The Order 1886 Could Have Been a Big Trilogy of PlayStation Games

If this game had ass graphics absolutely no one would remember it. It was about six hours long (half of which were cutscenes), and played a very generic game of third person shooting.

Nice (quite literally, with that aspect ratio) window dressing, but that's it.

Yeah seems like a missed opportunity. I hate to say it but they should have found a way to make their case to Sony, whether that means pulling strings at other Sony studios or whatever. I understand that Sony was in DIRE straits at the time when it came to money. They couldn't continue to invest like they could later on with Helldivers 2.

The game was good, but the developer arrogance at the time was not positive (going as far as saying they wanted to go 24fps on it cause it was more cinematic lol). It was a talented studio, but badly managed.

@MrPeanutbutterz That is unfair. Many of us liked the victorian setting, which was unique and storytelling. The characters were well done.
It wasn't just a generic shooter.

This is the greatest loss of the PS4 generation. The potential with 1886 was limitless. RAD was incredibly talented. Shame on Sony.

This game never got its due. Such a cool premise and despite being very short, I thought it played excellently. Pour one out to what could have been…

I thought that there was at least one sequel planned was obvious from the ending of the game.

@MrPeanutbutterz gotta love people speaking for others.

I really enjoyed it when i played it would've liked to have seen a sequel it was just far too short but what gameplay there was was pretty enjoyable.

The game had a lot of sizzle but no steak. As “bad” as it was it was good enough for a sequel, I mean even Knack got a sequel. Sometimes Sony is all over the map when it comes to green-lighting projects. Probably could have made the entire trilogy for less than what Sony paid for Concord and its studio.

@Nem That's why I was careful to say it "played a very generic game of third person shooting", and not call the entire thing generic.

Perhaps they could bring it back someday in the form of a live action tv show 🤔

@naruball Also gotta love people taking a common phrase literally when it's rarely used in such a manner.

Guessing that “non-negotiable” term was quickly discarded as time went on.

@MrPeanutbutterz it had potential for a decent sequel. I enjoyed it alot, same with heavenly sword.

Always thought this game got dealt a bad deal. Sure it had its problems but there are worse ways to spend a weekend than playing Order 1886.

Would have loved to see the sequels especially if multiplayer was planned for the 2nd one. I could see that game translating very well into a Gears of War style multiplayer.

I came to The Order 1886 shortly after its launch (didn’t take long for its price to fall) with measured expectations but I was still very disappointed. It was poorly paced (half of the six hours I played it was spent in boring walking and talking bits featuring boring characters), was shallower than a puddle in terms of gameplay, had very, very little enemy variety and it ended abruptly right after you got the best weapon. IMHO the only thing praiseworthy about it was it’s visuals (loved the weapon/character designs).

Hopefully the developers’ future games will reflect lessons learned, though I’m not convinced that will happen based on their rationalizations for its poor reception.

This game would seem like a good contender for Sony's remake list, where its failings could be put right.

@Jswift56 I dunno, pacing was wack, gameplay was generic. Nice setting and graphics, but I really felt like a case of the developers saying "look at our shiny graphics", and not a lot else.

Planning for a sequel is fine, but ending your first game just as it is about to get interesting is a terrible decision. It's a new IP, there's always a chance that it bombs and a sequel never gets greenlit, so you better make damn sure it feels like a complete story arc, even if you leave plenty of threads for future stories. As it was, it was a really unsatisfying non-ending.

I’d love to see them do a remake and add in all the cut stuff. It’s possible it could give the series a second chance so we can get the trilogy

I'd be interested to learn more about these "subtle narrative' elements we missed out on. The bones of a great game were there and the weapons had some real kick.

But at the time it was known that the studio tripled the expected cost on this project and Sony got fed up with it and set a releasedate that they needed to deliever on. Same as Driveclub. Great games but they got stuck in development for too long so Sony pulled the plug on the projects. A real bummer in my opinion, in both cases!

I find it so strange this game never got a PS Plus release. I would play it.

@Cornpop76 "It's funny how if you put out a message that something is bad, a lot of people will perceive something as bad. Sheeple effect. Same if you gave someone a Big Mac but told them it cost £80 from a gourmet restaurant, they'd rate it higher than if you told them the truth."

Couldn't agree more.

I just played this for the first time like a year ago and absolutely loved the story, world and lore. I desperately wish they could have done another one with more money and more time.

@MrPeanutbutterz well I thought the whole thing was generic 🤷

A sequel was definitely needed Word up son

Should have given them more time. I haven't played the game, so don't know what it's like.

Personally really enjoyed it and think it’s a massive shame Sony didn’t give it more of a chance with a second game.

Literally 1884.

@Smackosynthesis Victorian-era third person shooters aren't exactly common though, are they? I hated the game, but the setting wasn't generic.

RaD was a agreat studio. If only Sony bought them. Their GoW games on PSP are incredible. Also I would like to see more of The Order universe.

I genuinely enjoyed the order.

Another example of people being sheep and having minds made up for them in advance on my mind.

Like Forspoken too but feel the order was a cut above Forspoken but it's another with a unfair reputation not helped by many who never actually played it ripping it apart

I really enjoyed my time with it and it was my first ever platinum. It’s a real shame as the story setting and atmosphere were top tear with a few tweaks the 2nd game could of been amazing like AC to AC2

@MrPeanutbutterz the gameplay, characters, story, and yes the setting were generic to me. Maybe the setting isn't super common in games (I can think of a few games set in that period) but it is in everything else. Just nothing about it stood out to me

Really liked this game, for all its warts. Of course I picked it up a year or two later for like $10 (and then sold it back for $4) and my expectations were definitely set low. So I don’t know how I’d have felt if I paid $60 and played it at launch. But even taking cost and expectations out of the equation, there’s no doubt the concepts and world had a lot of potential.

@Cornpop76 It's not nearly as long as TLOU; I finished 1886 in 5 hours, TLOU - if I remember - probably around 12/13. Also I think it's better to compare it to something like Gears of War, anyway, of which it still falls painfully short.

Agree the world and characters were interesting, but the game ended before it even got started. It felt like a prologue/tech demo to a full release. Such a shame because it was a technical marvel.

Really odd it was never put on PS Plus. There's still time i guess....

@themightyant I think it could still happen. Good sequels to poorly performing cult films and sometimes even games have happened years later. Sony just need to find the right dev. I actually think the Helldivers folks could pull it off if they fancied trying a single player title.

@Smackosynthesis I'm genuinely struggling to remember another sci-fi third person shooter set in the Victorian era?

But yes, everything else was generic. And criminally boring.

@rusty82 Nonsense. It's another example of people calling a boring, poorly paced game boring and poorly paced.

I could just as easily say that the praise for it "is another example being completely oblivious to slop, except it comes wrapped in pretty graphics".

@Zeldorf Shame on Sony? You mean shame on RAD because they're the one who wasted The Order potential and opportunity given by Sony.

The Order not just a big flop but it received a lot of bad reviews. Imagine yourself on Sony's shoes who greenlight the project, invested a lot of money on it, and gave full creative freedom to RAD because you believes on their quality. But what you got is a mediocre AAA game with 60 buck price tag that can be finished under 5-6 hours with very little replay value.

If only RAD less focus on making Galahad mustache looks super realistic and put their resources for longer playing time than just 5-6 hours, better gameplay and story, more enemy variations, and more contents where players have good reasons to replay the game then The Order could get better reviews and also sold better too. At least with better review, RAD have more chances to convince Sony to greenlight a sequel.

It's funny. When I first saw the trailer for Expedition 33: Clair Obscur this was the first game that came to mind. A combination of the dark graphics, time period setting and number in the title. I really had no interest at all in Clair Obscur after that.

Fortunately my kid got Clair Obscur on Gamepass and it's great. Nothing really similar at all between the 2 games except maybe their clothing. The Order was OK, think I paid $5 for it on sale, but Clair Obscur is a masterpiece. My first impression was so wrong. 😂

Could have been a trilogy, but felt more like a third of a game.

Yet it's never come to PS+ I don't think

@MrPeanutbutterz Yea it did feel like they were really pushing the graphics. I remember the collectibles being really detailed and there being a real focus on the graphics.
I really liked the setting tho - with the knights of the rounds, steam punk tech and Victorian London setting. Had great potential and I would have been all in for a sequel or trilogy. I guess tho if you didn’t like that then it didn’t really have much going for it.

It had its flaws, mainly being a short game at full price. Besides that, a decent plot and a generic shooting gallery. I liked the characters, would make for a sweet “Love, Death + Robots” short.

it had potential , but compared to other games , its too short , a good concept , looked amazing , i feel like if they improved on it and made it longer it could have been something great. it felt more a ps4 tech demo then a full game.

The Order was really good. 😭

@MrPeanutbutterz that's you're opinion.

I feel it was a decent game that many dismissed without actually playing it

When I eventually got to it I very much enjoyed it. I think the reviews were a little harsh but I get it was a short experience for the price

I got it well after launch for like $5.99. The setting and idea were awesome - had the game been 10 -12 hours and had a few gameplay tweaks I think it could have been a great IP launching point.

Still waiting for a PS Plus release.

@rusty82 Yet those who did play it and didn't like it all have the same complaints about it. Occam's razor.

@MrZurkonKeelYou Knack had the benefit of being the child of Mark Cerny… Sony wasn’t going to say no to Mark Cerny. Lmao.

Well I just picked this up used yesterday, Hoping for a fun little romp with it.

The Order 1886 is the epitome of loads of potential, but being underwhelming.

Let's be honest. It was a beautiful looking game that ended in 3-hours. I mean, come on.

It seemed promising. Damn shame it didn't do well enough.

What a shame. The game was a lot of fun but definitely too short. Would have liked to have had the sequels for this. Funny enough, I’m actually looking for a copy of this game at the moment.

The game and franchise had so much potential. The lore and and story was great, but they basically packaged the prologue as the first game. It was so short and ended just when it should have been starting.

“Internal reviews tracking way higher than public critical response”

That should be the tagline for modern gaming.

I'd love to see the 1886 IP re-imagined as an X-Com style tactics game. The unique weapon power ups would work great.

I really liked this game - Very stylish with a cool aesthetic and some cool weapons. But I played on a PS5 and got it cheap. Graphics still hold up well - wish we had more of the story and world… a shame it was trashed. Maybe at the time everyone was obsessed with massive open worlds

Length is stupid. Black 2006 is a cult classic, short but Perfect Dark kind of difficulty/tasks. A blast. People wanting value for filler/style are idiots.

People want these RPG lengths yet forget how much content. People need to play PS1-3 era games again. But like PSP 1 stick (cough N64/Dreamcast, etc.) sigh. But like PS3 E3 I liked those, not price/meme mentality.

So could Haven Call of the King be a trilogy (yet TT make Lego games or had for years. Or Behaviour has Dead by Daylight & I prefer their older) & that game has so much going on in even the endgame is fair before SW Battlefront 3/No Man's Sky had space/ground approaches that were interesting. But anyway.

RAD got dropped yet Bend took 2011-2018 or so to make Days Gone to play catchup, not all fit Sony's model of their current boring formula & RAD went to VR for the better/death by idiots in leadership.

Order 1886 had fair ideas but also generic of current Sony formula. I replayed it for cheap, it's average. I like 3-7/10 games. It's 5/10 for me. Characters/gameplay were who cares but world/lore was good.

DriveClub had more going for it. I put it like Grid Legends/Onrush/Wreckfest or Gravel to me. I find them average at best enough to want to beat then most.

The world is interesting, the weapons are creative, the lore is fair for what it is, they had a really interesting mix of ideas and setting, I like alternate history like Resistence or Wolfenstein, so even if limited in scope due to no sequel. But the gameplay is so generic.

Length didn't bother me, cinematic bars was different, didn't bother me much. Dialogue was hit & miss. Level design was basic, few location highlights but rather generic navigation. Layout is more exciting then visual assets offer. Substance I want not style yet so many players/devs focus on style so we get slop.

To me linear games were good because of their movesets, enemies/level design, multiple paths or straight line, how they are paced, what you saw, were tested on, etc. varied, then they got more basic.

I like smartly designed games linear more so or open world (if not boring like 99% are) not filler 20+ hour games with garbage ideas. It's just 2014/2015 Sony was trying and 2016+ had the big games I don't care about at all. They are why I find PS4 gen to suck, eh third parties and boring 1st parties besides the niche titles so to me 2013/2014 had fair games I have respect for. PS1-3/PSP/Vita is my ideal gameplay games. Even the rough ones as to me marketing means nothing even the PS3 E3 people refer to many of those games I have or want to play still, so to me the memes/marketing means nothing. I wasn't thrown off at all.

This era is eh Sony and eh games. So it's more I don't care at all then the PS3 era was. I don't listen to narrative following idiots online. Hour count was not the issue. Generic game design was. Or players hive mind value stupidity for pointless wants.

Uncharted to me blended puzzles, combat and general level design well besides being a typical human movesets it worked well, it's no Pitfall or Mario of movesets or world creativity but for an action adventure movie, grounded enough, fair fiction and fair other aspects of pacing it's fine, most others I don't find achieved that, dialogue, settings/locations, all so boring and basic. Most other games don't and are just too straightforward and bland of balance.

Last of Us is a cinematic horror game and I found it to be very boring as a horror game or otherwise.

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Even Skateboarding games have more creative level design besides their realistic looking details their flow is important to do tricks. Being realistic ruins it to play in then to look at. Unless we had more fictional skateboarding or vehicle games but we don't because why would anyone make those. Sigh.

Open worlds took that basic design, some had fair movesets/missions with generic maps that are so recreation/realistic fiction boring (fantasy cities/other locations that weren't interesting to navigate at all and the movesets did enough but were still generic.

Sunset Overdrive felt like a good mix of moveset/level design options for the moveset like bouncing on umbrellas or grinding rails up or down, tower defence and generic or moveset based side missions with crazy worlds. Still generic city, but it was fun enough to navigate even if generic. I want further creativity yet for cities or many open worlds open hills or this and that are all so human familiar generic and boring. They aren't creative enough all reference this and that I have no interest in.

Gravity Rush's was fair I guess the moveset and like Sunset Overdrive the mix of generic and moveset challenges was fair. Fair designs, still generic reference for buildings/location details.

Infamous had it's fair side quests even if some were rather eh, Seattle, sure, I don't care, to me most are boring even back then and even more now the same generic worlds with generic tasks with basic movesets) and now movesets/missions are so boring I can't even be bothered to play open worlds at all.

First Light was fair but even had many Last of Us/Uncharted moments at the end, I hated that.

It's why I enjoy for everyone games more, they push worlds to some crazy ideas and gameplay is fun, adult/teen games are too dialogue heavy about things I only sometimes pay attention to, too basic, too much reference this and that I probably don't care about so unless the setting is interesting I don't care. I don't have setting preferences anymore because I am so gameplay focused and bored these days of the direction games have gone over the years when better blend of gameplay and teen/adult themes USED to happen not anymore.

Too much menu reading (I am find reading a lot, not when it's the same skill trees and other generic garbage), it's why so many skill trees, so little to the world are too much effort for players and developers they aren't creative enough, and so much themes of nonsense that only sometimes do something the rest is just boring nonsense then gameplay.

No worlds convince me of immersion, they don't feel unique enough or are too generic of the reference of settings/themes already done to death. Repeat elves/dwarves and barely a unique fantasy creature or world. Boring.

Platformers with generic characters with no good moveset options that are kid world ok of creativity but boring to play by uncreative idiots. So sandbox kid friendly boring games.

Racing with too much brand and wish fulfillment by players/devs. So easily boring to play/dull. Forget vehicles used in creative situations.

You can say outposts or this and that like I've seen many describe Assassin's Creed, it's still boring no matter the terms used the gameplay is still boring whether a structure, enemy, stealth, combat, collecting, whatever minigames. It's still boring and uncreative to some generic reference for boring people hardcore or casual.

@PuppetMaster Seeing as how much Sony pushed 3D, co-op games, PSP/PS3 connectivity let alone to sometimes do their own thing and more so nowadays fit a goal similar to each other. How much visual techniques details hold games back not just execs/pubs demands or devs wasting their time not being creative and making reference level or graphics mundane garbage.

Also how many PS1-3/PSP/Vita are 3-6 hours of fun plenty? Not everything is RPG length in other genres back then yet everyone is so used to it nowadays and wants their value, style and dumbed down gameplay substance.

Many classics are short and great in their pacing and fun factor. It's why I don't question it. Some like Black 2006 are Perfect Dark type difficulty and tasks to focus on, no multiplayer yet players love it, critics bashed it for no multiplayer. When it was a FOCUSED experience and focused on it's explosions and Burnout type appeal in a Shooter. That's not a bad game because of it's length. Everyone is different but many old games are shorter and have tons to do. Just like The Club after PGR. But that's arcade racer to modern era shooter type transitions. Criterion just happened to survive by EA with NFS even if they still put Burnout like details into the series.

Ratchet has been the same length for years, you don't see adult Ratchet fans complain about length they do story or gameplay or other details. Not length. Every game is different, everyone's value is different.

What devs spend their time on and what publisher demands are do play a factor yes. Especially if it's things moving that are minor details like a mustache. That's fixation that doesn't need to happen at all.

Other games that are 1 offs have this. I remember more mechanics in PS3/360 shooters I've researched or beaten collecting over the years then any modern era games focused on setting, story and graphics. Some trends are followed and the projects are bad, others are great and looked at for what they contributed of competition and ideas.

When Bend got 2011 to Day's Gone's release of what 2018 they had a long time to tweak their engine from handheld development and besides Uncharted Golden Abyss to get used to the current Sony formula of cinematic games. RAD hadn't as much. So to me many of the split staff to form these handheld studios and like RAD's VR games show they can do things it's just not fit Sony's ideal demands of their current formula.

That and audiences wanting length and filler or some substance but with how games are these days I highly doubt that.

I feel it's a bit mixed. Plenty of games of short length are cult classics and otherwise some studios aren't as capable to switch from what they were used to, to the next direction they are told to, regardless of their interest in the world/setting how to mold gameplay or other aspects.

I'm surprised Avalanche got killed by Disney, revived by WB and made Hogwards Legacy at all when they had never worked on a game of it's type before. Not all can do that. As we have seen with many studios of their prior projects to the next projects and then adapt as best they can or bad direction not just skills and talent in other things and adapting.

Many have never made open worlds, skill tree and other modern formula RPG type stuff before yet some how are told to magically catch up. Not all are able to adapt to the formulas many want and expect them to pick up on it magically.

@SuntannedDuck2 You're missing the point a lot of people make about the length. It's six hours long, but half that is cutscenes. What's left is generic and unengaging. Those few hours of gameplay I muddled through felt like an eternity.

Compare and contrast with say Vanquish - it's also about six hours long, but it's all killer and no filler. I'll replay it on the regular.

@MrPeanutbutterz Yeah and regardless of cutscenes many others are many cutscenes and short length too.

I have beaten the story, it didn't seen any longer or shorter of cutscene to gameplay ratio to me when I replayed it last year or so for cheap.

Is it a generic game absolutely though. I won't deny their skill or priorities weren't great. Or whatever Sony's expectations and how different staff were with Order 1866 to their VR titles being different as well as God of War/Daxter.

True but Vanquish is a very different game even besides also being a game with a typical PS3 era shooter length to any others on the market and challenges with no multiplayer. So it is kind of comparable. But also how they present cutscenes or setpieces are very differnet but for length I get what you mean.

Also I don't know about critics to other cult audience games very many others approaching the mainstream either. Many regardless of region and whatever they do to stand out build up their audiences and over time build up with outsiders but many seeking mainstream audiences do they as much get seen the same way?

Vanquish's ideas are very much stronger too not denying that and them making a shooter then their prior games or their DS RPG before Nier Automata.

But also Platinum's track record is also very different.

That's like comparing the old God of War games or any other hack n slash to something even lesser but it's a shooter.

PN03 has it's issues, great ideas and is short too but forgotten.

@SuntannedDuck2 1. "Also how many PS1-3/PSP/Vita are 3-6 hours of fun plenty? Many classics are short and great in their pacing and fun factor"

The different between The Order and the classics ones is those games are a complete package from the get go. From good graphics, very solid & fun core gameplay, great story, music, and high replay value. You got a bang for your bucks with those classics!

Not to mention many of those classic games also revolutionized video games while The Order didn't do anything beside beautiful graphic.

One easy comparison: MGS 1 vs The Order

MGS 1 was cost 50 bucks at released and it's not just revolutionized video games with cinematic cutscenes, great voice acting and music, and popularized stealth genre but it showed how video games as a medium can do a lot more. How many games that has a character who can read what's inside players memory card?
How many games that required players to change their controller from P1 to P2 in order to beat a boss?
How many games gave an in-game hint from the back of the game CD case?

My first playthrough for MGS 1 was around 8-9 hours and my second playthrough was faster around 3-5 hours. But i love every second of my playing time because the game is superb in every department. It also offers a lot of new stuff that i missed out when i beat it for the first time. Example there's multiple ghost cameo from Kojima crew in specific locations that we can capture with a camera. Or you can used stealth camo in your next playthrough if you submit to Ocelot torture. There's also VR training mode which is really fun.

Compare to The Order. It was 60 bucks at released and i beat it around 5 hours. But half of it feels pretty dull and unengaging. The game didn't offer anything new after i beat it too. No secrets item that can be used for a second playthrough, no alternate ending, no new mode, and not even higher difficulty options. Just none. It's a criminal that a 60 bucks AAA game with very short playing time offer very little replay value while MGS 1 at 50 bucks offered a lot.

2. "Not everything is RPG length in other genres back then yet everyone is so used to it nowadays and wants their value, style and dumbed down gameplay substance."

I didn't ask 30-60 hours like RPG with The Order. But for a 60 bucks AAA game, the bare minimum is to offer not just a very solid and fun core gameplay but also enough contents for players to replay the game, which The Order failed to do that.

@MrPeanutbutterz This 🤝

Vanquish is just pure video games bliss. Sure the graphic isn't as detail as The Order and the story and VA are okay. But the gameplay is just top notch and non-stop fun from start to finish. 6 hours with Vanquish feels like you eat a very delicious food from a Michelin star cheff, muach 😘. Shinji Mikami really understand the principal of gameplay is king.

@PuppetMaster Complete package sure but The Order 1886 regardless of how much was cut, stayed or otherwise, it had no DLCs. It's still a 'complete' game.

Sure we got less expansion packs back in the day (GTA London or whichever on console, more PC thing).

Some rushed games still are successful,

Probably many examples, many games have scrapped ideas, some pull it off, others don't. Or some genres, then revivals for a small audience that builds up again.

Or settings not attempted either.

I guess but to me I also seek out the less known and those aren't being looked at and we see repetitive ideas but that's besides the point/topic of course. I know many of my favourites are B grades/AA ideas left behind not always the mainstream AAA titles that are good yes but aren't 'everything' either.

I mean a lot of games can come down to beautiful graphics and sub par gameplay following trends too closely, many third parties do and just slot in a theme/universe to make it suit.

To me some ideas are so minor I barely even notice or it's not what I would even consider and would something more dramatic to games so the minor ideas sometimes I notice other times I go oh that's useful, not to 'be in other games' level, or don't notice at all as it's not of note compared to those in the past of gameplay, or story writing or immersion graphical/particles or other details. I notice more on old gen and don't always on modern or even have that mentality as expected. Or just too focused on the game to care. While with old games it's first time, reflective or otherwise enjoyment of the games.

But I see games differently due to what I seek in them of course. So my opinion is very particularly angled as is clear how I present my comments. XD I am more harsh then I should be but after noticing so much it does get annoying seeing what you do seek and it never happens.

Or see games that can and come up with ideas like Foamstars modes and they did the bare minimum, they knew what they made lazily, yet an outsider can come up with original modes to suit the game mechanics, the 1% of people willing to do that and come up with original ideas, like me. Most audiences just want a good game, understandable but 'how'. Or Biomutant traits for animal abilities yet the gas immunity was still cool or other little things like fighting in the air in Atlas Fallen or other things. Some i notice, others I don't. Whatever quality of life or general gameplay.

MGS, Thief, Splintercell and more for sure did great with the stealth genre. I am getting to them and respect what they have done even if Stealth isn't my go to genre I am experiencing them for the first time and totally agree with people.

I am experiencing many genres or games I never did, big or niche.

Sure and while I respect that feature like many other Monster Rancher/VIb Ribbon music CDs feature, or PSP/PS2/PS3 connectivity, who really cares about those? I do, but how many people actually do. They just want a solid game experience don't they?

Even if MGS1 limited it to Konami games and a handful to suit those scenes in the game, it is still cool for what is there no matter how limited but still feels magical the way they handled the feature. Let alone the clock one for the MGS3 boss fight. I think that's cool too.

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Even the Ratchet museums are cool I don't use the clock method though but like anything a console has of gimmicks I look out for them.

GT memory cards (or save file locking not just the memory card trade). Resistance PSP/2 on PS3 infection mode. Among others. Going off whatever can and major titles not niche games here.

Remember Playlink? The smartphone party games? So from the PS Camera app, to Playlink and regardless of PSVR many know about. How many companion apps for PS3/360 games does anyone remember? Prior or same time as Wii U/Vita.

No one talks about Playlink, who does Everybody 1-2 Switch either though, smartphone support 10 years later. You also need a phone on old firmware, the apps aren't on App Store or Google Play anymore so Android archive and in bargain bins.

Not all gimmicks are winners (nothing wrong with that, they had their ideas, they tried, I think it's cool).

I wish Wii U or smartphone support was part of UNO or Cluedo or others yet isn't and is just online instead. I respect the Tactics PS5 game with the smartphones. They are trying and stats screen, moves on a phone then button presses as they can keep things card like on the smartphone, I think it's cool.

I like dual screen experiences Dreamcast to Wii U, dual screen phones (don't own as expensive, but still like the idea even if barely anything supports them as niche audience but still).

Back of the CD case no idea. I don't own the game. But still cool.

Sure some games had info in them manuals like GT1 had for Lightweight cars as it isn't as clear as GT2 onwards about Kei cars as no Kei cars are in GT1. But yeah code wheels and anti piracy solutions were a thing, the NES Startropics map to put in water was cool. Some ideas like that existed back in the day.

But The Order 1886 wasn't supposed to be like those either. IT fits the modern era design even if not as polished sure. Very few in the modern era are like those your comparing because design has changed. I know I look for failed handhelds, abandonware and others for mechanics or just history. So I know.

I mean sure but some are 20 hours and yeah sure, not all can match 60 hours, but if people are happy with $3 per hour then sure. Or enough value in that 20 hours I can see reason in that quality.

But everyone is different in what they value of graphics, story, do people want hours to fit the math or do they just want value in that hour range. Or else they want 60 hours for $60 then and don't care about filler they just want the 60 hours. It depends per person.

To me the codex and trophies is it's own amount of hours in The Order depending how perceptive the player is, it isn't much but even still.

What if it was their goal they matched, they started somewhere, played catchup and it isn't good enough for most people.

If that's the case. Expectations are too high, not all will see that with each studio, no matter their budget, publisher they are under, Indie, etc.

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Some games vary in their secrets or what they choose to offer.

Someone may do only story, some may do all content in a game, some may platinum it with even further offered.

I can't say for ALL modern games of course that may be just as short and what they have of content but to me I didn't see it as that bad. It's average sure. Has problem, has a good world, this and that of VA/character writing and gameplay is standard or as close as RAD could get to play catchup.

Vanquish is a great game no doubt I love it too. I respect the work Mikami does no doubt and it shows. Same with others that are just as talented.

My expectations are very high because of how much I don't like modern gaming especially in gameplay how formuliac I see as they seek to focus on graphics/story mostly these days unless the goal was gameplay you can tell immediately what they were going for.

But when you notice their goals it's clear mainstream, niche or otherwise. AAs can be amibtiouts but still AAA marketing targeting just different even besides less staff. Or trend following.

Indies can be nostalgic, sometimes too much in a bad way and to me I want more them to think not to replicate what they have for references/what they liked too far, know they can't in skill (which is fine their skills are their skills, but how they refuse to spin off enough that's when I get annoyed is they aren't trying hard enough or are missing their own flare or enough of what previous inspiration had the others don't while still feeling their own) yet think that's all they can do, and don't see their own potential, other times they can be original experiences.

It's a rather rather unfortunate by product of the launch of the PS4 saw a bit of drought of first party exclusives that didn't quite hit their mark ala Knack,Infamous Second Son & Killzone,or rushed out the oven underbaked like Driveclub or The Order 1886.

The Steampunk type styling certainly had some appeal but thrown to the proverbial wolves when it should've had the sort of due care given to say Horizon Zero Dawn or similar.

Was never going to have much hope when similar era The Last of Us on PS3 had far more scope & playability being available.

@PuppetMaster Indeed! The first time I saw Vanquish, it felt like I was watching what I imagined those 16-bit Konami robo/mech games (Probotector, Cybernator) to be in full 3D. I was there day one for the PS3 version, and also day one for the PS4 version (along with Bayonetta).

Seeing as we're both fighting game nerds, I imagine that gameplay is also king for yourself. And Vanquish is one of the king of kings. An absolute fever dream of a videogame, and one I will never get bored of playing 🤩

@Nem The gameplay really was dissapointing the quick time events felt godawfull. I liked Heavenly Sword a million times better.

@MrPeanutbutterz Talk about fighting games, one of Mikami games called God Hand plays quite similar to fighting game. From special moves, dodge / parry mechanic, to combo loop that requires good execution. The gameplay are just top notch with a lot of depths and also really really challenging, even more challenging than any Souls games imho.

Sadly, IGN review damaged God Hand reputation. A lot of people avoided the game like it's a plague because IGN gave it a 3/10

It played very much like Hellblade - graphics were incredible at that time, especially on the PS4. But it was over reliant on QTEs for the most part, broken up by cover based shooting sections.

The story was good though, emotive, the voice acting and writing made it compelling from that viewpoint. And some of the set pieces were really good. Still remember the first encounter with the werewolf to this day.

Overall it was a good starting point for a trilogy, further games could have expanded the gameplay signiifcantly; were they given the time to develop them. As I recall this took too long to get market anyway as the devs were a little over ambitious.

Also the enviroment into which it launched was a little acidic at the time, the PS4 was absolutely destroying the Xbox, after their brief period at the top with the 360, and mainstream reviewers always seemed to be harsher on PS4 games than their Xbox counterparts.

@PuppetMaster IGN did God Hand so damn dirty! It's one of my favourite PS2 games, though it took me a while to track it down (and then the shop had three copies of it).

Would absolutely love a remaster (or any way to play it on a modern console) along with Viewtiful Joe 1+2.

@MrPeanutbutterz does every single aspect of the game have to be generic before I can consider it generic overall???

I loved the world, and the gunplay, when it let you have some.

Would have loved to see the sequels.

@Smackosynthesis No, but the rest of the game being generic doesn't change the fact that the setting wasn't generic.

@MrPeanutbutterz it felt that way to me. Most places were grey and brown, character designs didn't stand out, etc

@Smackosynthesis Art design and colouration aren't the same the as the setting.

Again, how many other third person shooters are set in the Victorian era? None.

Just imagine if there had been no more Uncharted after the first game.