When comparing The Order: 1886 vs I am Setsuna, the Slant community recommends I am Setsuna for most people. In the question“What are the best PS4 (PlayStation 4) games?” I am Setsuna is ranked 108th while The Order: 1886 is ranked 151st. The most important reason people chose I am Setsuna is:
I Am Setsuna's environment is beautifully somber. The dim, muted colors, serves to draw the player into a barren, empty overworld. The all-piano soundtrack is gorgeous and somehow manages to highlight the sad tone of the game.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Great visual and audio design
The environments in The Order have a very steampunk, Victorian era feel. The graphics are dark and gritty, which serves the game perfectly well. Not only do they fit well, but they're also brilliantly done. They're very realistic; everything from the buildings and terrain, right down to a character's facial features are simply staggering.
The soundtrack is nearly as good. The music has a dark, creepy feeling to it which fits the game's occult-centric nature perfectly. More than that is the voice acting, which is beautifully done. The characters look and sound real, which has been exceedingly difficult to pull off.
When you tie the two different aspects together, it creates an environmental effect that's captivating and intoxicating, leaving you wanting more.
Pro The combat is fast, varied, and very fun
Fighting in The Order: 1886 is pretty great. You have access to a large array of weapons, technology, and even magic to blast your enemies away with.
It plays like a third-person shooter, so expect to have to do a lot of aiming - unless your gun is big enough. You get thrown into combat against humans, werewolves, and other nasty creatures. You've got to change up your tactics depending on what you're facing, and that variety really enhances the enjoyment you get out of the game.
Pro The environment really drags you into the game
I Am Setsuna's environment is beautifully somber. The dim, muted colors, serves to draw the player into a barren, empty overworld. The all-piano soundtrack is gorgeous and somehow manages to highlight the sad tone of the game.
Pro The combat system is familiar to almost everyone
I Am Setsuna uses a turn-based battle system that has been used in countless other games, bringing a sense of familiarity to the game. You're able to attack with your weapons, cast devastating spells, or even use combination attacks with your teammates. The combo attacks are particularly fun to use, as you'll have to experiment with different characters in order to achieve different effects.
Pro Impressive character development
Pro The characters aren't what you'd expect
The characters of most RPG are fairly standard. The hero who started from nothing, or the strong, silent adventurer, or the hyperactive, overly enthusiastic type. I Am Setsuna deviates from the standard tropes of the classic JRPGs, and lets each character tell their own story without taking away from the overall feel of the game.
Pro You can build your characters however you like
Characters in I Am Setsuna have their own active skills that are unique to them. However, there's a large pool of passive skills that can be used by anybody, which can lead to all sorts of interesting combinations. For example, you could have a taunting ability (something that makes enemies attack you) that also raises the user's stats, or a fire spell that somehow does cold damage.
Cons
Con Really short
Despite being padded with unskippable cutscenes, The Order: 1886 can be finished in a very short time. A first time playthrough can last you up to 8 hours, but you won't getting much more out of it.
Con No multiplayer at all
The developers went for a cinematic single-player experience, meaning there's no local or online co-op/multiplayer. The only way you can enjoy this game with your friends is by taking turns playing.
Con It relies on nostalgia and story telling to cover up mediocre gameplay
While the turn-based combat systems of JRPGs have been going strong for longer than 20 years, it also means that there's generally nothing new to expect, and that is certainly true of I Am Setsuna. Fans of the genre will enjoy the nostalgic feel of it, but newcomers may feel put off by the slow speed and rather uninteresting combat.
Con Combat may be too easy
I Am Setsuna allows you to customize your character's abilities, which can end up making you severely overpowered relatively early on. Some players may find this a little boring.
Con The sad and depressing tone of the game may bring you down
The entirety of the game fills you with a feeling of sadness and regret. This overtone never really lets up, though there are glimmers of hope and levity during your adventure.