Exactly 11 years ago, in February 2015, a game debuted on PlayStation 4, which to this day remains one of the most fascinating and controversial examples of “cinematicity” in gamedev.
We’re talking about The Order: 1886 – an ambitious steampunk shooter that threw players into the middle of an alternative, Victorian London. The title enchanted with its unique artistic vision, combining Arthurian legends with the technology of the industrial revolution and brutal fights against mythical beasts such as vampires and werewolves. Although a decade has passed since the premiere, the world created by the Ready at Dawn studio is still considered one of the most atmospheric in Sony’s catalog.
Unfortunately, despite the stunning graphics, which even today in 2026 can put some productions to shame (like the recently released remake of Yakuza), the game has become a symbol of untapped potential. The main criticism was its extreme linearity and strikingly short gameplay time – the fate of the knight Galahad could be learned in just 4 to 6 hours. For many players, paying full price for a title that offered so little interaction and almost zero replayability was hard to swallow. Reviewers praised the film’s quality and great acting, but mercilessly criticized the simplified shooting mechanics, which seemed to be merely a background for beautiful cutscenes.
From today’s perspective, The Order: 1886 is a textbook example of a story that got a bit lost in the video game format. The focus on the characters’ emotions and the intense atmosphere of horror often lost out on repetitive action sequences that, instead of building tension, became routine. Nevertheless, it is still one of the most interesting productions of the last decade from PlayStation.
The lack of continuation and the final closure of the Ready at Dawn studio in 2024 is a sad ending to the fate of a brand that had the makings of being something new. However, the game remains an important lesson for the industry: a brilliant concept and the most beautiful graphics are not enough if there is no engaging gameplay with more mechanics.
