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Fans of Victorian England are certainly in luck - provided they're also fond of killing an endless army of mutated monsters with fictional 19th-century weaponry. That's the basic premise of The Order: 1886, Ready at Dawn's first console release.

After the game was revealed to be gracing the cover of Game Informer's November issue, a new video goes behind the scenes with the developers. The choice of setting, characters, and weapons are all explained as products of the studio's unique take on the Industrial Revolution.

What initially made gamers take notice of The Order was the game's stunning cinematic trailer, revealed at E3 2013 (and which the developers confirm was produced completely in-engine). What captured the imagination of those who witnessed the trailer was the paradoxical blend of 19th-century London and costume with seemingly futuristic weaponry. The developers have decided to shed some light on the proceedings, but the explanation has to do with the entire alternate history that the game's writers have concocted.

In the Dark Ages that precede the events of The Order, a strange event caused a large group of humanity to mutate into strange creatures dubbed 'Halfbreeds,' changing the course of history and putting the future of Europe in jeopardy. that was until a man named Arthur founded a group of knights whose sole purpose was to combat the Halfbreeds, and protect the best and brightest of society.

By ingesting a substance known as 'Black Water,' Arthur and his knights are capable of becoming stronger and more resilient, even extending their lives so that their fight can stretch across centuries. The game throws players into the role of Galahad, one of Arthur's soldiers after the Industrial Revolution has taken place, driven by mankind's need to advance their technology in order to survive against the Halfbreed threat.

The experimental and offbeat weaponry looks to make even the core gameplay interesting from minute to minute, but Galahad himself will also be adding tension to the story, starting to lose confidence in the order's chances, and struggling to put an end to the threat once and for all.

Mixing the myth of King Arthur's knights of the round table with 19th-century steampunk is a promising way of distinguishing yet another third-person shooter from the next-gen competition, but the actual gameplay is going to be what draws the final verdict. Hopefully we'll get a chance to see more of the game in action in the coming weeks.

What do you think of the story and setting? Has it got your attention, or are you wary of any third-person shooter these days? Leave us your thoughts in the comments.

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The Order: 1886 will be released exclusively for the PlayStation 4, at an unannounced date.

Follow Andrew on Twitter @andrew_dyce.

Source: Game Informer