It was five years ago when Ready at Dawn began its very first AAA project. Inspired by Uncharted 2: Among Thieves ‘ monumental success, the team aimed to deliver a breathtaking cinematic experience set in a world that stands out with its Victorian-era clothing, Knights of the Round Table, and cleverly engineered ranged weapons.
We’ve been playing The Order: 1886 throughout the weekend, and have learned a few things in the process. Instead of keeping that information to ourselves, we’ve decided to share it with you, the gamers.
Below you’ll find 16 facts about The Order: 1886 that will help give you a better idea of what it’s all about.
16 Things You Might Not Know About The Order: 1886
You can revive yourself
The Order: 1886 's story features a mysterious healing liquid known as Blackwater. When you are incapacitated in battle, you will begin to crawl on the ground. If you can seek cover and avoid damage for a few seconds, you will be given a triangle prompt to consume Blackwater, restoring protagonist Sir Galahad in the process.
This is a mature game
The Order: 1886 is dark, and unafraid to veer into the realm of mature content. There's some serious violence to be seen, including limbs being blown off. You'll also see nudity, so make sure children aren't around when you're playing.
There are easter eggs
The Order: 1886 has been crafted by Ready at Dawn, a first-party Sony studio. To make Sony fans feel at home, there are easter eggs to be found in the environment, such as the LittleBigPlanet Sackboy seen to the left. Don't forget to keep an eye out for other hidden items!
There is no multiplayer or new game plus
The Order: 1886 is about 9 to 11 hours in length. It is a single-player only experience, with no leaderboards, co-operative option, or even a new game plus to unlock. So, enjoy your first go around. It might be your last.
The loading times may surprise you
The Order: 1886 might be a magnificently beautiful game, but it doesn't take much time to load. You'll find yourself loading into the game world from the main menu and after deaths quicker than you may expect due to the well-optimized loading times.
You'll shake hands with Nikola Tesla
Have you ever wanted to visit Nikola Tesla's laboratory with him in it? The Order: 1886 is your first opportunity to do so. You'll meet him, and he'll even let you use some of his latest creations. He also references Thomas Edison in one of his lines. As you might suspect, he doesn't have anything nice to say about Edison.
There's more than just human enemies
There are what are known as half-breeds in The Order: 1886 's world. They are intimidating, ferocious, and serve as a different challenge than the game's human cast.
When combating half-breeds you will have an option to dodge when they lunge at you. This, combined with their speed, makes them a highlight of the game experience.
The enemy cast doesn't end at humans and half-breeds, though...
The melee system is simple
Taking out human enemies in melee range is as simple as pressing a button. Depending on the environment around you, the protagonist will pummel the enemy in a violent, automated animation. You'll see face stomps, choke holds, and even Mike Tyson-esque knock outs.
You can enable or disable aim assist
There's an option in the settings to turn on Aim Assist. When enabled, your crosshair will move to a nearby enemy when you aim down sight. However, it won't follow an enemy, so it's only mildly advantageous. There's also no punishment for enabling it.
There are several mini interactions
Gameplay consists of more than just third-person cover-based shooting. There are some interactions that take place to mix gameplay up, such as the lockpicking system as seen on the left.
It's better looking than you think
Just look at it.
It's methodically paced
Enjoy Game of Thrones and other epics? You might just enjoy The Order: 1886 . Its pacing is slow, sometimes sped up by short action pieces. You can look at it as the inverse of Call of Duty .
There's stealth gameplay
In a few sequences you'll need to navigate the world without being detected. During these moments, QTEs will be your means of assassination, and precise movement is key to survival.
Change the difficulty at any time
There is a difficulty option in the settings that allows you to dynamically adjust between Easy, Medium, and Hard on the fly. There are no trophies related to completing the game on a particular difficulty, so you can focus on finding which level of challenge is best for you.
QTEs are everywhere
Hopefully you aren't sick of quick time events (QTEs), because they are absolutely everywhere in The Order: 1886 . Want to open a chest to see what's inside? Spam that X button. Looking to turn a valve? Spam, spam, spam!
It isn't perfect
There are glitches. Are you surprised?