BiGBoSSMk23
A company being excited for their new game is a huge slap in the face to all the fans that liked their old games.
UPDATED
Original Post:
Before I proceed I'd like to state that these views and opinions are expressly mine and mine alone, and by no means should they undermine the game's chances for success come the official release date.
Let me try to keep it simple. Games are interactive and audiovisual, so that's all I'll be giving thoughts on out of respect for RAD. So, here we go.
First off, the obvious. Visuals & Presentation:
The Order 1886 has a very explicit goal. That is, to be an authentically cinematic experience, complete with richly detailed period "sets", "wardrobe", "props", expert cinematography, lighting, etc. The team at Ready At Dawn have succeeded in every respect in recreating all of these elements which ultimately come together in a way never before seen in a video game. No detail is left unrefined, everything has such an expert level of craftsmanship and polish that it quite simply sets a new standard for production values and artistic integrity. Needless to say, both the film industry and the games industry would do wise to look at The Order as the current shining example of what the medium can achieve.
Now for more sobering thoughts. Gameplay:
Every notion of what some of you may consider to be proper game design has to be suspended. The game will hold your hand. It will walk you through areas. It will funnel you. It will bombard you with simple context sensitive button prompts and loads of sharply directed and acted cutscenes. For many, this is the bane of "cinematic" games, and that's the divisive crux in The Order. But for all those criticisms which can fairly be leveled against it, The Order succeeds because the physicality and feedback of the gameplay sections (which are by no means scarce) are so well executed and consistent with the games overall quality, that not allowing it its quirks would be to completely miss the point. Personally, I think it harkens back to Metal Gear Solid in terms of pacing, to Killzone 2 for its gunplay theatricality, and to Vanquish, for its replayability. It is by no means a short game, either. It's pacing is dictated by the unskippable cutscenes and expository quasi-interactive sections.
Story:
NO. Do yourself a favor and experience it like it was meant to be.
-----
Concluding remarks:
The Order 1886 is for lovers of old fashioned single player experiences. For those who want to see strong efforts in storytelling-focused games make a comeback. It's a highly curated museum piece for old-timey, story driven videogames, and if you cherish having a collection of finely produced games, then that's the value of The Order in a nutshell. If you're excited for a strong new IP with endless possibilities and want to see RAD put out new iterations of this level of quality, then give them the nod. I already have.
EDIT:
Y2Kev thread guidlines:
Original Post:
Before I proceed I'd like to state that these views and opinions are expressly mine and mine alone, and by no means should they undermine the game's chances for success come the official release date.
Let me try to keep it simple. Games are interactive and audiovisual, so that's all I'll be giving thoughts on out of respect for RAD. So, here we go.
First off, the obvious. Visuals & Presentation:
The Order 1886 has a very explicit goal. That is, to be an authentically cinematic experience, complete with richly detailed period "sets", "wardrobe", "props", expert cinematography, lighting, etc. The team at Ready At Dawn have succeeded in every respect in recreating all of these elements which ultimately come together in a way never before seen in a video game. No detail is left unrefined, everything has such an expert level of craftsmanship and polish that it quite simply sets a new standard for production values and artistic integrity. Needless to say, both the film industry and the games industry would do wise to look at The Order as the current shining example of what the medium can achieve.
Now for more sobering thoughts. Gameplay:
Every notion of what some of you may consider to be proper game design has to be suspended. The game will hold your hand. It will walk you through areas. It will funnel you. It will bombard you with simple context sensitive button prompts and loads of sharply directed and acted cutscenes. For many, this is the bane of "cinematic" games, and that's the divisive crux in The Order. But for all those criticisms which can fairly be leveled against it, The Order succeeds because the physicality and feedback of the gameplay sections (which are by no means scarce) are so well executed and consistent with the games overall quality, that not allowing it its quirks would be to completely miss the point. Personally, I think it harkens back to Metal Gear Solid in terms of pacing, to Killzone 2 for its gunplay theatricality, and to Vanquish, for its replayability. It is by no means a short game, either. It's pacing is dictated by the unskippable cutscenes and expository quasi-interactive sections.
Story:
NO. Do yourself a favor and experience it like it was meant to be.
-----
Concluding remarks:
The Order 1886 is for lovers of old fashioned single player experiences. For those who want to see strong efforts in storytelling-focused games make a comeback. It's a highly curated museum piece for old-timey, story driven videogames, and if you cherish having a collection of finely produced games, then that's the value of The Order in a nutshell. If you're excited for a strong new IP with endless possibilities and want to see RAD put out new iterations of this level of quality, then give them the nod. I already have.
EDIT:
Y2Kev thread guidlines:
