Looking Back, The Order: 1886 Not Spawning A Franchise Is Absolutely Tragic

PlayStation has long been recognized as the de facto video game platform for playing the “best” exclusive titles in the business, and rightfully so. Over time, however, the industry giant has switched up its focus from being completely dedicated to growing its first-party title library to making fewer of those types of games. 

As a result, a lot of the “hidden gem” class of PlayStation exclusives have been lost to the echoes of time, and what better title to put a finger on other than Ready at Dawn’s The Order: 1886? I have to say, this third-person shooter got the short end of the stick by critics and so many players alike, and looking at it in hindsight, I wish it was received better so the title would’ve spawned a franchise.

Let’s spare a moment to remember what I consider an exceptionally capable action-adventure title and how it could’ve had a very, very different future had all things gone well. 

Polarizing Reception That Sullied The Order: 1886’s General Outlook

Back when The Order: 1886 was announced in 2014, a lot of people were over the moon, drooling at the shooter’s setting and world. It’s not every day you get to sink your teeth into a steampunk version of Victorian London, fending off against half-breed monsters. However, sentiments changed quickly when the title was finally released, and the world saw its quality first-hand for it really was. 

In some departments The Order: 1886 excelled, but in many others, it took a considerable nosedive. Many complained about the title’s relatively tedious gameplay with the same cover-shooting formula copied and pasted throughout the campaign. Oh, and don’t get me started about the QTEs (Quick-Time Events) in this one—the dev should’ve really reconsidered adding in so many of those. 

Oh, and it wasn’t just the gameplay quality that raised a lot of eyebrows—Ready at Dawn’s ambitious shooter failed in the storyline length department as well. It was priced at $59.99 — a fairly big deal in 2014 — but it ran for about 6-7 hours in runtime terms. People weren’t going to take any of that lightly, were they? 

The Type Of Lore That Will Have You Going For Days (Even If The Mainline Story Doesn’t) 

The consensus around The Order: 1886 in 2024 remains pretty perplexed, with the majority of the fan base remaining “frustrated” for not getting treated to a sequel when the set-up for one was already there. If you haven’t played the game yet, I won’t spoil much for you. However, I will say that the game is left on an extremely vague note at the finish line, with a cliffhanger ending that leaves a lot to be desired. 

However, if you’re willing to somehow side-step that negative — though it’s not like the issue is minor — you’ll uncover a high-class game that pushed what the PlayStation 4 was capable of back in the day, coming across as a “technical showcase.” The Order: 1886’s visuals and graphical fidelity were more advanced than most IPs of its time, and that really took players — myself included — by surprise.  

I actually played through this game earlier this year, and I absolutely loved it. The world and the art direction is simply a cut above. The story was also pretty compelling and definitely has potential to be continued in a sequel.

The only thing the game needed was a few less Quick-Time events and some more straight action gameplay.

I think a sequel would actually have the potential to do quite well. I really miss being in that foggy mysterious steampunk style London setting. It was beautiful,” says one u/CanuckTheClown.

One of the major stand-out elements of the game that managed to grip so many players despite The Order: 1886’s most glaring problems is its setting. Talk about a rich lore that’s intertwined with both history and tech, all the while pushing an alternate-history narrative that gives you no choice but to admire the world-building on display. 

The Order 1886 is underrated
byu/New_Londo7 inplaystation

As such, the title’s world brims with potential even today, with so many loose ends and characters left undeveloped. Unfortunately, Ready at Dawn’s shutdown earlier this year means you’re not going to be seeing this game anytime soon again, unless the IP owner decides it’s time for a revival. 

The Best Time To Get Back Into The Order: 1886 Is Now

For those who’ve yet to play this game, consider this public service announcement.

The Order: 1886 is going for $10 on the PlayStation Store, and is playable on both the PS4 and PS5. Many would agree that this is the type of pricing that suits this game’s length, but considering the overall quality of the venture, I’d wager otherwise.