Tides of Annihilation, Hype Worth The Wait?

Announced at the PlayStation February 2025 State of Play, the action-adventure fantasy title Tides of Annihilation pretty much stole the spotlight of the event. Developed by Eclipse Glow Games, a Chinese indie game studio, it is their ambitious debut title. Influenced by Arthurian lore—though not an adaptation per se—the tale delves into issues of courage, honor, and the age-old struggle between good and evil, creating an enthralling fantasy realm.

Tides of Annihilation features a courageous and beautiful female protagonist, Gwendoline, who fights an impending darkness that threatens her world. The most distinctive feature of one of the game's titles is its unique environment—a parallel London in which skyscrapers overshadow historic castles and knights wield swords alongside modern-day technology.

Exploration is the central feature, with players invited to delve into the back alleys of secret cities, ruined landscapes, and grand castles. The convergence of medieval and futuristic elements creates stunning landscapes with an enormous wealth of sequestered secrets and revelations.

Mixing new mechanics with old fantasy, Tides of Annihilation has a world that feels familiar but weirdly new. One of the high points is its combat system, which allows the player to call down Spectral Knights to battle for them. This provides all sorts of strategic possibilities and keeps every fight engaging and dynamic. Having the ability to summon these spectral soldiers can literally flip the script on a battle.

Combat itself is a blend of action and tactical choice, with players forced to fight in real-time and strategically command their knights. Observing an army leading into battle with Gwendoline offers up high-energy, cinematic scenes. It's not certain, though, if the game will have multiple playable characters or only follow Gwendoline's story.

The trailer showed quite a few bosses, both human and monster, and they all looked amazing, almost like the Elden Ring. Gwendoline will have the typical light and heavy attacks and dodging abilities, but what seemed more interesting is her ability to use mythical spectral knights as spirit summons. So, there’s definitely something in the mix here.

The main story should take approximately 25 hours, with side quests and exploration adding to the length of playtime. The music will complement the experience with sweeping orchestral scores, including heavy battle themes and emotionally charged songs that transport players into the world of Arthurian legend.

Tides of Annihilation will launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. While the exact PC requirements are not known yet, the stunning graphics previewed in trailers suggest that a mid-to-high-end PC will be needed for the best experience similar to Black Myth: Wukong or perhaps the same as the Stellar Blade PC version. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S should handle the game with ease in graphics mode, but older PC hardware may need graphics tweaking to get the best performance.

With its innovative combat system, densely populated world-building, and epic story, Tides of Annihilation seems like a game that might succeed. While some of the details are being held back, excitement for its release will build after the gameplay trailer release in the coming days. As a fan of fantasy, action, and strategy, this is one game to keep an eye on.