Since it was announced at Sony’s 2013 E3 press conference, there has been no doubt that the PS4 exclusive, The Order: 1886, is a gorgeous game, blending cinematic and gameplay more than likely any other game before it. In a recent interview with GameTrailers, Ready at Dawn CEO, Ru Weerasuriya, the writer and director of The Order: 1886, responded to concerns that the studio’s game might be more a game you watch than one you actually play, saying, “The Order: 1886 is not just making a game, it’s trying to create an experience unlike what we’ve seen before.”
On the topic of CGI cinematics versus gameplay, specifically the jaw-dropping trailers of World of Warcraft and Starcraft when compared to the actual in-game visual, he stated, “That boundary needs to be broken. It’s sometimes jarring, emotionally, when you’re involved in a game, to have that pull out [for a cinematic.]” It’s just that “little bit of disconnect” that Ready at Dawn is looking to erase.
He was careful to clarify further that The Order: 1886 does not follow the usual stop-and-go formula of cinematic and gameplay found in most games. “Yes, at some points we do take control away from you,” Weerasuriya explains, but “we give it back to you, when you don’t expect it sometimes… It might not mean much, but to us it means a lot… what it means is you are still involved… your attention, your emersion is still there.”
Check out GameTrailer’s full interview to hear more.
As for how the cinematic style will work out for The Order: 1886, Weerasuriya admits it is a risk, saying the game’s release will be a “trial by fire,” but also that “you can’t tell people to believe in what you do until they see it.” To see for yourself, look for The Order: 1886 when it hits the PS4 on February 20th.
Until then, for a little Knights of the Round Table action, make sure you don’t miss last month’s story trailer below. What do you think of the game’s cinematic direction? Let us know in the comments.