Eclipse Glow Games didn’t need to build a giant cathedral in the centre of Chengdu, China to convince of me of Tides of Annihilation’s ambition – but it certainly didn’t hurt.
Ever since I got word of the dev’s decision to show off its hotly anticipated action game, the irony of travelling approximately 5,160 miles to play a game inspired by my home country has been on my mind.
I’ll be writing more about that in the coming days, as I know many of you enjoy those articles.
But with a tight embargo deadline and tons of gameplay already leaking online, I figured it was best for me to first focus on the game itself.
And let me cut right to the chase: if you believed me when I told you Stellar Blade was going to be a banger, then I think this hits similar beats but improves on the Shift Up effort in almost every way.
Here are the six reasons why Tides of Annihilation blew me away.
Its Knights Make Combat Fun and Fresh
Tides of Annihilation is, at its core, a fairly traditional hack-and-slash action game.
It’s not a Soulslike, and the dev is eager to underline that. It tells me it’s been inspired by franchises like Devil May Cry, Final Fantasy, and God of War (the OG Greek trilogy, obvs).
But I think what really sets this game apart is its “dual frontline system”, as the dev describes it, which sees you blending heroine Gwendolyn’s competent sword-based attacks with knight summons, which can be organised into loadouts of two.
Each knight – inspired by Arthurian mythology – has a specific “kit”, giving them a different use in combat.
And while it took me a few minutes to fully wrap my head around this, I’m confident it’s going to be the best thing about the game.
Allow me to explain with a simple example: Kay – the Welsh warrior from legend – has command over time.
This means, deployed as a sub-knight, he’s able to freeze foes in a kind of stasis.
While enemies can eventually break free from this temporary time chamber, it opens up an opportunity for the hulking Palamedes in the primary knight slot to charge up his fiery fist, pegging opponents with an inferno to the face.
Each knight is given a specific button on the controller, with your lead warrior occupying the Triangle button and your support unit sitting on the R2 trigger.
Consider that Gwendolyn’s own attacks are mapped to the Square button and you have the recipe for some quite unique combos, which integrate the various knights into the action.
The knights also have their own unique mechanics, like the fast-paced Bedivere, who builds up a meter called Crimson Essence as he’s called upon. Once full, this can then be expended in the form of a super attack, which is a mechanic unique to him.
It’s worth noting, these aren’t the actual knights of Arthurian legend – don’t expect beards and bad breath.
Instead, they’re hulking, Berserk-like representations of each mythological figure.
The studio tells me it was inspired by JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and I think imagining these as “stands” which Gwendolyn has control over is perhaps the most precise way of describing the combat system.
One really interesting wrinkle is you can have two different sets of knights equipped at any time, and you can toggle between them using the d-pad.
I can already imagine how this, paired with the game’s undeniably robust – albeit borderline rote – statistical elements is going to make for some really compelling high-level combat play.
Obviously, with just two hours in my tank, I settled for simply getting through the demo during this hands-on. But I’m already thinking about different ways the knights could be combined.
Modern London – With a Twist
The team tells me it’s taken a number of trips to London to get the feel and the flavour of the British city just right in its game, and I think it’s nailed many of the details.
The level I played primarily took place in a location inspired by the iconic British Museum, and I did take a sharp inhale when I saw its familiar cylindrical foyer represented in the game.
It’s clear the studio’s paid close attention to the small details of England’s capital, like the shape of the bins and the font of the text on the LED railway displays.
But while this is undeniably modern London – with its mixture of gothic, historic architecture and contemporary infrastructure – it’s an otherworldly interpretation of the city, which plays into the plot.
Details about exactly what’s happening in the real-world remain under wraps, but Gwendolyn finds herself the last remaining human on Earth, as an encroaching fog from Avalon threatens to consume the planet.
This naturally gives the team some creative liberties, and I personally found it fascinating how it’s incorporating different cultures into a game set primarily in the UK.
For example, during the level I played I was able to explore both the Chinese and the Egyptian exhibits of the British museum, eventually making way for a boss fight against Anubis.
While the jackal-headed god of death may sound like an unusual fit for a game set in England, I really enjoyed the way the dev builds up to the moment.
At first, you’re simply exploring the museum, examining the sarcophagus and scarab beetles on display.
But the music subtly shifts to incorporate Egyptian elements into the soundtrack, before you’re sucked onto the scales of justice for a face-off against the ancient deity.
And while I will talk about it more later in the preview, I just want to underline how utterly insane this boss is.
In his first form, he’s presented as a towering animalistic antagonist; in his second form he sprouts Doctor Octopus-style tentacles in an unexpected transformation that really keeps you on your toes.
There’s a Deep Builds System Beneath It All
I was never going to be able to appreciate the full extent of the game’s builds system in a two-hour demo, but I did see enough to understand the potential here.
The dev tells me it wants to “give players a lot of choices in combat”, and I think that’s true of the way you can mix and match different knights as mentioned above, as well as the individual gear you can equip.
While I’m personally a little tired of games with a heavy emphasis on RPG-like statistics, I can see potential in what Tides is trying to do here.
For example, during my playthrough I unlocked Gaheris, who has command over wind. His kit enables him to create cyclones, easily lifting enemies into the air and keeping them there.
But as I progressed further, I noticed I was beginning to gather gear – armour sets, badges, and even new swords – which allowed me to do more damage to enemies who are off the ground.
Thus, while it’s a fairly simplistic example, I could see how these two elements could be combined to create a build where Gwendolyn excels in airborne combat.
Obviously, I expect to discover a lot more options in the final game, but it gives you an idea of what the dev is trying to do here.
I do think it’s unfortunate that the gear you unlock is statistical only; like in Stellar Blade, Gwendolyn has her own outfits you can unlock, but these are separate from the items you equip and can’t be customised in any way.
However, when you pair the possibilities here with the different knight loadouts, I think it’s clear the dev is designing a combat system built to be customised and tailored to personal taste.
The Knights Have a Purpose Beyond Combat
While I really enjoyed the way the knights are integrated into combat, I was surprised to see them have a role in moment-to-moment exploration, too.
In fact, I was impressed to learn that this isn’t just a linear action game; there are side-quests and areas to explore off the beaten path, often rewarding your inquisitive mind with new gear and costumes.
In many instances, you’ll need to use your knights to aid your progress, with Bors being the most obvious example.
Gwendolyn has access to a bow at all times on the L2 trigger, which summons the abovementioned knight to her side.
I think this is the most obvious example of the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure influence, as the way the camera is framed immediately made me think of Jotaro and his Star Platinum stand – it’s a lot of fun.
The arrows can be used to shoot out ropes and zipline over chasms in the environment, as well as target weak points in the environment to drop down treasure chests.
Similarly, Palamedes’ strength can be used to lift up doorways and move statues around.
In one instance, I was able to climb atop a stone box and then summon the aforementioned knight to pick it up, allowing me to reach higher ground where I could find some new items.
In terms of puzzle design, I didn’t really see anything I haven’t seen before, but I do think taking control of the knights to carry out simple tasks adds an entertaining layer to the loop, and I’m eager to see how it progresses over the course of the campaign.
It’s an Anime Action Game – Not a Soulslike
While the game has a more realistic art style than your typical anime-inspired action game, it’s clear the dev has been reading its Shonen Jump.
I already mentioned the boss fight against Anubis, which escalates into a full-on encounter against an Egyptian Doc Ock – but I also got to play through the full fight against antagonist Mordred, shown in previous trailers.
I’m not entirely sure what her role is in the story, as she’s flesh-and-bones like Gwendolyn, but I’m told the heroine is supposed to be the only human left on Earth.
Whatever the case, Mordred has command over knights the same as the protagonist, and so her fight – which takes place in a library foyer – starts out quite grounded, as she uses her allies to shield herself from your attacks or lock you into combos.
But after a few phases, the fight goes full-on cosmic, as she summons a giant dragon into the arena to take the spectacle to another level.
Tides is the type of game where I’m genuinely curious to see where the dev takes it, because the stakes are already outrageously high in the relatively short slice of gameplay I played.
The team tells me it was inspired by the likes of Shadow of the Colossus, and there will be giant titans you’ll be climbing upon. It also cites God of War 3’s opening battle against Poseidon, which takes place atop Gaia while she climbs Mount Olympus, as an influence.
I think it’s clear the stakes are going to get higher and higher and higher throughout the story, and I genuinely can’t wait to see just how batsh*t the game gets.
It’s the type of title where I wouldn’t be surprised at all if at one point you’re cascading through space, summoning gods to do your bidding.
If I do have one point of criticism, it’s that I don’t think Gwendolyn has enough defensive tools at this stage in the game.
While she can parry “red” attacks with R1, the tool tips note that “yellow” attacks need to be jumped over. But either I was misunderstanding something or this just doesn’t feel particularly great, because I felt like I needed more options to deal with these.
You do get a dodge, which can be used to leap and slide out of the way, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some knights introduced later in the campaign give you more defensive capabilities, as I felt like this was something missing in the demo.
I’m Not Convinced Western Devs Can Keep Up
At a time when the Western games industry seems encumbered by rising costs and layoffs, I think countries like China and Korea are out to usurp the industry’s traditional powers.
I don’t think Tides is doing anything particularly original, but it’s delivering at a scale that’s hard to match.
While my demo was played exclusively on a high-end PC – with a DualSense controller attached – it looks extraordinary, with jaw-dropping art direction and a level of technical accomplishment reserved only for the most prestige releases.
The title’s running on Unreal Engine 5, and is being made by a team of 150 veteran devs, all with experience in the AAA space – including franchises like Yakuza and Assassin’s Creed.
I asked why it had decided to make a AAA action game in a market historically dominated by free-to-play games, like Zenless Zone Zero and Wuthering Waves.
The team told me that the success of releases like Black Myth Wukong has increased the global interest in Chinese titles, and its team wants to work on traditional action games. (In fact, it joked that some employees may leave the studio if not given the opportunity to do so.)
I think the challenge for Western studios is that the money is flowing into Chinese game development at an unprecedented pace, and the talent is clearly there.
Even though Eclipse Glow Games is a new studio, it quite obviously has the resources required to compete with the industry’s biggest powers.
Furthermore, though this is a retelling of the King Arthur mythos, it’s presented through a Chinese lens which gives it a je ne sais quoi I think Western developers would struggle to be able to imitate.
Don’t get me wrong, there are flaws: I think the English language voice direction is below par, and it’s not just because of esteemed actress Jennifer English’s departure from the project.
The writing tries to nail that quippy kind of humour you’d find in a modern Naughty Dog or Santa Monica Studio game, but the script is not sharp enough to nail it – and the voice direction is pretty bad, meaning it comes across stilted and unnatural.
I think this is a particular concern for Tides, because ordinarily I’d just play the game in its native language – in this case mandarin. I think it’s telling that one particular character, who speaks exclusively in Chinese, sounds lightyears ahead of the rest of the cast.
But given this game’s UK setting, it presents a predicament: this is a title that’s begging to be played in English, but the writing and performances are just not quite up to snuff.
Still, that’s a small observation in a demo that’s otherwise wildly impressive – and it’s important to underline that the game’s not finished yet, and has gone through turbulence with the abovementioned exit of its lead actress.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this aspect is improved come launch, and I think like the upcoming Phantom Blade Zero, it’s going to really put Western game devs on notice.
There’s no release date for Tides just yet, and I can’t help but be intrigued by the language the dev consistently uses to describe its target platforms – officially, it’s coming to PlayStation and Xbox, not PS5 and Series X|S.
Is that an indication it’s a next-gen title?
In this era of increasingly expensive hardware and cross-gen, I’d be surprised if the title didn’t launch on current-gen consoles – but I suspect it’s still several years away. Further announcements at Gamescom this month could prove my hypothesis wrong.
Either way, I’m deeply impressed by what I’ve played here.
This game isn’t doing anything particularly original, yet its blend of Western and Eastern influences paired with impeccable art direction make for something unexpectedly unique. I also think its combat system harbours great potential.
To conclude, I’d like to point out that this preview was written based on a paid trip to Chengdu, with Eclipse Glow Games footing the bill. I’d like to thank the team for their hospitality, and I’ll write more about that later in the week if you’re interested.
For now, let me know if you’re looking forward to Tides in the comments section, and I’ll try to answer any questions you may have as well.