A centuries old struggle against monsters of myth in the streets of one of ‘dark’ fictions favorite playgrounds, it’s the late nineteenth century, and we’re dealing with lycans in that famous city by the Thames. Play as one of an ancient order of heroes, fighting for mankind throughout history against more monstrous members of the world. Its Victorian England with modern technological advances, it’s a PlayStation 4 exclusive and a visual high watermark for videogames, it’s The Order: 1886.
The Order 1886 was developed by Ready At Dawn and Published by Sony Computer Entertainment
Release Date: February 20, 2015
Consoles: PS4
Genre: Third-person shooter
Rating: M
Werewolves of London
A single player, cover based, third-person shooter, The Order: 1886. is a highly anticipated monster hunter with fantastical weapons and some truly stunning graphics. First announced at E3 in 2013, The Order was easily one of the most exciting games revealed that year, getting top marks from a lot of the gaming press (including yours truly). An alternate history story, take to the streets of Victorian era London to put down a savage menace that’s haunted (and hunted!) mankind for centuries…. luckily this PlayStation exclusive isn’t your great-grandma’s 1886.
A small percentage of people have adopted mysterious animalistic traits, and roam the earth. Horrified by these half breeds (or lycans, or let’s just call them what they are, werewolves) humans have been at war with them for centuries, and we all know how effective puny humans are against werewolves. While fewer in number, their great strength has made the war rather one sided. Lucky then for King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and order standing steadfast between humanity and the supernatural threat. Aided by a strange substance called ‘Black Water’ the valiant knights have been granted healing abilities and extended lives to better fight the monstrous threat, but its technology that really tips the balance in this fight.
The best of mankind is truly brought out in times of great conflict or adversity, our losing battle with the half breeds having pushed up the clock as it were. Fueled by our desire to combat the beasts the Industrial Revolution arrived a bit early, providing the edge the humans, even the super soldier ones, needed against such powerful opponents. The folks at Ready at Dawn certainly let their inner steampunk nerds out on this one. With historical figures like Nicola Tesla helping to even the playing field, players have all the modern convenience and firepower of your average shooter, just with a delightfully industrial age aesthetic. Chunky bits, wood and leather, knobs and buttons? Yes please. Communicators, airships, and then there’s the guns. Easily one of the most exciting prospects of The Order: 1886 (other than hunting down werewolves of course) is the firepower. A combination rifle and stun gun, A Tesla special Arc Lance (that’s a lightning cannon), a top loaded Thermite Rifle that sprays the air with combustible particles and rains fiery destruction down upon your enemies…. the list goes on. And you’ll need them. The fiends you’re fighting, each I’ve seen looking as unique and impressive as the human characters themselves, have teamed up with a nasty rebellion within the city. And nowhere are there more dark corners to hide than the streets of Victorian era London.
As a PlayStation 4 exclusive, The Order: 1886 really gives the new hardware a chance to flex its muscles. Incredibly cinematic, I would say that everything here is polished to a high sheen, but as a story of Victorian London, that wouldn’t be accurate, too much mist and coal smoke. But atmospheric, shrouded in mystery, and as magnificently…. well, Victorian, as anything I’ve laid eyes on? Absolutely. A truly impressive looking title pitting the fiends of horror stories against the heroes of legend, grab yourself a lightning shooter and blast yourself some lycans!
The Order: 1886 is Available now for the PS4
