the score of a game for excellent graphics. It’s the offspring of the incessant “graphics don’t matter” horsesh** that often pervades so-called “enlightened” gamer forums. I will be the first to condemn a game for only looking good because again, this is an interactive venue. But to say some of the best graphics and sound the industry has ever seen is essentially meaningless is just beyond idiotic. What we see and hear contributes to sensation. “A picture is worth a thousand words.” So it is.
If you’re telling me the game deserves a 5, one of two things has happened: Either you completely ignored incredibly important parts of the game (graphics and sound), or you took them into consideration, scored them appropriately, and concluded the gameplay was no better than a 2 or a 3. Either way, it’s wrong. If Ready at Dawn’s technical accomplishments don’t mean anything to you, or they don’t do enough to override the gameplay’s shortcomings in your opinion, that’s your business. Don’t try and pretend that suddenly, graphics and sound don’t matter in the least. What if the game just looked okay? Do we give it a 2? Based on what I’ve been reading, that appears to be the argument some critics are trying to make.
Now, about that gameplay. Right off the bat, I was not encouraged. The first battle was quite disappointing. There were a bunch of low-IQ rebels I had to take down and the entire encounter felt forced, awkward, and utterly unimpressive. Strangely, however, it turned out to be by far the biggest letdown of the entire adventure. I’ll address the positives in due time but for now, let’s stick with the negatives. It’s true that there are too many drawn-out battles with faceless foes, and some of the battle arenas aren’t exactly inspired. The lamebrain AI doesn’t help matters although in point of fact, there are instances where the AI performs better. It’s not often, though, and that’s unfortunate.
One could also argue that the game is too QTE-heavy and I do agree; there are a few too many. Ready at Dawn’s writers also lose the thread of a decent story toward the end, and the avid reader and astute lover of storytelling will note clichés and predictability in the plot. You can’t say anything against the acting and the corresponding visuals always make every cut-scene better, but the story is not a top-tier literary achievement. It’s quite intriguing and it has its moments, but we needed another step in the right direction. Lastly, the whole “magic bullet” phenomenon is in full effect; in that enemies will never fire a shot that doesn’t hit you if you’re not in cover. Yeah, it’s an outdated drawback to an otherwise solid third-person adventure.
Let me repeat that: An otherwise solid third-person adventure. The control is almost perfect, despite Galahad’s stickiness when it comes to cover. And actually, if you really think about it, he’s only extra sticky during the stealth sequences, when he automatically puts himself against walls without you pressing the Circle button. Not every shot will hit the target in your aiming reticule but personally, I find that realistic. It’s not fair at all that every shot of your opponents will hit the mark but I already mentioned the flaw above, and I won’t keep kicking the dead horse. I do think the camera is simply too close but this is more of a subjective complaint; in my view, the camera sits way too close in most games I’ve played in recent years. I kept thinking it especially restricted by scope of view in The Order , though.
The game is played in the letterbox format and initially, I thought I’d really hate that. Surprisingly, however, I didn’t even notice it after the first half-hour or so. The game is so gorgeous and I’m always so interested in what’s going on around me, the black strips at the top and bottom cease to exist in my vision. That may not be the case for everyone, though, and I acknowledge this. The best combat involves inspired encounters with werewolves, which are always tense and challenging. In the first, you’re dodging multiple werewolves in a dim engine room; later, you take on an “elder” werewolf with nothing but a big ol’ knife (is that the Victorian version of a Bowie Knife?). This leads me to the QTE issue.
Yes, I do believe there are too many of them. But it’s not like they come on the heels of each other and I have to say, they’re exceedingly well done. In fact, they may be the best-designed QTEs I’ve ever seen. Basically having the prompts show up on screen to match the controller is a great idea; it means you don’t really have to see what the prompt is. You sometimes just have to know where it is. For instance, during that battle with the elder, if the right analog stick popped up on the bottom of the screen, I knew I had to press down. I also don’t believe that pressing the Triangle button to interact with a collectible or a door is a “QTE.” It’s not. I think too many people are lumping these actions into the Quick Time Event segments.
Now I feel compelled to clarify various points, most of which spread by false headlines: 1. The game is not 5 hours in length. It’s a legitimate 8-12 hour quest. 2. The Black Water doesn’t make the main character “invincible” nor does it make the game too easy. He needs time to ingest the cure and then you need to get him on his feet by repeatedly pressing X. A shotgunner standing by your fallen body won’t wait for you to heal yourself, and neither will any werewolf. 3. You absolutely do not watch more than you play. This has always been stupid; I’ve yet to play a game where it’s even close to 50/50. Even the old Metal Gear Solid s never had more than a few hours of cut-scenes and gameplay well exceeded a couple hours. Most cut-scenes in The Order clock in at only five or six minutes.
I have also seen widespread complaints concerning the pacing, and herein is the most damning evidence of the gaming community’s inability to focus. The pacing in this game is actually excellent. It breaks up scenes of intense battles with slower segments that involve exploration, dialogue, and stealth. The stealth segments aren’t bad at all; they’re relatively straightforward and aren’t overtly mediocre in any way. They’re not exceedingly well developed but it works just fine. Anyway, I’ve realized that pacing complaints don’t really involve pacing of the overall adventure…the complainers just can’t stand the slower segments. They can’t stand being made to walk when they want to run; they can’t stand the idea of not hammering on buttons for a few minutes to watch a brief story scene.
Well, that’s fine. Some of us appreciate the finer things, and those can indeed be on display in video games. You can call it “useless” to look around for some photographs, and you can say it’s “boring” to explore Nikola Tesla’s lab, looking at inventions and blueprints. That’s you . That is a subjective complaint that has no bearing on the quality of the game. These segments don’t last long; they don’t drag and they don’t feel tacked on. They’re here to break things up, to give us a respite from a recent battle. That’s how you’re supposed to do it. You can fault this game for a number of things, as I’ve done here, but you can’t criticize because you haven’t the inclination to appreciate the product for what it is.
The Order: 1886 is an example of dying linearity. The worst part is that this style of gaming is dying, not because it’s inferior, but because there are those who want us to believe it’s inferior. It’s just different. It’s a different way of telling a story and no, it’s not inevitable that you would tell it better if the game was more open. In fact, the overwhelming majority of games with the best storylines in history are linear. There’s a reason for that. The AI kinda sucks, sticky cover can be an occasional problem, they could’ve gone lighter on the QTEs, and the story is in fact somewhat clichéd. But this remains an extremely enjoyable, wonderfully produced game that should be rewarded for what it does well. Maybe some critics forgot that part.
The Good: The best graphical presentation we’ve seen yet. Excellent voice performances and a gorgeous score. Solid third-person control throughout. A well-paced and involving quest. Some really cool weapons. Werewolf encounters are fittingly intense and well-designed. Meticulous attention to all details.
The Bad: Mediocre AI. A few too many QTEs. Story is a little predictable and clichéd. Not much reason to replay after completion.
The Ugly: “The only thing ‘ugly’ about this game is the way it has been treated by so many.”
I read this review from my PS4 and logged into say thank you Ben for being fair once again. Kudos to you sir.
I read it on my PC while charging my PSP.
Agreed, it makes a lot more sense than all the stupidity on other sites. Thank you Ben for your commonsense, didn't expect anything less.
This does it, I don't have a PS4 but am buying the game today for a friend of my, whose birthday last month I forgot(This fatherhood thing is messing up with my memory LOL).
Agreed, this is by far the best, most accurate review of the game I've read. (Based on the 3 or so hours I've played).
I caved and bought it new. Wanted something new to play. I haven't gotten very far. So far my only complaint is there is no Dolby digital option. Which isn't a big deal at all. The Stereo sound is still good. I don't even mind the letterbox presentation that much. It was executed much better in The Order than it was in The Evil Within.
Last edited by Jawknee on 2/23/2015 8:56:42 PM
Its definitely not as letterboxed in. I hope you do enjoy the game itself.
So far so good.
Well, Jawk. After the… what… dozen examples we gave of games reported to be short that ended up not being short… how many people do you suppose refused to think the video MIGHT be inaccurate in regards to time?
Glad Ben cleared it up. 8-12 hours…. boy… I swear I remember someone here said that would be the case…
it was me.
haha well, you're definitely an opportunist!
I…Good review Ben. As max said above, VERY fair.
I'm glad you didn't knock it down some points due to the graphics being good.
This is my first post and have to say Thank you Ben for the review.
I downloaded this game and I have to say it is stunning from the visuals.
I find your review the most honest, keep it up.
Thanks and welcome!
Welcome to the family.
Keep posting! we like voices
great review Ben, i gotta say you hit the nail right on the head and i couldnt have said it better myself. Only issue with the review is you spent a lot of time talking about other reviewers, you know what screw them and their biases, fans seem to love the game and you pointed out that the game is pretty damn decent so how about we forget the haters
also one issue you didnt mention that i had a pretty big problem with, the screen extended past the edges of my TV and the game did give any options to adjust the x/y axis
Check you PS4 settings to make sure your screen is sized correctly.
With so many wildly different reviews, gamers are looking for clarification. I thought it was a good idea to make those clarifications regarding other reviews (and I almost never reference other reviews).
As for the screen issue, I wasn't aware. It's fine on my TV.
I think it's a rare game that confuses the entire world, since the service it so the customer I like the editorializing on reviewers. just sayin
Seems fine on my tv.
@pretty much everyone, maybe i just have an odd ration on my tv, it wasnt major, i only noticed during the tutorial when there was writing near the edges of the screen
Could be the settings on yor tv too. Check them all. Could be that your Display Are setting on the PS4 is set too high as well.
Well said Ben, reminding us why this place is always fair and rarely foul. I agree all over the place. I was considered a countervoice review a few days ago for spice but I have no other views to add. I can't wait to get back to the game myself
Great review Ben. Very fair and well written.
It's good to know someone out there still approaches reviews in an unbiased manner, treating objective bits as objective and understanding how and when to add subjectivity.
Kudos!
Last edited by SaiyanSenpai on 2/23/2015 9:32:04 PM
I've been waiting on your review Ben. Sounds like I need to buy it after all.
Yes you do! It seems the general consensus of this website is that 1886 is a *good* game. In my humble opinion… developers should be rewarded for such!
A very fair review. Kudos.
Yep a very fair and honest review, now i've finished the game i'd give it an 8 aswell, only a couple of complaints i have are the sticky cover an when the game ended i did'nt want it to end.
Anyone else notice how incredibly fast this game loads the second you load your save? Good stuff.
Also, this game should really be played on hard. Anyone who's completed it know of an even hard difficulty level unlocks after finishing it?
The game is one of the fastest loading games I have played on a console. It blows my mind.
yeah that popped out at me when I picked up a can of energy drink and a bit into a stick of jerky, all the sudden it was already time to play lol.
world energy drinks will reduce you to a wraith!
That'd be kinda cool though 🙂
I'm having a lot of trouble with my game download. I keep getting the "corrupted data" notice and I'm tired of downloading it.
On the other hand, I'really enjoying the ride, Gallahad is a great character, and the weapons are fun to use.
I said it before, The Order is this generation's Heavenly Sword
dude, thanks again for another great review. you literally nailed it.
im about 2 hrs in and was thinking the whole time, how or why in the hell did people score this so low? the graphics are stunning, like you said one of the best weve seen to date, so much details. sfx and music is spot on. controls arent too bad. i dont like when i zoom in to shoot and its like really zoomed in making it hard to focus on something, unless i shoot something from far away. i think this game has one of the best "cover" controls ive ever played as its so easy to do and pop out of, though i know what you mean how it can feel clunky at times. i just feel its really easy to get in and out of.
i cant wait to finish it but really see no replay value. i wonder if theyll make a sequel depending on the ending.
yup theres def gonna be a sequel
Great f*ckin' way to put it Ben.
Amazing review.
My favorite part:
"There appears to be a nasty little secret floating through the critic community today. It says a reviewer can dock a game for having poor or mediocre graphics, but that same reviewer is not allowed to raise the score of a game for excellent graphics. It’s the offspring of the incessant “graphics don’t matter†horsesh** that often pervades so-called “enlightened†gamer forums. I will be the first to condemn a game for only looking good because again, this is an interactive venue. But to say some of the best graphics and sound the industry has ever seen is essentially meaningless is just beyond idiotic. What we see and hear contributes to sensation. “A picture is worth a thousand words.†So it is."
I think I've figured out a way to avoid the sticky cover. Simply hold down on the left stick when you want to detach instead of pressing circle again.
That's what I've just started doing, good call.
I was doing that anyway, but the stickiness is still a minor issue.
Yea as I got further I noticed there are times when he tries to auto connect to cover when I don't want him too.
Great review Ben, I always look forward to reading what you have to say and honestly think you might be one of the very few unbiased critics out there. I haven't started playing my copy yet, but this review has me excited once again for this game! Personally I like a bit more of a linear experience than the open world sandbox games. Although I love games like Assassin's Creed, Batman Arkham City, and inFamous I sometimes find myself getting lost with "too much to do" and then forgetting where I am in the story. Once I finally finish Watch Dogs I think I'll be happy to dive into The Order!
Among the handful of reviews I read it's becoming more clear that the higher scores (7+) that's what this game really deserves.
After much feedback from fellow readers and others on my psn friends list I've come to the inclusion this is probably a good game that I'll enjoy.
Of course I was sold on it anyways and will be picking it up soon.
See this is why Ben is probably about the only person that reviews games that I listen to… You got got everything right from the negative things about the game and the positive… You gave it a fair score… Great job Ben… Also these idiots reviewing the Gane saying the game is like 4 to 5 hours long just make me think that they didn't play the game at all bc like Ben said the game is easily 8 to 10 hours long… Anyways I've enjoyed the game so far and it's Def worth buying it
I come here for my reviews, too. This site has a pretty solid core community of intelligent PlayStation gamers, which I appreciate, but I come to read Ben's reviews. I can think of only a couple of reviews that I've disagreed with, and those disagreements were mostly the result of disliking some genres.
Some people really screwed the pooch, I hope they feel bad and sack up to correct.
Indeed. That IGN review was abysmal. Colin had his complaints about the pacing and what not but I have a hard time believing he would have given it a 6 had he still been the Playstation editor over there.
Joystiq is dead, IGN loses credibility every year, Gamestop sold their souls to EA close to a decade ago, and PSXE still doesn't show me the jerks that give me thumbs down.
There, there… 🙂
Last edited by Vitron on 2/23/2015 11:50:33 PM