Spoilers Ahead, You Have Been Warned
The Order: 1886 has been available to PlayStation 4 gamers for an entire weekend and many people all around the world have had their chance to share their opinions on this new IP. While it has gotten mixed reviews (you can check out Twinfinite’s own here) many seem to be on the same page about The Order: 1886‘s strong and weak points. For a new IP, the game is pretty ambitious in the many hats it tries to don in its very first foray into the homes of gamers. But, that unfortunately led to some things not quite fitting in to the larger picture.
The same way that some elements didn’t fit, others felt completely in tune with the vision Ready At Dawn endeavored to share with the world. Elements that set an amazing tone and can’t help but to leave those who have played their first console title excited for what’s to come, and by the looks of it there is indeed more to come.
The Order: 1886 manages to end in a rather jarring fashion. Just when things really start to pick up, when you finally start to get to the bottom of things, credits begin to roll. You Knight Commander has shown his true colors, your love has forsaken you, and the rebels have shown you what is truly behind the curtains that have been drawn so tightly around your order. What this will lead to is anyone’s guess until the inevitable sequel manages to grace your PlayStation 4 sometime in the future.
With that sequel in mind there is no doubt that many people have already begun creating a checklist of sorts. Mechanics and elements that need to stay, and those that probably wouldn’t be missed if they somehow never found their way into the next installment. After all, everyone wants new games to survive so there is no reason that The Order: 1886 wouldn’t be held up with the same regard. With that being said, here are some points for that checklist that Ready At Dawn should probably take into consideration as they build their next great game.
The Order: 1886‘s Plot Holes Need to Go
Most individual’s biggest complaint about The Order: 1886 revolved around the story. Granted, when you’re gearing up for a sequel you need to leave the individuals playing your game wanting for more. There are many ways to go about achieving this. You can make the gameplay so addictive that they’ll line up in front of video game stores everywhere years before you even formally announce your sequel. You can create characters that gamers just can’t help falling in love with. Or you can dangle a carrot in front of their faces as you weave a masterful story and just before they get to the end the carrot finds its way over the edge of a steep cliff.
The Order: 1886 valiantly attempts to achieve the last of the above option but unfortunately comes up a bit short. This is because they leave way too much unanswered. Having a loose end is a great thing, but when every single rope in the game seems to be frayed then things start to fall apart. While trying to create that sense of “stay tuned for more” they failed to give a big enough taste to keep The Order: 1886 in the back of your mind.
The developers did an amazing job at creating interesting characters, and creating their own history around a great setting but you didn’t begin to grasp what they had accomplished until well within the game. By that time it was all over. No story arc was complete, you were left just as confused as you were before even playing (if not more), and you must now sit and wait for an unknown length of time. If this were an episodic game then there would be no issue, fans of Telltale’s recent titles are no strangers to pulling out their hair for a few weeks before getting their next fix. But, for larger AAA titles a bit of finesse is required.
Ready At Dawn could perhaps take a look at another PlayStation exclusive for help, Uncharted. The Uncharted series is coming up on its fourth installment and nobody has batted an eyelash, do you know why? While each installment has left you with the sense that there is something more, something that will require you to purchase the next game in order to find out, they manage to tell a complete story. Each entry has a beginning, a middle, and usually a satisfying end with just the right amount of cliffhanging to have you looking forward to the next adventure.
While Ready At Dawn manages to introduce the proper elements they fail to make good on their deal to provide that great story when they opt to leave everything unexplained. In essence The Order: 1886 ends up feeling like a glorified prologue when with a bit of explanation it could’ve been so much more.
Keep The Gunplay
One thing that The Order: 1886 did very well is the gunplay. Every single weapon felt completely different from its counterparts from the way it felt when you fired it, to the sound design of each one. The cover shooting mechanic is basic, but it definitely gets the job done. One button throws you behind a wall or waste high cover and you’re able to fire blindly or peek out for some more precision. Getting those headshots feels as good as it looks, and picking up weapons from your fallen enemies keeps the action rolling. It is the very definition of “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it” when it comes to what people expect of third-person shooter gameplay.
But, there is one thing that is even better than the tried and true that Ready At Dawn added to the mix; Blacksight. The Blacksight mechanic pretty much stops time for a few seconds (dependent on your meter) and allows you to quickly dispatch a few enemies with well placed shots. Keep in mind that this isn’t just some Bullet Time like you’re used to from Max Payne, this is a seasoned knight demonstrating his skill that has been honed over centuries. Not only does this help when you find yourself in a tight spot, but it looks pretty damn good to boot.
Sir Galahad is a knight who has trained and fought for centuries, but when you give a gamer a controller it’s possible for him to seem a bit noob-ish. The only time, other than cutscenes, where he truly appears to be a walking weapon is when Blacksight is activated. If you’re quick enough you’ll be able to take down an entire ambush and look classy while doing so.
The combination of an interesting armory and your exquisitely honed skills make for some great combat when up against a fire team. Add to that some pretty decent enemy AI that does its best to flush you out, and destructible cover and you’ve got yourself a nice, fun firefight.
Lycan Combat Needs Serious Tweaking
Over the weekend the cat was let out of the bag and now it’s no secret that the lycan (werewolf) combat scenarios in The Order: 1886 are pretty dull. This isn’t for just one particular reason, but rather a bunch of factors that when combined really take the excitement out of the entire affair. What you have instead are lycans running directly at you as you fire away with whatever weapon you happen to be holding. Once they get to close all you need to do is tap x and the process repeats itself. You will pretty much only die if you drop your controller or just decide not to do anything.
The lycans are supposed to be enemies that you fear, enemies that force you to consider going the long way around because frankly dying just wasn’t part of your plans tonight. Instead you’re treated to nothing more than overgrown man puppies who pose no real threat when you get down to it. This is caused mostly by the heavily scripted nature of these rare encounters. The lycans always act the same in The Order: 1886, no matter where the fight is taking place, or what is going on around you. Adding to the problem is that you’ll never get to use the best weapons in the game during these fights.
Adding to the frustrating disappointment are the two “boss fights” in the game. Both pit you against a larger, stronger, more intelligent lycan which sounds exciting on paper. Unfortunately they are nothing more than you hitting the same button over and over while waiting for a prompt to dodge some attack. That is all. No real strategy, no sneaking around, no moving in fear hoping not attract the hulking beasts attention. Oh, did we mention that both of these fights take place with only a knife? Not that it matters since even if you managed to have a gun, the scripted nature wouldn’t change anything.
Whenever Ready At Dawn decides to get to work on the followup to The Order: 1886 they need to really consider treating the lycan enemies in the manner they approached their human counterparts. They need intelligence, and a sense of pressure as you fight them caused by knowing that one wrong move will cost you your life. Perhaps adding an actual melee system, or using the stealth and shooting mechanics afforded to you throughout the rest of the game will add a new dynamic to how people approach lycans. Using them only as a set-piece, a rather dull one at that, robs The Order: 1886 of its true potential.
Stick To Your Vision Ready At Dawn
Ready At Dawn made it very clear that they wanted to deliver a cinematic experience. This focus led them to a quality over quantity mindset which has been an interestingly hot-topic over the past couple of weeks. With completion times ranging from 5-12 hours many gamers and critics are complaining that there should have been more. That presents a sort of conundrum where the developers are tasked with either putting out what they deem worthy, or alternatively pad the game to appease consumers. The second choice almost always leads to larger complaints.
For The Order: 1886, Ready At Dawn stuck to their guns and opted against padding or a multiplayer mode. Their vision was to provide the best single player cinematic experience and they made sure not to do anything that would deviate from that. This is not only admirable but it helps to instill an identity in this new IP. They have proven that they can focus on a goal, although they do need to tidy a few things up.
Issues aside, the studio made a solid effort for their first major outing. This was largely due to them not wavering on their vision which is admirable in todays market. It’s easy to go the guaranteed route, but that is not how mediums evolve. Taking the chance is always risky, but it can often times payoff which it seems set up to do for Ready At Dawn and The Order 1886.
The Order: 1886 has a lot of things going on, both good and bad. If they can refine everything they’ve nailed on their first attempt and adjust the few issues that plagued their console debut then everyone will be in for an amazing franchise. Are there any things you feel need to be done with The Order: 1886 or any subsequent sequels? If so feel free to share.
For more information on The Order: 1886 check out Ready At Dawn’s official website.
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