Looking for a comprehensive The Order 1886 Review? We’ve got you covered! Set against dark times in London’s Whitechapel district a handful of heroes battle to stem the darkness now polluting the fair streets of London. Here is our The Order 1886 Review.
Developed and Published by Ready At Dawn, a Sony Computer Entertainment First Party studio, famously known for the God Of War series. Take control of Sir Galahad, known by legend as one of King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table from Arthurian Legends, and one of the individuals who sought the legendary Holy Grail. Within the story of The Order 1886, Galahad is on the tipping point between good and evil, knowing more is going on than meets the eye he investigates and is dragged through events that threaten both London and the Order.
STORY
Starting the game the player is dropped into a rather brutal interrogation where Galahad is subjected to near treacherous conditions before being able to escape and make his way to freedom.
Continuing, you are pushed back several weeks in the events to tell a dark story of pain, loss, and treachery. Starting on October 14 1886 where Galahad is teamed up with 2 other order members to hunt Bedlemites which turn out to be half-breeds, Lycans.
With the unfolding events, Galahad is led to Whitechapel, the heart of darkness in London, and home to the dreaded Ripper Murders. Learning that there is a plot to kill Lord Hastings, Galahad and his team board an airship in flight in a rescue mission. Ending in a tragedy Galahad is pushed to seek answers and when the rebel’s assault on Westminster Bridge fails, Galahad is pulled back to Whitechapel where he meets the leader of the rebellion and is shown the truth of what is happening in London.
While the game takes place in London it has scenery which seems to take place outside of London, a prime example is some of the later parts of the game where Galahad is battling through docks. This to me feels like it was taking place outside of London’s heart and somewhere else as with the zeppelin in the skies over London.
Mechanics, Graphics, & Technical things
The game plays as a third-person shooter, where the camera is situated behind the character and performs an over-the-shoulder view when in the equivalent Ironsights.
Coupled with the cover, stealth, basic Parkour, and equipment systems, The Order 1886 is an impressive game. Where most games almost force things, The Order 1886, gives you the freedom to deal with combat how you would like. Traversal isn’t as simple, to put it bluntly, it’s linear so it’s not as easy to deviate from the directed path. Because of how you Traverse the world it has been categorized as Basic Parkour. There is a simple climbing mechanic, and vaulting but nothing else that can fall under the Parkour.
In addition to this, there is a Melee system and stealth system to help with combat. A simple equipment system with only 2 throwable types and a multitude of weapons which slots into either a side-arms holster or a primary weapon holster.
There are a good number of weapons. My personal favourite is the M2 ‘Falchion’ Auto Rifle, which is the standard Order main weapon. However, there is also the TS-23 Arc Induction Lance Gun and M86 Thermit Rifle, which are impressive.
On the note of weapons, it needs to be noted that all weapons in the game, despite being set in 1886, have similarities to weapons we know nowadays. Examples can be seen below:
- The standard order issue Falchion is based off the American M1 Grand/ M14 Rifle. This is apparent in its design.
- The basic C-78 Automatic pistol is based loosely on the German Mauser. The way the gun works is identical to the way the Mauser does, the difference is the C-78 Automatic Pistol is a rather large pistol.
One of the most interesting tidbits is the fact that Nikola’s “Earthquake” Machine found a use in the game. Although proven by the US TV Program Mythbusters as not something that works the way Nikola Tesla explained, in The Order 1886 it is far more believable. Ready At Dawn handles this device in a really ingenious way, which is making it into a Lockpicking tool. The vibrations of the device are used to resonate with the locks and using a small pin built into the device the user can stealthily pick a lock. Although probably not as quietly as the game would make out.
Graphically, the game is amazing considering that it will be a decade old on February 20th next year (2025), and the graphics haven’t fallen in the slightest. It still feels the same as when you picked it up in 2015 and if you haven’t played it yet you really need to if for nothing else the fact that the graphics are equal to the 2018 and 2022 God Of Wars, if not better at times.
One of the most irritating things in the game is the Wide-screen Bodering for the game. The 2 black lines at the top and bottom of the screen make the game rather difficult to play, while other games like The Evil Within have the same, in The Evil Within you can actually turn them off, for The Order you can’t.
CONCLUSION
To conclude the game is a marvel and since its release, back in 2015, it was a nice change (and still is) from other games. Considering this is from the studio which brought us God Of War, The Order 1886 is the last thing you would expect. GOW is a third-person hack-and-slash adventure and The Order 1886 is a third-person shooter, at first glance it seems like it is the last thing the studio would do. It’s like if Kojima Productions made heavy narrative-driven games, which they do, but then suddenly made a racing game with nearly no narrative, it’s not something you can imagine.
Overall the game is incredible despite how short it is. While you can play through the game within 7 or so hours it’s well worth it. Graphically it’s something else, mechanically it has some issues but plays extremely well, narratively it tells a story which feels like it has some loose ends but is left in a way that the story could be continued. As a closing, I would like a remake or remaster for the PS5 to experience the game again with new trophies as well as a sequel to the game. The way the game is concluded seems like there should be some form of continuous events. Things from learning about the knight in India to what is going to happen to London seem like they need some exploration, the same for what Galahad and Nikola are going to do with the Rebellion, and more importantly, what is happening with the Order now Galahad and their Scientist are gone and their Knight Commander dead, Presumably. It feels like there is enough to make a sequel but at present, that will have to be speculation.
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