Can ‘The Order: 1886’ renew interest in exclusive games?

Published 7:01 am Sunday, February 15, 2015

Everybody loves a good King Arthur legend. Sony’s got an exclusive look at a new twist on Arthur.

That’s definitely what’s on display in “The Order: 1886,” which looks like a delectably silly game about shooting werewolves in Victorian London. The game revolves around a war between humans and half-men, half-animals which has gone on for centuries and supposedly involved Arthur and his knights.

In 1886, the descendants of the Knights of the Round must stop an insurrection from the beasts as London is torn apart by class warfare.

Email newsletter signup

Everything about this premise is a dream scenario for geeks and gamers. Vicious beasts, Arthurian lore, crazy-looking guns with special powers, and lots of British-sounding people in an intriguing noir-ish drama. That’s why “The Order: 1886” is one of the most anticipated Playstation 4 games to be released this month.

Developed by Ready at Dawn, the studio responsible for several “God of War” titles on the Playstation Portable, “The Order: 1886” looks to be a strong boost for Sony’s gaming console. While the Xbox One arguably has stronger exclusive potential with games such as the “Halo” series, neither company has really made their gaming systems stand out in terms of exclusive games — the recent “Halo: The Master Chief Collection” was a misstep for Microsoft, who had to deal with bugs, online problems and other issues.

That’s why games like “The Order: 1886” take on an added interest from gamers. It’s a new game universe and a potentially big reason to buy a PS4 should the game receive rave reviews. And it’s always a welcome boon to see new, intriguing top-tier titles in an increasingly sequel-heavy game market.

I’m looking forward to “The Order: 1886,” which comes out on Feb. 20. Here’s hoping it does well enough to spawn further interest in exclusive titles for the current generation of consoles.