The Order takes place in a steampunk rendition of Victorian London, a world where both werewolves and the Knights of the Roundtable exist and have been fighting each other for centuries. At the outset of the game, the werewolf threat has grown, seemingly aided by a group of human rebels, and London finds itself besieged by the monsters. At the center of all of this is Sir Galahad, a centuries-old knight who finds himself pulled into a conspiracy involving everything from magic water to a young Nikola Tesla.

The story is predictable, but fun in a ridiculous, Underworld kind of way (there’s a good chance you can guess the major plot twist right now, without even playing). It's hard not to be charmed by a game where Tesla builds you futuristic electric guns in order to fight men who turn into wolves.

So much of the game is designed simply to tell you its story that, at times, The Order proceeds like an interactive movie, where you merely have to push a few buttons to keep the film rolling. Most of The Order's appeal lies in its narrative and world, and if you're not charmed by either, there isn't a lot for you here.

'The Order' is arguably the best looking console game released to date

The focus on cut-scenes is a peculiar choice for a showcase PS4 game. The technique was prevalent during the early days of 3D, when pre-rendered sequences looked a whole lot better than in-game graphics, and gave games like Final Fantasy VII and Metal Gear Solid an unprecedented cinematic feel. And while cut-scenes have fallen out of favor as graphics improved and new storytelling techniques emerged, The Order has some of the best examples of in-game cinematics that I've ever seen — even if they can run a bit long. I never found myself looking for a way to skip past any of them.

What's most impressive about the game, though, isn't the story itself, but the world it takes place in. Steampunk Victorian London isn't the most unique setting, but The Order has such a level of depth and detail that the fictional setting feels lived in. The designers at Ready at Dawn put a good deal of effort into making a believable rendition of London, and it shows in everything from the uniforms the knights wear to the buildings you explore. Every object and place feels like it has a weight to it and a history behind it. You can pick up a newspaper on a table and read the front page, and when you get a cool new gadget or gun, you can turn it over in your hand, examining every fine detail.

The Order is arguably the best-looking console game released to date. The game is decadent in its details. I wasted nearly 20 minutes touring Tesla's lab and ogling the various half-finished projects and tools littering his workbenches. A zoom button allows you to see the details up close, and there is virtually no clutter on the screen to get in the way of the beautiful, dark scenery — not even an on-screen map. It looks so good, and so realistic, that at one point my wife walked into the room while I was playing and asked if I was watching the BBC drama Ripper Street without her.