The Order: 1886

You can get a few good knights out of this

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When this game was first released, it had to contend with the two words that developers fear perhaps more than any others: mixed reviews. Some critics loved it, some were left unimpressed, and some hated it with a passion that translated into truly brutal criticism. Ready At Dawn has had the last laugh; its work has stood the test of time.

One thing everybody agreed on at the time was that the graphics were impressive. Phenomenal, really; despite the fact that The Order: 1886 is approaching its tenth birthday, it’s no exaggeration to say that it looks better than some PS5 games today. The action takes place across locales such as the streets of an alternate Victorian London, a luxury airship, and a bloodied hospital. Each is rendered with intricate detail and skill, every second an example of remarkable technical achievement.

Compromises were undeniably made in order to reach this level of graphical fidelity, though not to the degree certain critics claimed. It’s an intentionally linear experience, but there’s nothing to stop you exploring the environments. Indeed, there are trophies for finding every collectible and examining every object (though no way to track them).