E3 2014: Geekscape Previews ‘The Order: 1886’

We showed you the E3 trailer for The Order: 1886 and now I’m going to give you some more insight into this excellent game!

I attended a demo at the Playstation booth that showed off the title at a slowed down pace to really highlight the immense detail. For example, the character walked through one room that had some bookshelves with numerous different objects, such that no shelves looked the same. There is so much put into this game that even during the demo, the player, Dana Jan, noticed a clock he had never seen before. For visual reference, they looked at actual hospitals from the Victorian era. Nathan Phail-Liff, Art Director for the game, commented that is was lots of fun to research and they used that knowledge to create a beautifully detailed world.

The game has its own physics engine so that objects that should move, can and will move. This point was made as Jan bumped into a medical skeleton. It definitely gives the game environment a sense of realism because the environment is not just static. When the character talks on the communicator, you can see his face and it is rather impressive. The character models have a  very high resolution which adds to the overall cinematic quality.

The choreographed pace changes to give you a sense of what you should be doing. When everything slows down, it creates suspense and keeps you on your toes. This is a game where you do not want to zone out. Everything is in real time. There are seamless transitions from game play to QTE (quick time event) to cinematics. There is no change in lighting and the black bars (at the top and bottom of the screen) are present the whole time you are playing. Since it is real time, you get to see the full image – no compression. Also, the black bars are not covering up any of the image, but rather the image has been made to fit the whole area between the bars. Now, there are some limits to the controls on some parts to help shift focus. Controls are also affected if you get hurt; if you are hurt you move slower. Additionally, there is a substance you can ingest, Black Water, that can slow down important moments.

There are ammo pick ups in game but you do not have unlimited resources. You can blind fire and shoot in any general direction without the guide sight on screen if you want.

The lycans are basically bosses but you do not just fight one and leave. It will be a “ride where you are being hunted/stalked” (Jan).

Why the 19th century? Phail-Leff said it was an interesting time because it was on the edge of the industrial revolution. It was a time where science was advancing but there was still an air of mystery and you can imagine strange things happening in that sort of time. Also, it is a time that is still similar enough to our own such that you can relate.

You will play as Galahad throughout the game. Jan and Phail-Liff mentioned how they have been excited to hear that people want to play the supporting characters which may incorporated in the future but not at this time.

This game looks gorgeous, it feels suspenseful and the concept is intriguing! This is one you will want to check out.