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Is The Order: 1886 The Uncharted For A New Generation?

At the start of the previous generation, nobody had ever heard of Uncharted .

It is now one of the most widely acclaimed, respected and beloved franchises in all of video game history. Yes, Naughty Dog created quite the juggernaut with Uncharted , which is arguably the finest active IP in the industry.

With each new PlayStation generation, it seems we get several great new franchises. Sure, we're getting Uncharted 4 for the PS4 at some point, but what about new titles like The Order: 1886 ? Given the amount of potential this game has, could it be the Uncharted for a new generation? In six or seven years time, will we be viewing Ready at Dawn's IP as one of the most accomplished franchises around? Perhaps it would help if you checked out all the recent media .

Sony's first-party studios specialize in producing top-tier exclusive productions. It's not just about Uncharted ; there's Killzone , Ratchet & Clank , inFamous , Gran Turismo , God of War and more. For some reason, new installments in each of these franchises often seem to be a cut above the competition. Therefore, it's reasonable to assume that The Order will aspire to similar heights, correct? And if the developers do make good on their lofty promises, I see no reason why Uncharted could have some competition in due time…

Related Game(s): The Order: 1886

Should Our Expectations Be Crazy High For The Order: 1886?

This question has been bothering me ever since the game was announced.

I simply can't decide if my anticipation for The Order: 1886 should be sky-high, or if I should remain reserved and perhaps even skeptical. This isn't a straightforward case.

Firstly, the developer: Ready at Dawn has proven themselves to be a very competent developer, delivering multiple God of War titles for the PSP and the PS3. They also handled the Wii port of the stellar Okami . It's not like this studio is filled with wide-eyed rookies, so why should we be even remotely skeptical? Well, perhaps because in the realm of big-budget blockbuster AAA titles, this team is not a proven commodity. The Order: 1886 is a very different project to tackle, despite the awesomeness of some of those GoW titles for the PSP. They were fantastic.

Secondly, the details we've heard so far are really encouraging…perhaps too encouraging. It seems as if the studio's ambition level for this project is through the roof. On the one hand, that's great; I love great ambition of all kinds, and gamers are the ones who typically benefit from such effort. But when you stretch yourself thin, when you tackle too many large concepts, the entire presentation begins to suffer. We've seen examples of this in the past, and it almost seems as if The Order is trying too hard in too many areas. Will we really get a compelling narrative, great characters, memorable setting, and a unique gameplay mechanic that successfully melds third-person shooting and innovative melee combat?

To that, I can only say, "maybe."

Thirdly and lastly, we're talking about a new IP. That, in and of itself, is always risky. They're absolutely necessary for the sake of freshness in this industry, but there's a reason why they're risky; they, much like the developers in this case, are not proven. Nailing a debut IP is tough to do, especially during the first year of a new console's reign. New hardware, new challenges and all that. Anyway, I'm just wondering where, on a scale of 1-10, our anticipation level should be for this promising game. I'm gonna be conservative and sit around a 6.

Related Game(s): The Order: 1886

The Order: 1886 Will Balance Shooting And Melee Combat

If you're expecting the upcoming PlayStation 4 exclusive The Order: 1886 to be a generic third-person shooter, think again.

Developer Ready at Dawn is attempting to provide us with a fresh-feeling adventure that never feels boring. No grinds here; just fantastic action in "little bursts," or so said creative director Ru Weerasuriya in a recent Edge interview . The idea is to keep pushing the pace and to never let tedium seep in:

"…we also tried to make the moment-to-moment gameplay different. We didn’t want it to be a grind for 40-45 minutes because you’re in shooting mode. Everything in the game happens in little bursts, and that really makes you not dwell too much on one thing that might otherwise bore you.

The interesting part is that The Order: 1886 will boast a very intriguing blend of shooting and melee combat. For the most part, the melee attack in shooters of any kind is rarely used and often a tad clunky or awkward. It's just not a primary mechanic. However, Ready at Dawn might be taking the concept of melee in shooters to a whole new level. Added Weerasuriya:

"Shooters have a tendency to be very light or canned on melee. We wanted to find new ways of introducing it that would keep you feeling you were in a shooter that’s evolved into something else, rather than been segmented. It started with us trying to figure out how we balance the two, shooter and melee, but then it evolved into us making this shooter with different melee systems.

One important thing to remember: Ready at Dawn was responsible for the awesome PSP iterations of several God of War installments. So, they might be just the right developer to blend the aforementioned gameplay elements. They just have to get the control right.

Related Game(s): The Order: 1886

Ready At Dawn Showcases The Order’s Revolutionary Physics

One of the most anticipated exclusives for the PlayStation 4 is The Order: 1886 , in development at Ready at Dawn.

And during Gamescom, CEO and creative director Ru Weerasuriya talked about how the new IP will utilize a "revolutionary physics system" that allows all breakable objects to be realistically destroyed or altered based on your actions.

The presentation (summarized at El33tonline ) showed off several gameplay demonstrations, and they displayed different flags fluttering differently in the wind. A copper bucket or metallic wall will be dented when shot, a teddy bear will simply fall apart, and a grenade will smash a bucket into pieces. Toss another grenade at those pieces, and you get even smaller pieces. It's also interesting to note that we'll be able to continually interact with our environment throughout the course of our adventure. I wonder how destructible it'll be…?

The type of weapon and ammunition used will also have an affect, as will other environmental factors. This all sounds quite impressive, but one has to assume that developers can easily take advantage of the PS4's added power. So, shouldn't we hear about equally impressive things from other teams? Well, maybe not; Sony's first-party developers have always been a cut above, yes? They often do things other devs don't.

Related Game(s): The Order: 1886

Ready At Dawn Drops Some Fresh The Order: 1886 Details

One of the slickest new trailers shown off at E3 was the debut of Ready at Dawn's PS4 exclusive title, The Order: 1886 .

Now you can find all sorts of juicy new details over at the PlayStation Blog . Studio co-founder Ru Weerasuriya talked about the new third-person shooter and described it as a linear, story-driven adventure with a general "filmic" presentation. It sounds quite immersive…

We were especially interested in certain info pertaining to the style and feel. Specifically, when asked what gamers can expect to see that qualifies as "new," Weerasuriya replied:

"The overall feel – that filmic experience… the one thing we brought to this is something people are accustomed too but usually can’t tell. When you watch a movie you don’t question what lens is being used. You don’t question why there is grain on the film or why there’s a certain lighting. Those are things we’ve been accustomed to seeing for 30 years. So when it’s missing we usually go 'Wait, something is wrong with this image.'

"With this game we replicated a lot of physical attributes. We have true lens distortion. We built physical lenses into our engine so we could get something where people will look it and not be totally disconnected. Games have a tendency sometimes to be too clean and crisp. We thrive in the dirt. We just love the fact that it feels dirty. It’s filmed in a very realistic way."

The game takes place in London 40 years after the Industrial Revolution. It doesn't feature an exact 1:1 map of the real city, but the team is attempting to "stay as true to possible to it." Remember when many gamers wanted to see Grand Theft Auto set in London? Well, this ain't GTA but it could still be very special. Looking forward to seeing some gameplay!