Inventing neo-Victorian London for The Order: 1886

When building the alternate history version of London for The Order: 1886, Ready At Dawn Studios wanted to create a city at once familiar and fantastical, CEO and creative director Ru Weerasuriya wrote on the PlayStation Blog.

Iconic locations like the London subway system and Big Ben appear in the game, but are augmented and surrounded by advanced technology born of an alternate Industrial Revolution.

"This Neo-Victorian London will seem familiar to everyone," Weerasuriya wrote, "however, advances in technology will take center stage in many ways as you navigate the city. One of the main examples is the advent of electricity throughout the city, well before its time. Gas lamps are replaced by electric street lights. Everywhere you go, you can hear the hum of electricity running through the city."

Weerasuriya told Polygon in June that the studio sat on the idea for the single-player action game for years, but that it wasn't until the PS4 dev kits became available that Ready At Dawn could realize its longstanding vision. For more on The Order: 1886, you can check out a developer video that delves into the tech underlying the next-gen title.