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[nampad]

I am in chapter 4 now

Spoiler

just got into the hospital

and I am disappointed with the game so far. I knew it wouldn't be so good with the reviews smashing it but I love cinematic games and reviewers are wrong very often.

The game is just not designed well. The pacing is all over the place, the cutscene blending and interaction trigger are amateurish as well as the storytelling in some parts (having the first cutscene entirely in first person was kind of weird considering it is a 3rd person game, first encounter with Tesla was totally useless from a story perspective). In some parts, the NPCs don't act dynamically enough

Spoiler

like after the roundtable you see 3 knights talking about Percival and of course they won't budge for you to move along.

The camera feels way too close which hinders the gunplay a bit. It gets difficult to get an idea of the surroundings in tighter areas. The shotgun feels kind of week but the termite gun was fun. Wished I could have used the arc one more often.
So far, there are way too many slow walking sections...

 

[Frillen]

Calling out the reviews is like the bat signal for Frillen.

Coffee was spat.

 

[golem]

Finished the game in about 7 hours on Hard.

IMO The Order 1886 is a decent game- but a questionable purchase at full retail price. In my opinion RAD accomplished exactly what they wanted to do- make an interactive movie with some gaming elements. Unfortunately both the story and the gameplay elements come up fairly lacking.

Gameplay:
+The visceralness of combat. Guns that spew smoke and flames and special weapons that have amazing effects
+A nice variety of guns to play with
-Until they abruptly take them away from you
-Cover system doesn't seem to up to modern standards
-Only a few enemy types. Circa 1990s style monster closet encounters and braindead AI
-Melee kills should be ALOT quicker. Btw wasn't melee combat supposed to be QTE based?
-The fact that the werewolves were even less fun to fight than the humans
-The developer really, really wants you to do only what they allow you to do
-The repeating NPC prompts were super annoying, as well as the incessant tool tips
-No set pieces was an interesting choice as well

Story:
+Great and intriguing setting and the voice acting was superb
-Nothing is really explained about the world, not even in the readables
-Why have audiologs if they can't be played while actually playing the game
-Jarring cuts and editing
-Reveals that go nowhere
-Cliche story beats and character arcs
-The fact the story and the characters take a huge turn for the worse at the end of the game
-I hate it when everything in the game is a setup for a sequel. Tell a complete story damnit!

Graphics:
+Mostly awesome, great art direction

Overall I would give it a 6/10. Despite my long long list of negatives, the game was still a reasonably entertaining ride. I would be interested in a sequel, but honestly the attitudes at RAD have to change to convince me that their next game will be a worthwhile experience and do justice to the potential of The Order.

 

[gundamkyoukai]

Spoiler

He doesn't tell her or Lafayette for their own protection (anyone who knows is at risk from the threat within - which A: he isn't sure of who is / isn't involved, B: would shake the order to its core)

But he tell the 2 people who were involve even though he could not trust anyone .
Which i saw coming from a mile away , it was stupid .

 

[Loudninja]

The gunplay in this game really is fantastic.

 

[TheWorthyEdge]

So...I liked the openly hated chapter 11 stealth sequence. Is something wrong with me?

Wound up having to go somewhere after that but I look forward to finishing up. Love the atmosphere of that chapter so far.

Was that the

Spoiler

infiltration of the house?

? Idk why but I loved the level but the gamma or brightness was messed up so I could barely see anything in the

Spoiler

courtyard

 

[Absoludacrous]

Spoiler

...there is no love triangle

Spoiler

No shit, that was the point of my post. They had the hooks there for one, and let it languish on the vine. So what could have been character development was instead wasted.

 

[0.1.1.2.3.5.8.13.21.34.55]

The more I think about it, the more I'm let down by the ending... There are so many questions left unanswered. I hope the sequel, or better yet, episodic expansion, is not far off. Just give me the next few chapters at a reasonable price.

-I hate it when everything in the game is a setup for a sequel. Tell a complete story damnit!

Yep

 

[RoboPlato]

Was that the

Spoiler

infiltration of the house?

? Idk why but I loved the level but the gamma or brightness was messed up so I could barely see anything in the

Spoiler

courtyard

Yep

 

[Mike Works]

Hey guys, quick question. I got the Red Lightning / Arsonist preorder DLC... if I activate it before my first playthrough, does it unbalance the game at all? I'm planning on just playing the game once and then giving it to my brother.

Also, Normal mode or Hard? I like a challenge, but don't like being frustrated.

Cheers.

 

[gundamkyoukai]

Most of the people you kill in hand to hand combat in TLOU you kill with one button press (stealth or weapon) unless you are bad at it.
So claiming The Order is bad because it features 'one button kill' is just plain stupid. It's exactly what you aspire to do when you attack them in TLOU.
You only brawl if you fail your one hit kill in TLOU.

Can i stealth kill in the order the answer is no , can i brawl in the order the answer is no .
I am talking about the whole combat system and waiting for button prompt to show up to hit someone is bullshit .
Do i have wait in UC or TLOU for a button to pop up to hit a enemy when they close to me the answer is no.
Also hitting a enemy with brick and then punching out the next one close to you in TLOU is good way to save ammo and has nothing to with being bad .

 

[WordsintheWater]

But we're only a little over a year into the gen though. I dunno, maybe it's just me but I always find claims like that strange to make so early on. But I totally respect the opinion.

Oh yeah, I edited my post to say that I meant of all the games released thus far, I have no clue what game will be my favorite as the gen goes on.

 

[Skux]

Hey guys, quick question. I got the Red Lightning / Arsonist preorder DLC... if I activate it before my first playthrough, does it unbalance the game at all? I'm planning on just playing the game once and then giving it to my brother.

Also, Normal mode or Hard? I like a challenge, but don't like being frustrated.

Cheers.

If you know your way around a TPS, hard without aim assist is the way to go. I found only one part of the game unreasonably difficult (the guy I mentioned before in chapter 5).

 

[iratA]

The gunplay in this game really is fantastic.

Yep. I agree generally that it could do with a bit more of it though. The Weapons all feel really different and have real punch to them. The VFX on the Lightning gun and Thermite Rifle are so sweet.

I don't know if it was already posted but the Launch Trailer really shows off this game well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgJvIak6BpE

 

[viveks86]

Spoiler

He doesn't tell her or Lafayette for their own protection (anyone who knows is at risk from the threat within - which A: he isn't sure of who is / isn't involved, B: would shake the order to its core)

But he tell the 2 people who were involve even though he could not trust anyone.
Which i saw coming from a mile away , it was stupid IMO.

Yup. That part did not fit at all. Actually, everything stopped making sense after chapter 6 and were all flawed excuses designed to fit a preconceived ending.

 

[golem]

Also, Normal mode or Hard? I like a challenge, but don't like being frustrated.

Hard was not even a challenge tbh. It's like normal in other games.

 

[Chamber]

Starting Chapter XI, probably take a break for the night. The gunplay is probably my least favorite part of the game so far. It's only satisfying when you have something like the Arc Induction Lance or the Thermite Rifle, weapons which aren't seen nearly as often as I would like.

 

[WordsintheWater]

Have you read my review? In any case, it's all subjective opinion. For example, Fibonacci seems to love what I thought is the worst level in the entire game. So who knows, you might like it as well

I stayed away from your review for the time being just until I'm done. Was scared there might have been something spoilery in there.

 

[Lord Error]

The gunplay in this game really is fantastic.

It is, and so is the overall feel of character movement. I also like the subtle aim assist - it's nothing like lock-on in CoD, but it just slightly slows the aim while passing over the targets. The game really has a lot of polish and I get the sense that it was made by technical perfectionists who know how to make everything feel right. The few enemy encounters I've had so far did feel by the numbers and uninspired though, so I can understand the criticisms about that, if it keeps being like that.

Also, they really should have had a new game+ where all the weapons are unlocked at all times. How hard was to make something like that?

 

[kpaadet]

Just finished it, game have some problems but not as bad as most reviews made it out to be. I hope RAD gets to make a sequel, with some improvements it could be a good franchise.

The positive:
Amazing visuals
Great performances
Atmosphere
Gunplay
Writing
Setting

The negative:
"Loose" coversystem
Pacing have too many lows and to few highs, and too many cut scenes also interupted it
Too many QTEs (I don't mind the occasional QTEs but it kinda went overboard)
Why do games still force me to press a button to pick up ammo (I am also looking at you Wolfenstein and Uncharted)
Some parts of the story annoyed me
The ending

 

[Cudder]

Spoiler

No shit, that was the point of my post. They had the hooks there for one, and let it languish on the vine. So what could have been character development was instead wasted.

Spoiler

Having Galahad and Igraine have a romantic interest in each other would've been one more thing to make me roll my eyes at. Very happy they didn't go this route. Very cliché.

 

[gundamkyoukai]

Yup. That part did not fit at all. Actually, everything stopped making sense after chapter 6 and were all flawed excuses designed to fit a preconceived ending.

Yep , the story got worst and worst as it went one.

 

[Skux]

This game has some of the most satisfying reloading lol. Almost every weapon has some fun click or pop as soon as you press square.

 

[viveks86]

I stayed away from your review for the time being just until I'm done. Was scared there might have been something spoilery in there.

There aren't any spoilers in there. I've been as cautious as possible. Ignore the spoiler tags and you should be ok.

Having said that, I don't want it to color the rest of your remaining experience. Reading it after you beat the game may be the better idea.

 

[Doctor_Thomas]

Just finished it.

Spoiler

Too many unanswered questions, too much left unresolved. You can tell that it's the first chapter of something much grander. That's my only real complaint about it. It feels like it was designed to lead to bigger things.

Gunplay is wholly satisfying, though. I think it's because the weapons have a nice kick and sound to them making it a bit more engaging. I also feel like the gun battles do open themselves up a bit [Non-story spoiler:]

Spoiler

but I find the Lycan battles to be fairly dull affairs. You can stand in a corner, shoot them, wait for the prompt, then shoot them as they run away, after the first one I didn't feel any sort of suspense. They also attack from the same place, making the whole thing redundant. The human AI on the other hand seems to do more in terms of trying to flank you. For as "corridor-y" the game is, the open areas for gun battles can be quite interesting.

Not a long game, by any means, but I definitely feel like I got a good run out of it. The "lack of gameplay" never really felt like an issue for me. Some of the chapters are definitely more "content heavy" than others, but I don't mind that.

Overall, it does what RAD set out to do and tells a story, while the length to content ratio may not warrant the cost, if you do pick it up, you will be treated to the best graphics on consoles with an engaging story and basic but engaging gun play. With music by Austin Wintory for good measure.

A solid 6/10 with a chance for sequels to be outstanding.

 

[formasymphonic]

But he tell the 2 people who were involve even though he could not trust anyone.
Which i saw coming from a mile away , it was stupid IMO.

Spoiler

From the outside as cynical gamers yes it seems obvious that Lucan was one of them, but in-universe there isn't a reason to suspect the one of the heads of the order and adopted son of its longest serving member to be one of them is there? Also he asks him because he needs his knowledge on the terrain

Spoiler

No shit, that was the point of my post. They had the hooks there for one, and let it languish on the vine. So what could have been character development was instead wasted.

And my earlier point was that not every story needs romance

Spoiler

(and definitely not a love triangle) - what would Igraine's character development be? This would basically take her/Lakshmi down from competent equals to Galahad to a one of two love interests fighting over him? That isn't an improvement tbh, and would undo a lot of the progressive efforts they have by showing that there are women in the order / women fighting as rebel commanders etc (despite historical sexism Victorian era was known for etc).

 

[The Xtortionist]

It is, and so is the overall feel of character movement. I also like the subtle aim assist - it's nothing like lock-on in CoD, but it just slightly slows the aim while passing over the targets. The game really has a lot of polish and I get the sense that it was made by technical perfectionists who know how to make everything feel right. The few enemy encounters I've had so far did feel by the numbers and uninspired though, so I can understand the criticisms about that, if it keeps being like that.

Also, they really should have had a new game+ where all the weapons are unlocked at all times. How hard was to make something like that?

Agreed about the gunplay. Weapons feel fantastic, and the controls are ace (especially aiming...so smooth). I believe Pessino said in an interview that convoluted measures were taken to reduce control latency to an absolute minimum. So I guess the question is, if so much effort was put into gunplay and controls, why was seemingly so little effort put into encounter and enemy design? The foundation is absolutely there on the player's side of combat (weapons, controls) and hell, better than most third person shooters for my money (the camera zoom when entering cover is intense as fuck, for example)...the overall design just doesn't do it justice.

 

[SixStringPsycho]

This game had so much potential for MP it pisses me off they didnt do it

 

[gundamkyoukai]

Spoiler

Having Galahad and Igraine have a romantic interest in each other would've been one more thing to make me roll my eyes at. Very happy they didn't go this route. But hey kudos to everyone for wanting cliché after cliché in their games/story.

This game story is so cliché to begin with and not in a good way .
Not wrong with being cliché once it done good .

 

[benzy]

The game looks so damn good that we(wife and I) keep trying to find any inconsistency in the quality....it's very hard! I once saw some slight aliasing on the cobblestone street in the far in the distants. Pretty damn impressive showing from these guys.

Yeah, it's even more impressive because there are a variety of environments in the game and each one has the same level of care and quality put in the details. I'd hate for this engine to go to waste.

 

[cormack12]

Hey guys, quick question. I got the Red Lightning / Arsonist preorder DLC... if I activate it before my first playthrough, does it unbalance the game at all? I'm planning on just playing the game once and then giving it to my brother.

Also, Normal mode or Hard? I like a challenge, but don't like being frustrated.

Cheers.

Depends - there are probably three sections on 'hard' that you might find frustrating I counted. Usually down to lack of available cover, lack of visibility or just a claustrophobic camera. One is a 'wave' section and to be honest I found Blacksight shit - didn't really explain itself well or why the shot reticle bounced between targets easily with no logic.

I'm not sure if you can activate the bonuses before your first playthrough - I've heard people say the perks are in the armoury section which is greyed out until you've completed the game.

Aim assist I had on, but it's not as bad as say Uncharted/Tomb Raider or TLoU/GTA V which is basically stop and pop. At the end of the day, there's a bit of jank that's manageable - if you just want to savour the experience, I'd suggest normal might be the way to go and experiment with aim assist.

 

[kpaadet]

This game had so much potential for MP it pisses me off they didnt do it

If this game had MP it would be even more shotgun dominated than Gears, dat 3 barrel shotgun ohh lawd.

 

[The Xtortionist]

If this game had MP it would be even more shotgun dominated than Gears, dat 3 barrel shotgun ohh lawd.

Horde mode would be the way to go imo. Just lock me in an arena and let me shoot dudes with these awesome weapons for 20 minutes straight.

 

[mickcenary]

Nice write up, Viveks. Well articulated, fair and seemingly unbiased.

It really does sound like the biggest 6/10 that ever 6/10'd. If anything, a 6 seems somewhat generous.

 

[gundamkyoukai]

Spoiler

From the outside as cynical gamers yes it seems obvious that Lucan was one of them, but in-universe there isn't a reason to suspect the one of the heads of the order and adopted son of its longest serving member to be one of them is there? Also he asks him because he needs his knowledge on the terrain

In universe in made sense for him not to trust neither one .
The head of the order was talking down his mentor and saying how great the head of the company is .
Both of them had a close connection to the company and normally it's the people on top that always involve .
As i said it was stupid .

 

[Seventy70]

This game had so much potential for MP it pisses me off they didnt do it

I agree. Would have been awesome if they did it. Probably would have raised the reviews at least a couple of points. The weapons just feel so satisfying to fire. A horde mode/tower defense thing similar to GOW would have worked really well also.

 

[petethepanda]

Well that was one hell of an unsatisfying ending. It didn't even feel like an ending.

Edit: Oh, wait,

Spoiler

may have spoken too soon, post-credits scene now...
Double-edit: Eh, nevermind, ending still sucks. Man.

 

[Absoludacrous]

Spoiler

From the outside as cynical gamers yes it seems obvious that Lucan was one of them, but in-universe there isn't a reason to suspect the one of the heads of the order and adopted son of its longest serving member to be one of them is there? Also he asks him because he needs his knowledge on the terrain

And my earlier point was that not every story needs romance

Spoiler

(and definitely not a love triangle) - what would Igraine's character development be? This would basically take her/Lakshmi down from competent equals to Galahad to a one of two love interests fighting over him? That isn't an improvement tbh, and would undo a lot of the progressive efforts they have by showing that there are women in the order / women fighting as rebel commanders etc (despite historical sexism Victorian era was known for etc).

It's possible to handle material like that without reducing it to saturday morning cartoon levels though.

Spoiler

It's already established in the game that there's something between Galahad and Igraine. She sees him secretly meeting with another woman. It's possible to tie that into her rage in a way that makes sense for her character without acting like it's Betty and Veronica. At least it gives her rage some context. As it is she flips the switch too easily. Having LaFayette, who is relatively new, convinced that Galahad is on the side of good more easily than Igraine with no context for it whatsoever makes for a far, far worse story.

 

[Doctor_Thomas]

I agree. Would have been awesome if they did it. Probably would have raised the reviews at least a couple of points. The weapons just feel so satisfying to fire. A horde mode/tower defense thing similar to GOW would have worked really well also.

I think the game would lend its self really well to a hoard mode. Specifically if they were able to make it 4 player and make specific arenas based on areas from the game to open it up a bit. It's really begging for it.

Well that was one hell of an unsatisfying ending. It didn't even feel like an ending.

Edit: Oh, wait,

Spoiler

may have spoken too soon, post-credits scene now...

Adding to your spoiler -

Spoiler

If you select "Continue" from the menu after the credits end, it goes back to this scene and replays the, unskipable, credits.

 

[gundamkyoukai]

It's possible to handle material like that without reducing it to saturday morning cartoon levels though.

Spoiler

It's already established in the game that there's something between Galahad and Igraine. She sees him secretly meeting with another woman. It's possible to tie that into her rage in a way that makes sense for her character without acting like it's Betty and Veronica. At least it gives her rage some context. As it is she flips the switch too easily. Having LaFayette, who is relatively new, convinced that Galahad is on the side of good more easily than Igraine with no context for it whatsoever makes for a far, far worse story.

This is made even worst since he is her mentor .
Along with what she said when she was near dying in the hospital about hem having more.
Just plain bad writing to force events .

 

[UnwrittenZero]

I think horde mode would be god like with humans half breeds

Spoiler

and full breeds and vampires with more fleshed out moves.

 

[Crossing Eden]

It's possible to handle material like that without reducing it to saturday morning cartoon levels though.

Spoiler

It's already established in the game that there's something between Galahad and Igraine. She sees him secretly meeting with another woman. It's possible to tie that into her rage in a way that makes sense for her character without acting like it's Betty and Veronica. At least it gives her rage some context. As it is she flips the switch too easily. Having LaFayette, who is relatively new, convinced that Galahad is on the side of good more easily than Igraine with no context for it whatsoever makes for a far, far worse story.

Spoiler

Look at her facial expression when Hastings says that Galahad's "accomplice" was a woman and the way she pauses before she says they were on familiar terms, they clearly wanted to imply a romance and did it terribly.

 

[VeryGooster]

Didn't expect it to end that abruptly!

Overall I had a generally good time with it though I thought the narrative was very hollow, and it being the potential setup for a sequel shouldn't really excuse that. A lot of too familiar tropes too. Perhaps strangely I still enjoyed watching the events unfold.

The combat absolutely delivered for me. Had a good feel to it. I'm guessing the cover system was designed for you to keep moving and changing tactics since a lot of it can get shot to shit. On a personal note, goddamn I hate enemies that rush you, and "heavies" (though not as bad on that versus other TPS games). On the flip side, enemies tended to have some bogus AI at times (Reloading completely exposed for example lol) and I'm surprised they didn't flank me. That's really the core issue I guess. It does certain mechanics well enough but it's also a bit of a step behind other uses of it.

Excellent production value overall and the game is absolutely great looking. I would play a sequel but they have to do a lot more with it.

 

[Xaero Gravity]

Oh yeah, I edited my post to say that I meant of all the games released thus far, I have no clue what game will be my favorite as the gen goes on.

Massive Game of the Gen spoiler:

Spoiler

The Witcher 3.

Spoiler

Probably not but I can hope. D:

 

[Loudninja]

So far I am not feeling the lack of combat yet.

 

[PBY]

So far I am not feeling the lack of combat yet.

It's the worst part right? Combat is awesome yet it's so off and on.

 

[UnwrittenZero]

Spoiler

Look at her facial expression when Hastings says that Galahad's "accomplice" was a woman and the way she pauses before she says they were on familiar terms, they clearly wanted to imply a romance and did it terribly.

Spoiler

Didn't the French guy say he has a vow that he can't bang her to the chick he was flirting with? Maybe the whole order is like that?

 

[WordsintheWater]

Massive Game of the Gen spoiler:

Spoiler

The Witcher 3.

Spoiler

Probably not but I can hope. D:

It's possible, personally I can't wait for it.

 

[Loudninja]

It's the worst part right? Combat is awesome yet it's so off and on.

No I mean I dont feel like its sparse or anything.

 

[Crossing Eden]

Spoiler

Didn't the French guy say he has a vow that he can't bang her to the chick he was flirting with? Maybe the whole order is like that?

Spoiler

Nah, Lafayette is a womanizer who probably gets laid every other day of the week. And if there are vows that prevent them from doing so, it's very poorly explained like SO many other aspects of the story.