After finishing the game about two hours ago, here's my own personal review -
GRAPHICS/CHARACTER MODELS/ANIMATIONS/ENVIRONMENTS/ATMOSPHERE - 10/10
From the overall visuals to the character models to the facial expressions to the animations to the atmosphere to the attention to detail, The Order:1886 delivers an amazing visual experience that could eventually become a standard in gaming. The transition from the actual gameplay to the cut scenes is all in-game and seamless with no loading whatsoever. In this, the eighth generation of gaming, The Order: 1886 truly showcases the power and the graphical capabilities of the PlayStation 4 as it has become the best looking console game to date. The Order: 1886 truly deserves to be played from beginning to end in order to truly appreciate how amazing the visuals are in this game. With that said, there are two negatives. First being that the game is presented in the 21:9 aspect ratio which will give you those annoying as hell black bars on the top and bottom of the screen. While I know that this was done on purpose, it shouldn't have been for two reasons. First reason being that the black bar on the top of the screen cuts off a good amount of your character's field of fiew especially when crouched behind cover in shootouts. Second reason being that The Order: 1886 would look even better on a full screen in glorious 1080P HD. Second negative is that despite the amazing attention to detail, there's no reflection of any character in any mirror. The room or area is reflected but for whatever reason, none of the characters are. I'm going to assume that this just like the aspect ratio was done on purpose. For what reason, I have no idea. Despite these two negatives, The Order: 1886 is still a perfect ten when it comes to overall visual and cinematic aspect.
MUSIC/SOUND/VOICE ACTING - 9/10
From the title screen alone, you know that your ears are in for a listening treat. The music is outstanding and fits in perfectly with the mood, atmosphere and situation. Sound effects are good as well especially from the guns as they sound high impact which they are. The voice actors did an amazing job and make the characters feel alive at all times especially Steve West who does an oustanding job with the Galahad character.
STORY/CHARACTERS - 9/10
Since im not one who likes or wants to spoil anything, I'll just say the following - The story starts off slow but definitely interesting and builds up as you progress throughout the game. There's a few surprises in the game, plot twists and turns and will definitely keep you interested throughout the game. All the characters including the secondary characters were all well written and well done but the Galahad character steals the show. The only negative is that some characters were under used and I would have liked to see a few different things happen but overall, I was satisified with the story and ending. Hopefully, those who are playing through the game will be as well.
GAMEPLAY/CAMERA/CONTROLS/A.I. - 8/10
I'll start with the negatives - First, the aspect ratio which gives you the black bars on the top and bottom of the screen prevents you from having a larger field of view, especially on the top of the screen which hurts you at times in the shootouts because you can't see enemies in the distance especially if you're crouched behind cover as opposed to standing up behind cover. Second, the pacing of the game is for the most part slow but does pick up at times. Not that this is a bad thing but it may turn off some gamers. Third, the stealth sections of the game are actually very well done especially one near the end of the game but when spotted or seen, it results in an instant fail and starting it over. The stealth is actually good but the instant fail is a turn off as the game should have then progressed into a shootout or you having to take out the enemy that spotted you. Fourth, the quick time events (QTE) are throughout the game and while im not a fan of them, they were actually well done and made sense based on the situation but at the same time, weren't overwhelming even though it may feel that way as there are a lot of button prompts but I don't consider them to be quick time events but there will be those who will be turned off to the game because of this. Fifth, there's sections in the game that require you to carry a lantern which becomes a problem because you can't turn it off, put it down or go into cover. After the aspect ration, this is my main negative in regards to the gameplay. This could have been done better. Thankfully, these sections only happen two or three times in the entire game.
Now the positives - First, the gunplay and shootouts is intense, high impact and a lot of fun. Best of all, they're not overdone as every major shootout feels important and makes an impact. The weapons are good and sound great. Second, the enemy AI is great especially in small areas and rooms as they will flank you, circle around you and even come after you directly. Third, the seamless transition from gameplay to cinematic and vice versa is absolutely stunning and while I would have liked there to be more gamplay than what there is, im actually hoping that developers use this aspect as it makes you truly feel immersed in the game. And there's no loading whatsoever. Fourth, the cover system is excellent and works extremely well, too well at times. Would have been an even better visual experience if the cover was all destructible. Fifth, there's lockpicking and defusing electric locks. Neither are difficult but offer a slight change of pace here and there. Sixth, the quick time events (QTE) in some cases make sense and are actually a welcomed addition at least by me. I would mention the few particular sections that I actually enjoyed quick time events but doing so would spoil certain sections of the game. Seventh and perhaps the most important is that despite the negatives and "professional reviews", I couldn't stop playing The Order: 1886. In less than two days, I completed the game on the hard difficulty level in approximately 14 hours and enjoyed the game from beginning to end so much so that I'll most likely play through the game a second time.
OVERALL: 9/10