If you strongly believe in video game reviews, you likely took a wide berth around The Order 1886 when it was released in 2015. Metacritic says this game is not good, scoring 63 from critics or 6.8 from user reviews. Since I did not own a PlayStation then, I knew of the game but took little notice otherwise. I was only recently reminded of its existence by John Linneman from Digital Foundry as he revisited the game’s technology in 2023. And obviously, it piqued my interest.

The Order 1886 is a 3^rd-person cover shooter like the Gears franchise and is equally story-driven. It also pushed the graphical fidelity like the Gears games usually do. So why did it fail?

It admittedly had a few shortcomings, like a story that seemingly ends prematurely and plenty of cutscenes that limit the player’s agency. At least the last part is a criticism that was also directed at Final Fantasy XVI, yet most people still loved it. The story aspect appears valid, but it’s also in the eye of the beholder. It depends on your expectations going into the game – or any game at all. The Order 1886 does not explain everything and leaves many questions open. It was clearly designed to have a successor, which might have allowed the developers to establish more of the backstory. But is that such a bad thing as long as the moment-to-moment action is coherent and enjoyable? I do not think so, which is why I liked The Order 1886.

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