The Order: 1886 is a gorgeous looking new IP for the PS4 from the developers Ready at Dawn. It’s a third person action shooter set in an alternate time period. Here’s why you should be excited.
The Graphics:
As a PS4 exclusive The Order: 1886 is specifically developed for next-gen hardware and will take advantage of it’s full graphical capabilities. So far it looks to be a very detailed world set in a very interesting time period. If you want a game that will show off your PS4 this will be a top contender. The developers have chosen to give it a very filmic like quality with an aspect ratio that looks like a widescreen film. It isn’t running at 60fps, but the developers have stated that this was a choice as it doesn’t give the same cinematic feel that 30fps does. Everything that has been shown is running directly through the graphics engine as opposed to pre-rendered cut-scenes.
The Setting:
I’ve always been a sucker for alternate history. It means that the narrative can use it’s time period as a start point and veer away from peoples expectations. Wolfenstein is a recent release that focussed on an alternate timeline by posing the question “What if the Nazi’s won”, and within the game you could find certain memorabilia or letters that fill in the gaps, that show a skewed view of history. The 1800’s is an interesting time period as a lot was happening and it can be incredibly stylised. It is an intriguing prospect that creates a lot of potential in terms of the narrative. It can also be used as a way to create new and intriguing weapon designs. In terms of the plot not much has been revealed, but it is set in London and the fictional Order are knights of a sort that protect the world from half breed monsters that are a mix of man and animal. The conflict has been waged for centuries, but the Order managed to find a magical elixir that extends their lifespan called Black Water, that gives the a means to fight back against the beasts. A second conflict also exists in which the lower classes of London are rebelling against the upper classes and the Order is tasked with, well keeping order.
The Gameplay:
The Order: 1886 is a third person cover based, tactical shooter. That may not sound particularly unique, but what makes it different is the selection of weapons available. Most recently we were shown the thermite based rounds that effectively burn away cover giving enemies nothing to hide behind. A pretty interesting weapon that can be used to give players a tactical advantage. While that’s not much to go on it shows the Ready at Dawn are thinking of unique weaponry to allow a new take on combat. There also seems to be survival horror elements included in The Order: 1886 as the recent E3 2014 trailer showed one of the protagonists searching a dark, poorly lit location before encountering one of the terrifying looking half breeds. He is then forced to flee from the agile, tough looking creature. Blending these two elements will hopefully keep the gameplay fresh and interesting.
Hopefully, this has whet your appetite for the release of The Order: 1886 which is scheduled for February 20th 2015. A few fantastic looking collectors editions have been revealed for Europe and the US, I’m definitely watching this new IP with keen interest.
EU Collectors Edition
US Collectors Edition
US Premium Edition
