The Order: 1886

Retail boxart depicting the Knights of the Round Table; (from left to right) Lady Igraine, protagonist Sir Galahad, Sir Perceval and Marquis de Lafayette

### Developer

Ready at Dawn
Santa Monica Studio

### Producer

Michael Patrick Clark
Anna Nguyen

### Writer

Joseph Thomas
Nam Ho
Kyle Lauing
Ryan Ellis
Peter Tummillo
Isaac Steele
Christian Bruggeman
Fil Krynicki

### Mode(s)

Single-player

***The Order: 1886*** is a 2015 third-person shooter video game developed by Ready at Dawn and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4 console.

Set in an alternate reality rendition of 1880s London, *The Order: 1886* follows the chronicles of a fictionalized version of the Knights of the Round Table as they protect the city from the "half-breeds", supernatural beings such as werewolves and vampires. *The Order: 1886'* is played from a third-person perspective and has players take the role of Sir Galahad, a member of the Knights order. The game is progressed through linear levels in which players engage in gunfights, with heavy reliance on cover-based mechanics and quick-time events. Galahad has access to a variety of weapons, as well as stealth and melee attacks.

Development began in 2010 with the release of *God of War: Ghost of Sparta*, and made usage of Ready at Dawn's own in-house RAD Engine. *The Order* was the first original IP developed by Ready at Dawn following licensed work on Sony franchises. Ready at Dawn was inspired by the success and design of Naughty Dog's 2009 title *Uncharted 2: Among Thieves*; the studio aimed to produce a cinematic and immersive story-driven title using techniques done in the film industry, a process described by studio head Ru Weerasuriya as "filmic". *The Order: 1886* was announced at Sony's 2013 E3 conference.

*The Order: 1886* received mixed reviews upon its release. It was praised for its graphical advancements, production values, art direction, atmosphere and music, but was largely criticized for its restrictive design, story, characters, inclusion of quick-time events and general lack of innovation in its gameplay as well as low replay value. While no sales numbers were shared by Sony, Ready at Dawn claimed that sales for the game were "steady". The studio expressed interest in developing a sequel prior to its acquisition by Meta in 2020.

## Reception

### Reviews

* MetaCritic: 63/100
* OpenCritic: 62/100
* Destructoid: 6/10
* Edge: 4/10
* Eurogamer: n/a, 7/10 (Poland), 8/10 (Italy)
* Escapist: 3/5
* Game Informer: 7.75/10
* GameSpot: 5/10
* Games Radar: 2.5/5
* GameTrailers: 8.2/10
* Giant Bomb: 2/5
* IGN: 6.5/10
* Jimquisition: 6.5/10
* PlayStation Lifestyle: 8/10
* Push Square: 6/10
* US Gamer: 6/10
* VideoGamer: 6/10

*The Order: 1886* received a generally mixed reception from professional gaming publications and review sites. It currently holds a score of 63/100 on MetaCritic based on 94 reviews, categorized as "mixed or average reviews" by the site. On OpenCritic, the game holds a score of 62/100 based on 88 reviews, categorized as "weak"; the reviewers summary states "*The Order: 1886* does ooze originality in its setting and premise, however a lackluster and short campaign, along with uninspired gameplay makes this PS4 exclusive not worth the cost of entry."

Game Informer's Matt miller described the game as a "a beautifully realized world that sacrifices more involved gameplay in the name of cinematic presentation". IGN's Brandin Tyrrel believed that the title as a whole was an "experience that would've been better served by a non-interactive movie than a game". GameSpot's Kevin VanOrd called *The Order: 1886* "the face of mediocrity and missed opportunities". The Jimquisition's Jim Sterling mocked the game as a "fantastic teaser" due to its short length, but considered the game to be "far from awful". GamesRadar's Dave Houghton criticized it for being a "cold, uninvolving, desperately automated, experiential production line". Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw of Zero Punctuation likened it to a launch title for being "utterly dull, carefully assembled from only the smoothest, inoffensive pieces with no ambition beyond showing off the graphics tech".

The game's production values and visuals received universal acclaim, with most critics agreeing it was the game's strongest aspect. Game Informer's Miller found *The Order* to set a high bar for the PlayStation 4. IGN's Tyrrel called *The Order* "absolutely gorgeous" and praised its "exquisitely detailed environments". GameSpot's Van Ord praised the game for remaining consistent to its aesthetics and committed to its visual style. The Escapist's Justin Clouse described the production values as "absolutely top-notch" and believed *The Order* was "easily the best looking game" on the PlayStation 4, a statement echoed by GamesRadar's Houghton.

Additional praise was given to the game's setting and art direction.

The story and characters received mixed reactions.

The gameplay received generally mixed to average responses, while the design was criticized.

*The Order: 1886* received significant criticism for its short length and restrictive nature.

The audio design and vocal performances received generally positive reactions.

Several critics compared and contrasted *The Order: 1886* with fellow third-person shooters *Uncharted* and *Gears of War*.