Last month, Sony released what is already one of the most polarizing PlayStation 4 exclusives of 2015. Just like many others, I too had some jaded views on The Order: 1886 until I actually set aside time to play it from start to finish. What I discovered was a decent third-person shooter that has a great deal of potential to be something more if the developers take the necessary time to fix some things.
After putting further thought into some of the problems with the game, I decided to shift my focus towards highlighting a few key changes that would make a potential sequel even better. So without further ado, here is my list of five things I want from The Order: 1887.
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Better Use of Open World Environments
Nowadays, open world video games with expansive and engaging environments are slowly stating to become the norm. Critically acclaimed titles like Dragon Age: Inquisition, and upcoming game of the year contenders like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, are all perfect examples of this trend and a clear indication of where the industry is headed.
In the case of The Order: 1886, Ready At Dawn reps have stated on many occasions that their aim was to make a beautiful looking third-person shooter with rich environments that don’t require a ton of exploration. The problem with this move is that it still leads the player down a path of wanting to explore every aspect of an environment in hopes of finding all the collectibles and documents that are in the game.
This particular issue can be rectified in the sequel if the developers make a firm decision on whether or not they want to make this a full-fledged open world experience. If not, they should trim the fat further and kill the illusion of this being a massive world that requires your undivided attention.
More Character Development
Next to the graphics, the lead cast of characters in The Order: 1886 are nothing short of remarkable. While Sir Galahad is the primary focus of the single player campaign, his allies in Lady Ingraine, Marquis de Lafayette, and Sir Perceval, all play important roles in his journey and eventual transformation over the full duration of the game. The same can be said about the supporting characters that succeed in elevating Galahad as both a believable and meaningful protagonist.
The one drawback to all of this is that there is too much focus on Galahad and not enough on the other characters. Why should we care about Sir Perceval being killed when we hardly know enough about him to begin with? What is the personal bond shared between Sir Galahad and Lady Ingraine and how will the events of the game’s ending change their relationship? All of these questions and more should be answered in The Order: 1887 and this starts by the developers exploring what truly makes each character tick.
Different Enemy Variations
One of the most noticeable problems with The Order: 1886 lies within the lack of variety when it comes to adversaries encountered in the game. After the major plot twist involving the revelation of vampires, I fully expected to test my wits against these creatures. However, I encountered several repetitive battles with guards and lycans.
The Order: 1887 can correct this by finally introducing us to different types of enemies to contend with. Could The Order be behind experiments even more horrifying that vampires and werewolves? I personally believe so and expect to see all of these avenues explored in a sequel.
More Scientific Weapons
When I first heard about The Order: 1886 and how it would embrace the use of state-of-the-art technology in a reimagined London setting, I grew even more curious to see what would come from this experiment. The idea of bringing this dynamic into the third-person shooter experience through the use of weaponry was simply awesome and it leaves a lot more to be desired in the future.
While Ready At Dawn would never openly admit that some aspects of this game were rushed to reach deadline goals, I fully believe that they are capable of coming up with even more crazy ideas for weapons and gadgets to enhance things further. This should definitely be a strong focus for them in the sequel, as it will show players just how far they can go by thinking outside of the box.
A Better Ending
Some would argue that story is subjective and therefore you don’t have the right to criticize what another person feels or thinks about something they worked on. In the case of The Order: 1886, I disagree completely with this theory and I would even go far enough to say that the disappointing ending is what contributed to the game getting scored so low by most publications.
While I personally don’t agree with those ridiculously low scores I will say that the ending felt more like a prologue than a legit ending thanks to several key plot points that remained unanswered. Why wasn’t the final boss battle with Lord Hastings aka Jack The Ripper? Considering that he is the main villain in this story, it would have made more sense for him to be the final adversary. This will no doubt be a major part of the sequel and hopefully they give us a sense of completion by exploring it.
What Would You Like To See In The Order: 1887?
This concludes my list of five things that I want from The Order: 1887. What would you all like to see improved upon or added to enhance the overall experience? Please feel free to let us know your thoughts on this and more in the comments section below.
