Following the exciting announcement from State of Play 2025, Tides of Annihilation has been getting a ton of attention. But is it genuine excitement or just plain simping?
Before anything, here’s all you need to know about the game! Tides of Annihilation is an action adventure hack and slash set in a post-apocalyptic London. You play as Gwendolyn, the sole survivor of and Outworld invasion and embark on a quest to save her sister. As you traverse the twisted grounds of London, you discover a strange power that lets you call upon the might of the Knights of the Round Table. Yes, THAT Round Table. The game is heavily influenced by Arthurian Legends and it shows as Avalon and London slowly overlap in the game.
Gameplay
Tides of Annihilation has the makings of a genuinely amazing game and we’re all for it! It’s got a Soulslike meets Astral Chain meets Final Fantasy and Bayonetta with a hint of Shadow of the Colossus vibe. When they announced it, I was actually intrigued at first but wrote it off as another Stellar Blade. Boy, was I wrong! They released a gameplay video of it the day after and it honestly looks like a potentially great game.
Much like Stellar Blade, it’s got hack and slash mechanics to it with world exploration levels. While Stellar Blade felt like NieR: Automata, this game plays more like Final Fantasy and Astral Chain. When you’re not hacking and slashing, you’re traversing terrain much like Shadow of the Colossus.
Why do I keep bringing up Shadow of the Colossus? Because there are actual Colossi in the game! You have to climb on top of them and traverse terrain that IS the colossus itself! (Just like Shadow of the Colossus!)
Aesthetics
The one thing I cannot stop thinking about is how gorgeous this game looks. It’s stunning and it has amazing visuals.
Another thing I can appreciate about the game so far are the character designs. The knights are just downright awesome too look at and the enemies don’t look like boring thugs or constructs. They actually look like threats and have badass visuals. On the other hand, I want to call attention to Gwendolyn. Kudos to the developers for giving us a beautiful protagonist without resorting to blatant fanservice.
Yes, she’s wearing a dress with a deep v-neck. Yes, I’m aware she has a high slit down the side of the dress and its sleeveless. But it doesn’t look overdone nor gauche. It has a nice mix of elegance with provocative elements. As for being practical, combat in a dress is never practical but we don’t care because it looks nice.
While Stellar Blade embraces the saying “Sex Sells”, Tides of Annihilation goes the opposite route and gives us a game that looks visually dynamic with a sense of elegance.
Overall, I just love the aesthetic of the game and I will admit that I’m a sucker for knights and Arthurian imagery. It manages to look unique and new while still maintaining a familiar vibe that gamers have come to love. This is especially true for players who love soulslike games and NieR. I, for one, am looking forward to picking this game up when it drops next year!
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