• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

The Order: 1886 |OT| Gears of Yore

Played about 3 hours worth of this last night and got up to chapter four, I can see why this game would grate with alot of people but on the whole for me its been an ejoyable experience overall with the pro's outweighing the cons. There's definitley some game design choices at play here that'll be frustrating for a good amount of players, the sections in between the shooting sections are quite slowly paced, lots of moving about at a walking pace and any exploration doesen't yeild much in terms of collectibles and even then most of the collectibles that're about dont seem to have any relevance to the story and are just to show off the lovely graphics, you basically just look at them go "niiiice" as you move it about then n your hand and move on, some of them are interesting but on the whole they're lovely to look at but a bit meh. There's newspapers that try to convey whats going on in the world at the time but theres a good bit of reading to do on them & I found myself just scanning or reading a bit of them and moving on (I usually read everything in games). There's also some audio logs I've found too that i'm not too sure what they're about at this point.

Theres quite alot of cut-scenes as im sure everyone has guessed, now, I dont mind them too much and there's no MGS4 lentgh ones here but the frequency of them will frustrate, a few times where I was thinking why didn't they just let me walk down there and have that short conversation while I controlled the player? There's QTE's quite frequently too which will bug people. Though the game is extremely linear there are some alernate routes along the way so far but they mostly just consist of being able to go through a short detour through a house rather than through the street.

The actual gunplay im enjoying thus far, but enemy encounter design is pretty much enter an area, battle a few waves of enemies and move on these will play out like shooting galley's unless you try to move around the area & mix it up a good bit with grenades, melees and switching guns etc which I found pretty fun to do. Melees trigger a cut scene but it doesn't seem like its just the same animation every time which is a relief, they seem to be contextual to your position and the nearby evironment. The Lycan encounter so far was a tad disappointing its just shoot and dodge them when they charge at you with some QTE sequences thrown in if they get a hold of you. I keep forgetting to use the blacksight too which can add more variation and depth to the gunplay.

The storyline and voice acting have come in for some pretty unjust harsh critiscism imo, theyd be comparable to a good TV series rather than a good/decent movie, which in video game terms isnt bad at all. It moves along a a leisurely pace and theres a hint of something bigger brewing at the moment that im intrigued to find out whats been going on.

+ Visuals are eye melting, everything in this department is stunning
+ Attention to detail
+ Great sense of Atmosphere & well realised setting
+ Gunplay is nice and punchy a bit similar to TLOU and weapon variations are good
+ Voice Acting is pretty good
+ Some nice mini-games where you use Tesla's inventions to unlock doors & cut electricity

= Storyline is plodding along at a leisurely pace, with hints at something bigger afoot
= Music and Ambient Sounds are very well done, but the only audio options are headphones/TV, no 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound.
= I quite like the methodical pace so far but most people wont
= Frequency of QTE's will also annoy people

- Frequency of cut scenes can disrupt the flow of the game
- Enemy encounter design is fairly run of the mill & a bit lazy
- Red Exploding Barrels!! (the explosions are lovely though)
- Often takes control of the character away from players when unnecessary

The game on a whole is like a David Cage game meets Uncharted. There'll be people who like this game no doubt, but it definitly isn't without issues that'll be off putting to many, maybe too many. There's nothing 'broken' about it & If you liked Heavy Rain & dont mind the frequency of cut scenes in games like the MGS games you'll probably like this game based on what I've seen so far, i'll have to judge the length and wether it's actually worth £50 when I get further in. But from what I'm seeing critics have been very harsh on this game.
 

Loudninja

Member
Played about 3 hours worth of this last night and got up to chapter four, I can see why this game would grate with alot of people but on the whole for me its been an ejoyable experience overall with the pro's outweighing the cons. There's definitley some game design choices at play here that'll be frustrating for a good amount of players, the sections in between the shooting sections are quite slowly paced, lots of moving about at a walking pace and any exploration doesen't yeild much in terms of collectibles and even then most of the collectibles that're about dont seem to have any relevance to the story and are just to show off the lovely graphics, you basically just look at them go "niiiice" as you move it about then n your hand and move on, some of them are interesting but on the whole they're lovely to look at but a bit meh. There's newspapers that try to convey whats going on in the world at the time but theres a good bit of reading to do on them & I found myself just scanning or reading a bit of them and moving on (I usually read everything in games). There's also some audio logs I've found too that i'm not too sure what they're about at this point.

Theres quite alot of cut-scenes as im sure everyone has guessed, now, I dont mind them too much and there's no MGS4 lentgh ones here but the frequency of them will frustrate, a few times where I was thinking why didn't they just let me walk down there and have that short conversation while I controlled the player? There's QTE's quite frequently too which will bug people. Though the game is extremely linear there are some alernate routes along the way so far but they mostly just consist of being able to go through a short detour through a house rather than through the street.

The actual gunplay im enjoying thus far, but enemy encounter design is pretty much enter an area, battle a few waves of enemies and move on these will play out like shooting galley's unless you try to move around the area & mix it up a good bit with grenades, melees and switching guns etc which I found pretty fun to do. Melees trigger a cut scene but it doesn't seem like its just the same animation every time which is a relief, they seem to be contextual to your position and the nearby evironment. The Lycan encounter so far was a tad disappointing its just shoot and dodge them when they charge at you with some QTE sequences thrown in if they get a hold of you. I keep forgetting to use the blacksight too which can add more variation and depth to the gunplay.

The storyline and voice acting have come in for some pretty unjust harsh critiscism imo, theyd be comparable to a good TV series rather than a good/decent movie, which in video game terms isnt bad at all. It moves along a a leisurely pace and theres a hint of something bigger brewing at the moment that im intrigued to find out whats been going on.

+ Visuals are eye melting, everything in this department is stunning
+ Attention to detail
+ Great sense of Atmosphere & well realised setting
+ Gunplay is nice and punchy a bit similar to TLOU and weapon variations are good
+ Voice Acting is pretty good
+ Some nice mini-games where you use Tesla's inventions to unlock doors & cut electricity

= Storyline is plodding along at a leisurely pace, with hints at something bigger afoot
= Music and Ambient Sounds are very well done, but the only audio options are headphones/TV, no 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound.
= I quite like the methodical pace so far but most people wont
= Frequency of QTE's will also annoy people

- Frequency of cut scenes can disrupt the flow of the game
- Enemy encounter design is fairly run of the mill & a bit lazy
- Red Exploding Barrels!! (the explosions are lovely though)
- Often takes control of the character away from players when unnecessary

The game on a whole is like a David Cage game meets Uncharted. There'll be people who like this game no doubt, but it definitly isn't without issues that'll be off putting to many, maybe too many. There's nothing 'broken' about it & If you liked Heavy Rain & dont mind the frequency of cut scenes in games like the MGS games you'll probably like this game based on what I've seen so far, i'll have to judge the length and wether it's actually worth £50 when I get further in. But from what I'm seeing critics have been very harsh on this game.
Wow fantastic,thanks for you impressions.

Btw I think for the audio logs you have to listen to them in the menu I think I read that somewhere.
 

Hasney

Member
I'm only 2 hours into the game, would you say the QTE's are worse than Tomb Raider? So far at this point I haven't come across many so it would suck if they lay them on thick later in the game.

I didn't get too far into Tomb Raider as I didn't enjoy it at all, but they're not too thick, just for really pointless things. I would actually rather watch than press a button to do an inane action outside of an action sequence. Seriously, it's like a "are you actually watching" QTE where he would just stand there and the cutscene wouldn't continue because I hadn't pressed triangle. I wouldn't have died standing there otherwise, so why?

If you didn't grumble throughout the prologue in terms of QTE like I did, you'll probably be fine. If they get to that level again later, I may have to turn the console off.
 
I honestly don't understand what made the reviewers complain about the plot or the style. It's fine, more than fine really. It's quite exceptional. Do they expect everything to be fracking spelled out and served on a platter?!

Sure it might not be the most challenging/innovative shooter ever or the longest but not every game nees to be like that. God forbid we have some diversity.
 
I don't know why anyone would want to rush through this game, the setting and details are just amazing. Its going to take me much longer than 5 hours because I'm going to stop and look at everything.
 

Hasney

Member
Since I'm being quite negative, I do like the small touches. like shooting off a dudes hat without touching him and some of the enemy interaction. "He's ducked into the loo!" when I was taking cover in a toilet is a personal favourite.
 
Really? I'm minded of Mark Kermode's film reviews, and if he dislikes something, he's pretty damn scathing about it; and I'd probably think of him as a highly-regarded critic here in the UK.

Terminator: Salvation:


Pain and Gain:


Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End:


Transformers: Dark of the Moon:



I wonder if this might be a cultural thing? I'm not seeing a massive problem with the criticism, but I'm used to that sort of cynicism.

I follow Mark Kermode because for years I have consistently agreed with his reviews, and even when I haven't I can respect his opinions. The trick is that I watch the film first, to make my own opinion and then read his review to compare notes. I'm like you, maybe I'm used to the cynicism. I also don't care if something I like is getting trashed, I don't see how it applies to me personally.

It seems a lot of people take it personally, but I agree the piling on of this game is something else and from what I read and seen of the game I will take giant bombs advice and rent it or borrow it from a friend.
 

Fedemgsuy

Member
Well, who would have thought, im having a lot of fun with this game, the shooting is fun, and it looks beautifull, i wasnt expecting it to be nothing else than a themepark action ride, so im quite happy with it, solid 7/10 from me, hope we manage to have a sequel someday.
 
I went into this game, honestly, thinking that it would be a borefest with great visuals.

After playing for a bit at work, some people behind me would be like "that's so boriiiing" because it's the popular opinion, but seriously... it's not nearly that bad. It might not be the most exciting game out there, but it's still enjoyable.

Now that I can actually play it relaxed at home, I can appreciate it so much more.



The fact that a lot of critics are being so harsh towards this game and yet so many actual users seem to like the game goes to show you that a big percentage of game "critics" are just average guys trying to be cool with whatever the popular opinion within the game journalism people. I haven't read any actual review besides quotes posted here and there and I don't think I've actually read any review for the past 8 years or so, and I'm surprised that some of you guys still do even though we have GAF here with tons of opinions that, to me, are worth so much more.

Agreed, I am enjoying it bigtime, The atmosphere really draws you in. Being a UK citizen helps as a victorian based werewolf game in london is a joy personally.

I havent based a purchase of a game based on a review for years, Back in the day when i used to religiously buy magazines every month.

Most people i know are loving it aswell. Who would have thought it based on the meltdown of the " internet " Luckily people live on the outside world still lol
 
Wow fantastic,thanks for you impressions.

Btw I think for the audio logs you have to listen to them in the menu I think I read that somewhere.

Yeah I was listening to them but I was thinking what the hells this all about, I was stoned while playing it though so by the time it had got halfway through I'd lost track of how it started lol ill give them another listen when I'm more aware haha
 

Lord Error

Insane For Sony
I'm probably really late on this but why doesn't the main dude gave a reflection? Everything else looks perfect.
He does? I saw a while ago a scene where walks between some metal pipes, and there was his reflection on both. They use some novel capsule approach for character reflections.
 

nib95

Banned
The vocal minority on the internet =/= most people.

There is a compiled list of about 35+ GAFer impressions (positive and negative) where the overwhelming majority are positive. The majority of new impressions have only followed the trend. 'Most' people, if we're talking GAFers, is completely inaccurate. In this instance the people with mainly negative impressions of the game, are definitely in the minority. I would not be surprised if a lot of people that have played it think this game has been underrated. Hell, even two of the more vocal journalists that post on here feel the same way.
 

drotahorror

Member
I'm only 2 hours into the game, would you say the QTE's are worse than Tomb Raider? So far at this point I haven't come across many so it would suck if they lay them on thick later in the game.

There was only real QTE's in TR for the first 45min.

There are tons in The Order but it's mostly only to progress something (AKA completely uneeded QTE's in my book), more of a means to just interact with something. I've only come across a couple of QTE's that have fail states.
 

shandy706

Member
I'm a few hours in.

Visuals are just ridiculous. Nevermind consoles or PCs, this is the best looking video game that currently exists. The post processing effects and anti-aliasing add such a professional gloss to the image, I know people say it all the time, but it's like watching a CG film. There are no jaggies, no stray pixels, no blurry textures, no strange artifacts. Even the chromatic aberration is used tastefully, adding a soft coloured blur at the edges of the screen - not a tacky hard afterimage like many other games. The depth of field and motion blur is the best I've ever seen.

I mean, holy shit, guys. (minor location spoilers from the first couple of hours)
http://i.imgur.com/boM0whQ.png
http://i.imgur.com/OZZGDWN.png

There is Aliasing and blurry textures in those 2 shots. :p

The second shot especially.
 

PBY

Banned
There is a compiled list of about 35+ GAFer impressions (positive and negative) where the overwhelming majority are positive. The majority of new impressions have only followed the trend. 'Most' people, if we're talking GAFers, is completely inaccurate. In this instance the people with mainly negative impressions of the game, are definitely in the minority. I would not be surprised if a lot of people that have played it think this game has been underrated. Hell, even two of the more vocal journalists that post on here feel the same way.
You realize there is self-selection bias there though? It's why OTs are generally positive.
 

Z3M0G

Member
I've got to say that the game has zero replay value for me. Really don't feel like sitting through all those unskippable cut scenes again.

Rushing through Knack a 2nd time, skipping all the cutscenes, with the purpose of collecting more treasure is great fun. Too bad this game couldn't do something similar...
 

drotahorror

Member
= Music and Ambient Sounds are very well done, but the only audio options are headphones/TV, no 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound.

While it is dumb to not have it in the options (actually most PC games do not have a surround option) it seems as if people have to be told it's on 5.1/7.1 in the options to actually notice they have surround.

If you didn't notice there was still fantastic surround sound and a matching sound mix to boot, then there is something wrong with your sound system.
 

nib95

Banned
You realize there is self-selection bias there though? It's why OTs are generally positive.

Excuse my ignorance, but can you expand on what you mean by this?

The compiled list of impressions were not selectively chosen. I compiled two of them myself, and included every single one I could find, positive and negative. Feel free to go through the thread and try and find any negative (or positive) ones that I missed out, but I can assure you those impressions give a completely accurate account of GAFer feedback up to that point. Obviously since the lists were posted there have been quite a few new ones.
 

PBY

Banned
Excuse my ignorance, but can you expand on what you mean by this?

The compiled list of impressions were not selectively chosen. I compiled two of them myself, and included every single one I could find, positive and negative. Feel free to go through the thread and try and find any negative (or positive) ones that I missed out (obviously since the lists were posted there have been quite a few new ones).
It's self-selection because they have purchased the game and there is a justification element. amirox wrote out a longer post yesterday exploring this. It has nothing to do with you filtering out opinions.
 

zeromcd73

Member
Excuse my ignorance, but can you expand on what you mean by this?

The compiled list of impressions were not selectively chosen. I compiled two of them myself, and included every single one I could find, positive and negative. Feel free to go through the thread and try and find any negative (or positive) ones that I missed out (obviously since the lists were posted there have been quite a few new ones).
I think he might be referring to the tone of this thread, which is positive, compared to the spoiler thread which is fairly less so.
 

Cudder

Member
I listened to the first 2 or 3 audiologs, and stopped right after that when I realized they were minutes long.

I hate audio logs to begin with in other games when they're like 20-30 seconds. Make them 1-2-3 minutes long and it ensures I never even bother to pick them up.
 

Frillen

Member
There is a compiled list of about 35+ GAFer impressions (positive and negative) where the overwhelming majority are positive. The majority of new impressions have only followed the trend. 'Most' people, if we're talking GAFers, is completely inaccurate. In this instance the people with mainly negative impressions of the game, are definitely in the minority. I would not be surprised if a lot of people that have played it think this game has been underrated. Hell, even two of the more vocal journalists that post on here feel the same way.

Have you read Amirox's post about "first impressions"? I would advice that you do. Because you will learn that no matter how bad a game is, the posters that hurry with "first impressions" are always very positive.

Here it is:
Amirox said:
The problem I have with many of those impressions (and why many of these posters don't make the neoGAF list) is because these are frequently people who were overburdened with endless anticipation for the game, and then they go out of their way to finally get their hands on it and rush impressions to GAF and what a surprise to bulk of them are excessively positive 8-9/10 scores.

Check how often that has happened in GAF's history, even in games which have largely been received now as mediocre or bad products. It happens all the time. Post-purchase rationalization makes navigating these impressions inherently problematic.

It's not that it's wrong to be excited and enthusiastic about a product, but if you are looking for impressions that are actually from people whose intention it is to give a game a fair critical break down it is hard to take many of the "I'm here first" impressions particularly seriously.

Some of the reviews of The Order are bad, like all reviews we are talking about reviews written in this industry which is just a fundamental issue because game reviews are so frequently terrible. But there is an incredible consistency to the complaints being waged, and they're being waged by a wide range of people many of them who have had no problem in the past giving Sony products very high scores. There just seems to be a case where RAD focused on the visuals, but forgot they had a barely-there C-movie narrative and rote, tedious gameplay with mechanics that are like someone's first attempt at a third person shooter. Couple that with endless cutscenes where one has to experience insufferable QTEs, and it's no surprise people are so standoffish about the final game.

This happens to pretty much every single title on GAF, especially the exclusive ones. But even third party games, like GTAIV and ACIII, which has been hammered down the line. And this is the reason as to why you can't, unfortunately, trust GAF opinions vs review sites.
 

Oppo

Member
Heading to Best Buy now to pick mine up, is there really no surround sound option?.....That...can't be right...

maybe it auto-detects? I always thought that should be possible via HDMI. (i.e. "TV" is 5.1 or stereo depending on what is available). There's no way this game has no surround sound mix.

very slightly annoyed that my copy didn't preload. oh well, I have a fast connection, but I thought stuff I bought on the store would just come down. I had to prompt it. I hadn't updated the firmware yet so maybe that stopped it.
 

nib95

Banned
It's self-selection because they have purchased the game and there is a justification element. amirox wrote out a longer post yesterday exploring this. It has nothing to do with you filtering out opinions.

Anyone who wants the game will have to buy it. Very few are going to be given it free the way most journalists are, nor will they be reviewing it on a deadline, and in such a job focused fashion. Therfore in that sense, there's more to relate to with regular GAFer impressions than there are to those of journalists.

I do think it's a bit of a cop out to disregard impressions on that basis though. When have GAFers ever been shy to doll out negative feedback on the purchases they made?
 

Pricken

Member
Just went and picked up the game earlier. Been looking forward to this game for a while and I've just finished chapter 1. Took me around 1h 10min to do so, looking around at all the marvels RAD managed to conjure. I also feel just from chapter 1 that the comments about there being tons of cutscenes are overblown, especially since most of them are farily short and doesn't take away from the flow of the game. The guns feel and look great, the movement is smooth and responsive, and of course the graphics and animations are as top notch as can be. I'm amazed by the level of detail in the environment and NPCs, and I like the story so far, and look forward to see how it unfolds.

I'm glad that games like The Order 1886 are made, as well as games like Bloodborne that I'm also looking forward to. The more variety of games the better.

... Now that I've finished lunch I should go get started on chapter 2!
 

PBY

Banned
Anyone who wants the game will have to buy it. Very few are going to be given it free the way most journalists are, nor will they be reviewing it on a deadline, and in such a job focused fashion. Therfore in that sense, there's more to relate to with regular GAFer impressions than there are to those of journalists.

I do think it's a bit of a copy out to think the way you do though. When have GAFers ever been shy to doll out negative feedback?
You just said it in your post- those buy it, already want it, and their impressions may have an element of purchase-justification. I'm not criticizing gaffers. It's just human nature. I'll find Amiroxs post at some point today, which explains it well.

Either way, they're not worthless- a lot of those impressions are fair/detailed/well thought out. I just don't think they are a representative survey.
 

FireCloud

Member
It's self-selection because they have purchased the game and there is a justification element. amirox wrote out a longer post yesterday exploring this. It has nothing to do with you filtering out opinions.

I don't agree with Amirox's theory that the opinions of people who purchased the game cannot be trusted because they are "justifying their purchase" either intentionally or not. That theory discounts the opinions of the people best suited to give them -- the people who have played the game.
 

tusken77

Member
Heading to Best Buy now to pick mine up, is there really no surround sound option?.....That...can't be right...

Up to Chapter 4 right now and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. I think it's absolutely fantastic. One thing, though. Have you heard about any future patches? I'd love an option to be able to remove some on-screen prompts. When I'm examining an item I really do not need to be told how to do it...every....single....time.
 
I do think it's a bit of a copy out to think the way you do though. When have GAFers ever been shy to doll out negative feedback?

They have a point, but at the same time, it's a damn slippery slope, because everyone has a different thickness, or lack of 'rose-tinted glasses' when giving out impressions like this.

The problem lies in the fact that purchase justification element can easily be used against any positive impression.
 

Frillen

Member
You just said it in your post- those buy it, already want it, and their impressions may have an element of purchase-justification. I'm not criticizing gaffers. It's just human nature. I'll find Amiroxs post at some point today, which explains it well.

Either way, they're not worthless- a lot of those impressions are fair/detailed/well thought out. I just don't think they are a representative survey.

I already got you covered, son.
 
I don't agree with Amirox's theory that the opinions of people who purchased the game cannot be trusted because they are "justifying their purchase" either conscientiously or not. That theory discounts the opinions of the people best suited to give their opinions -- the people who have played the game.

Yeah. I buy lots of games right out of the gate and my opinions vary quite a bit on them.

I bought Persona Q day one and did not like it at all. Then there is a game like Destiny which I enjoyed and did not love. I was actually down right harsh on Destiny right out of the gate, as were a lot of other gaffers who we know bought it.

I picked up Far Cry 4 when it released and found it a midling experience and freely expressed that.

Amirox's theory, is just that, a theory. Don't go spreading it around like it's gospel.

I don't appreciate having my opinion being dismissed as not valid because it is one of the first impressions. That's bullshit.

Hell, I bought Majora's Mask with my N3DS just last week and I am really not enjoying it.
 

Radec

Member
I listened to the first 2 or 3 audiologs, and stopped right after that when I realized they were minutes long.

I hate audio logs to begin with in other games when they're like 20-30 seconds. Make them 1-2-3 minutes long and it ensures I never even bother to pick them up.

RaD should have copied how audio logs are played in Bioshock.

Then use the DS4's speaker for them as well as for radio comms.
 

Frillen

Member
I don't agree with Amirox's theory that the opinions of people who purchased the game cannot be trusted because they are "justifying their purchase" either intentionally or not. That theory discounts the opinions of the people best suited to give them -- the people who have played the game.

It's not just justifying. It's, unfortunately, straight out fanboys that go out of their way to post these first impressions that are always very positive. It's happens, ALL THE TIME. Even with mediocre games, or hell, even bad games.

If you where to listen to these first impressions and make a score out them, every single game in existence would get an 8,9 or 10/10. Which is even worse than that picture showing 90's review scale vs the modern review scale.
 

Hasney

Member
My face cloth just arrived. I loved how they sent the game out by Royal Mail and the face cloth came via courier.

at some point down the line i would love to hear from them how they thought it would be received and how good they honestly think the game is

I'd love for Sony to do a Shu Asks like Iwata asks. That would be awesome.
 
It's not just justifying. It's, unfortunately, straight out fanboys that go out of their way to post these first impressions that are always very positive. It's happens, ALL THE TIME. Even with mediocre games, or hell, even bad games.

This is shaky at best. It's possible they are actually enjoying the game. You're making an assumption.

I wasn't even looking forward to The Order that much. I got it on a discount. I'm loving it. I guess my opinion doesn't count though.
 

suedester

Banned
It's not just justifying. It's, unfortunately, straight out fanboys that go out of their way to post these first impressions that are always very positive. It's happens, ALL THE TIME. Even with mediocre games, or hell, even bad games.

So what you're saying is, only fan boys like it?
 

gthobbes

Banned
Couldn't stay up last night to play my pre-ordered digital copy but can't wait to get home tonight and fire it up and get a bit of time in with the game over the weekend.
 

nib95

Banned
You just said it in your post- those buy it, already want it, and their impressions may have an element of purchase-justification. I'm not criticizing gaffers. It's just human nature. I'll find Amiroxs post at some point today, which explains it well.

Either way, they're not worthless- a lot of those impressions are fair/detailed/well thought out. I just don't think they are a representative survey.

Again, that's another good point of relatability, and why the impressions are more valid, not less. Those buying the game are likely better equipped to know what to expect. You are less likely for example, to have people who absolutely despise linear or cinematic games buying this game. Instead what you'll get is how well people think these things have been implemented, not an outright rejection of them.
 
Top Bottom