Hello Enthusiasts,
Every once in a while, I need to review something for the sole purpose of advising you to not buy it. The review for today is The Order: 1886 on PS4, and it falls into this category. Now, seeing as this game came out right around the same time that the system did, many of you have likely had a chance to try this one out and you probably know where this review is going.
The game revolves around Sir Galahad, a member of The Order. The purpose of The Order is to eradicate the half-breeds (half man, half animal, looks like a werewolf), a task that they have been at since King Arthur founded The Order with his knights. To even the odds against the half-breeds, members of this organization can consume Blackwater, which not only extends their lives by hundreds of years, but also has remarkable healing capabilities. The Order is also aided by the mind of Nikola Tesla, who is their quartermaster. However, there are more problems than just the half-breeds, as The Order is also trying to stop some anti-government plot for some reason (so there's something to shoot outside of half-breeds).
I will start off with the positives. This game looks outstanding, a real example of how far graphics have come. The water/rain effects are especially impressive, but they are just one part of a beautiful game, and that level of design cannot be written off. There are some cool ideas in this game as well, including some of Tesla's inventions (lightning gun!), which work to separate this game as much as they can from other third-person shooters. And this game does have a very distinct feel to it, though not always in a good way.
The game is fun for the first act, as we get some solid build up to these half-breeds. However, the game quickly takes a turn for the worst from there in several different ways. There a lot of cutscenes, and they are not short scenes either. I found myself getting up and walking away several times, as I really didn't want to stay for all of that. The gunplay is mediocre, not the worst I've played, but far from the best. This means that I get out of a long cut scene, go through a lot of slow walking, to have an alright gunfight. It really doesn't feel like it pays off.
As mentioned before, there is a lot of build up for these half-breeds, and they do look menacing. However, fighting them is the ultimate let down. For most of them, it boils down to a very simple dodge and shoot scenario, with literally no variation from the half-breeds if you stay in the same area. The monsters can be bullet sponges, but that doesn't mean much when they are some of the most predictable enemies in all of gaming. There are a couple of big-boss half-breeds, but those end up being quick time events, and not challenging ones at that.
Outside of those issues, the game is just lackluster, and can sometimes feel like it's painting by numbers. We have our main character believe completely in The Order, only to learn from the enemy that they aren't what they seem, there is the standard (and sloppy) stealth mission, and most other game clichés you can think of. Despite so much of the game looking like it had a whole lot of effort put into it, so many other parts just feel phoned in, especially the ending, which is 100% sequel bait.
I do give this game credit for several things, as it does earn them. However, as a game, the bad far outweighs the good. It's boring after the beginning of the game, it's full of clichés, and just feels lackluster. The game play doesn't justify everything else you have to go through, and it can be a chore to get from start to finish (despite how short the game is). I can almost see this as a movie more than a game, since it shines in a lot of areas outside of the game play. It is a great deal cheaper now than it was at release, but I would still say you will get all the benefits of the game by watching a "Let's Play" video.
I give The Order: 1886 a 3 out of 10, and I hope that the sequel they were obviously setting up addresses some of these concerns.
Sincerely,
The Bored Enthusiast
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