Weekend Gamer: Playing The Order: 1886
As part of a new monthly series, The Gamer’s Lounge is taking a look at games that are good for a weekend, 5-15 hours. These games don’t have to be new, they can be yesteryear’s greatest hits. Don’t think of this as a review, think of it as one man’s opinion on something that may fit into other gamer’s busy lives. The Order: 1886 fits this nicely, it is the right length for a weekend of fun.
The Order: 1886 has had mixed reviews on Metacritic. The biggest complaints are the length of the game and the frustrating gameplay. The complaints include the visuals, presentation style, the settings and the story. Sounds like a great game for a weekend, long enough to give gamers the satisfaction of playing something and feeling accomplished. But The Order: 1886 is short enough so gamers don't have to sacrifice their day jobs.
We at The Gamer’s Lounge have talked about the Order on several of our previous weekly podcasts. Our own co-host Robert, had many great things to say about the game. Here are a few things I enjoyed about the game. The story was entertaining and late 19th century Victorian London is something needs to be tapped more for games. The visual presentation on the PS4 is top notch and the game looks fantastic. The gameplay was a mix of action, stealth, cinematics, and puzzle. Yes there are parts that are frustrating, but the story kept me hooked and wanting more. The plot twists and turns like a long curvy highway.
One of the reasons this game fits well into a Weekend Gamer’s schedule is The Order: 1886 can be played in short bursts, a few hours here and there. There is no lengthy backtracking, muddled RPG elements, or large over world to traverse. The game is linear and moves level to level. I have even seen the price come down on Amazon recently. Gamers might be able to find this in their local Redbox. Go out and buy this game new or used, or rent it or trade for it. Jump into a world of Steampunk action that meshes and feels like Resistance 3 mingled with Resident Evil 4. While it might not be GOTY, The Order: 1886 needs to be played by anyone who has a few hours on the weekend.
As this is an evolving series, the basic qualifications may change. For now, games that are 5-15 hours are the perfect length. It looks like most of the games I check out will be action/adventure games. I am open to suggestions for titles to play, as well. Like this, leave a comment or shoot me a tweet, @kube00.
In the near future I will be doing another series every few weeks chronicling my gaming garage sale finds. Keep your eyes on the official twitter feed of the site @GL_Podcast for updates to this.