When creating our alternate history in The Order: 1886, our goal was to make the environment as believable as possible while at the same time adding our own twist to real places. With the release of our trailer back at E3, we hinted at our vision of an alternate London.

This Neo-Victorian London will seem familiar to everyone, 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.

The London subway system is present in our version of the world, but it’s much more advanced than it was in real life. Certain sections of the subway system run above ground in between buildings throughout the city. Electric signs line the streets making some areas of London almost look like Times Square.

The other big change you will witness is in the skyline of London. Although the familiar sights of Big Ben, St. Paul’s, and the Tower Bridge are present, the skyline is broken up by watch towers. Their searchlights are constantly scanning the city and the skies. The other change in the skyline is the presence of airship mooring towers. In The Order: 1886, London is patrolled day and night by a squadron of dirigibles called the Sentinels. All of these are a constant reminder that the world is not as it seems.

These changes are the result of our Industrial Revolution, mankind’s chance to take the upper hand in a centuries-old war. Mankind now has access to advanced weapons, one of which you saw in the trailer — a rifle that can fire electricity.

Communicators give you the ability to converse with the rest of your squad. A thermite gun allows you to shoot a cloud of inflammable thermite that can be ignited by a flame or by shooting a flare into it. In contrast to these advanced weapons, you’ll still be able to use more traditional black powder guns. These give a sense of realism and believability to the world and make the atmosphere feel dirty and palpable, reminiscent of the way we’re used to viewing the real, post-Industrial Revolution Europe.

The team will be sharing more information about the game in the months to come. For now, we wanted to share with everyone a PSN static theme inspired by The Order: 1886 which will be available on August 21st.