The Order 1886: Ready At Dawn director battles negativity with steak analogy

Impending PS4 exclusive The Order: 1886 hasn't had the easiest of roads to its release. Issues regarding the game's alleged length and perceived value have washed over the internet, and the game's director Dana Jan isn't happy about it.

Earlier this week complete gameplay footage from Ready At Dawn's period fantasy shooter was uploaded to YouTube. That footage totalled roughly five and half hours of game – including cut scenes – stirring up a lot of controversy.

In an interview with Develop, Jan combated the issue of value for money by talking about steak. "I guess I think about it like this. If you go and you eat a steak, if you pay $100 for a steak that tastes like the best steak you've ever had in your life but it's only 200 grams, versus paying the same price for the worst steak you could want -- but it's all-you-can-eat.

"There's an argument to be made that one is better than the other depending on who you are. If you just want to be full all the time then all-you-can-eat terrible steak, maybe that's for you? I'm not saying it has to be that polarising, I'm just asking why we feel like we have to always measure things first and foremost in terms of quantity?"

Reviews for the game drop later this week so the taste-test is yet to come.

"We have this uncanny 'haterade' for our game no matter what," Jan added. "People are looking for something to throw at our game, some reason to hate it. I'm excited to hear what people who have actually played the game think about it, how do they feel about the quality and the quantity? I think by and large that most people are going to be satisfied."

Jan also had plenty to say about negativity on the web. "We have a joke where someone will post on the website NeoGAF something like 'Sony released new screenshots of The Order' and we place bets on what post number we think is going to be the first one where someone says something unfoundedly negative.

"I just feel like these days it's so easy to be negative and I think the internet is the new playground for bullies. Who goes out of their way to really go and say something positive, right? If you go out to a restaurant and you have a good time, do you go online immediately to post something? But if you have a bad experience, you'll jump on because you want to warn people about it right? It takes a lot more effort to say something nice than to say something negative, and I think people are excited to jump on some bandwagon of negativity.

"I really actually feel for the people who go on there and say 'Hey guys why don't you chill out, it's not even out yet, why don't we wait until some people get review copies or you've played it yourself before you pass judgement on stuff?' It's just for the people who are excited for this game, I feel bad for them that they have to sit through this ecosystem that the internet has created which is full of negativity, it's really kind of gross."

The Order: 1886 is out on 20 February for PS4 and will be reviewed later this week.