Why we need a sequel to: The Order: 1886

Fighting werewolves and vampires? Check. Cool steampunk weaponry to bring them down with? Check. An interesting concept that blended real history with Arthurian myth in Victorian London? Check. All of this sounds pretty interesting on paper, and a lot of it worked in The Order: 1886. Recently, we've seen a bit of a resurgence in interest in this game, especially with its visuals, which were way ahead of its time.

At the time of its release, The Order: 1886 met with a lukewarm reception from critics. Its world, graphics, performances and more were intriguing, but two main problems arose in its length and some of its gameplay segments, which boiled down to nothing more than quick-time events. Perhaps rose-tinted glasses are clouding my vision, but I think the reception to this game was harsh, and that The Order: 1886 was squashed before it had a chance to flourish.

If you're not aware, The Order: 1886 was a 2015 third-person cover shooter, putting you in the role of Sir Galahad, a knight of the Round Table who is tasked with protecting Queen and Country, dispatching any half-breeds such as werewolves and vampires, as well as putting down rebel organisations before they can get ahead of themselves. Throughout the story, you battle through multiple gorgeous levels and figure out that the true enemy is within.

The Order: 1886 was by no means a perfect game. But in its premise, there was so much potential. It is rare that we see truly interesting and original worlds nowadays. Horizon is the example that jumps to mind, which after finding incredible success has been given a lot of love by fans and the industry. No such luck for The Order, it seemed. Of course, we don't know what went on behind the scenes, but it's still difficult to imagine what could have been with this game.

A sequel could've delivered us much more intrigue into this world, one corrupted by vampires influencing The Order itself from behind the scenes, as Galahad becomes somewhat of a 19th century Batman in London, tracking down all the supernatural creatures at the top of society and putting them down.

In the days where we enjoy shorter experiences just as much as the 100-hour RPGs we get, there definitely would be space for a dark, gritty and visually outstanding game such as The Order: 1886. Even if it was a little short, it achieved much and not just in the graphics. There was a great sense of immersion used in The Order: 1886. It drew you into its world, making everything believable even if it remained in the realm of fantasy. Moreover, something that's worth giving attention to is how threatening it made the werewolves you encounter.

Unlike Redfall, or any other game that hypes up a supernatural creature as being a threat only for them to go down in a couple of shots, The Order: 1886 made sure every encounter with a lycanthrope was memorable. For most of the game, you could blast your way through other humans easily enough, but then came the reminder that you're nowhere near the top of the food chain.

There are plenty of action games nowadays that prioritise a cinematic atmosphere sometimes even over pure gameplay, and so it does feel odd that Sony never decided to give it another go with The Order: 1886. Sadly, it doesn't seem like we're going to ever hear more from this concept, as the developers behind it were bought out by Facebook. Still, sometimes it's enough to reminisce, think about what could have been, and remember that not every game needs to give you 200 hours of content, nor should we dunk on new concepts too eagerly, as before long all we'll be left with is established franchises and remakes.