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| The Order: 1886 |
But Dreams Were Crushed by Negative Reviews
The Order: 1886, a third-person action game and one of the most visually stunning PlayStation 4 exclusives, was released in 2015 to high expectations. Despite praise for its groundbreaking graphics and atmospheric world, the game received mixed critical reviews, which ultimately hindered its future prospects.
According to creative director Ru Weerasuriya, there were concrete plans for a sequel and even a trilogy with The Order: 1891 and The Order: 1899 envisioned as follow-ups. These sequels were intended to introduce larger-scale battles and a multiplayer mode, significantly expanding on the gameplay experience of the original. In fact, a multiplayer component was already in development for the first game but was postponed in anticipation of a sequel.
In a recent interview with Julien Chieze, Weerasuriya revealed he had written a 10-page pitch for the second installment. The proposal detailed major enhancements, including massive combat sequences and cooperative or competitive multiplayer features. Unfortunately, due to the disappointing critical reception of The Order: 1886, Sony ultimately decided not to proceed with further development.
Weerasuriya also shared that he had developed storylines set in the 20th century, which would have continued the lore and expanded the universe of The Order. He emphasized that the vision for a complete trilogy was in place had the first game received stronger reviews.
Andrea Pessino, co-founder of Ready at Dawn the studio behind The Order: 1886 had previously touched on the cancellation of the sequel, hinting that the creative ambition existed but the critical feedback played a major role in halting progress.
Ready at Dawn had earned acclaim for its previous titles, including Daxter and God of War: Chains of Olympus on PSP, as well as God of War: Ghost of Sparta and Origins Collection on PS3. These games received strong scores ranging from 84 to 91 on Metacritic.
In later years, the studio shifted its focus to virtual reality, developing successful titles like Lone Echo and Echo Arena. In 2020, Meta acquired the studio as part of its Oculus brand initiative. Sadly, the studio was shut down by Meta in 2024, marking the end of an era for one of the most ambitious developers in PlayStation’s history.