The Order: 1886 (2015)

Still visually and stylistically impressive, even ten years later, but the rest… It feels like a Naughty Dog wannabe (the second portable God of War already had those vibes) and it’s not particularly BAD but also it’s really not GREAT at anything. The story is super standard and too full of stuff that doesn’t have the time to breath. There’s some cool gameplay ideas but, again, they don’t have the time to breath properly. And all the scenes that should represent the most exciting moments, like when you’re fighting werewolves, are kinda lame. I loved the world building and I think it was a decent starting point for something that could have been a great sequel but we’re never gonna get it and that’s a pity. By the way, I understand why this was a sore point at the time but I don’t think it’s too short: it’s long enough and it ends right before outstaying its welcome.

This game looks fantastic, especially for an early PS4 title. The atmosphere, setting, and story make for a very well-designed immersion in an alternate version of Victorian London. While the letterboxing lends to the cinematic experience, it really becomes a hindrance during the action scenes. Since a lot of your time is spent ducking behind barriers for cover, your field of view is consistently obstructed by the black bar at the top of the screen. Good luck trying to keep track of enemies, and timing your shots. This was certainly a design choice to give off a claustrophobic feel, but I'm not a fan. While I really like the game's story as a whole, a lot of its elements feel incomplete. By endgame, there are a lot of loose ends. It's clear that they were leaning heavily on a sequel, but I would have liked the ending to feel like more of a resolution than an abrupt cliffhanger. Overall, I had a great time with this game. I love the world that this game is set in, and would love to return to it in a sequel. Just get rid of those damn black bars. 07/10

Despite the general complaints for The Order that I have encountered on some sites, I have to say I am fully enjoying the game. There are minor elements that could use improvement, but so far I love the story and the way it is executed. It is an excellent bit of fiction, and a enjoyable enough cover shooter. It is by no means very hard, and mostly moves through multiple cut scenes while interspersing those with cover shooter moments. I don't mind however. The story is interesting enough, and the setting is such a gorgeous alternate reality that I am engrossed in the events of the game. I think games come in many different forms and I have no trouble accepting that this one is a linear path along a defined story, an exception from all the open world games we have available to us. Sincere there are enough of the latter I enjoy the attempt made at making something different.