There were plenty of exciting games showcased at this year’s PlayStation State of Play, but one of the most standout trailers was the reveal ofTides of Annihilation. Seeming like a cross betweenElden RingandFinal Fantasy 7,the upcoming action-adventure game by Eclipse Glow Games looks like it has the potential to reach the same legendary heights as its competitors. While there’s no release date slated yet for the upcoming action-adventureTides of Annihilation, there’s already plenty to unpack from the footage that’s been revealed.
While Sony’s State of Play itself faced criticism overmissing several highly anticipated titles, exciting new games likeTides of AnnihilationandLost Soul Asidehelped ease the pain left by their absence. Inspired by Arthurian legends with knights and magic galore,Tides of Annihilationcombines its fantastical characters and world design with a dilapidated version of London, providing a uniquely striking aesthetic. Making use of magical combos and summoning powerful allies, the story ofTides of Annihilationwill follow one of the city’s last inhabitants, Gwendolyn, as she attempts to unravel the mystery of this strange new world.
Tides Of Annihilation Has Some Strong Final Fantasy DNA
Borrowing From Iconic Titles While Still Standing On Its Own
Every inch ofTides of Annihilation’s detailed game world is dripping with a unique style, but several aspects seem to take some inspiration from other iconic fantasyfranchises.Many of the character design and world-building elements inTides of Annihilationalmost seem straight out of a fantasticalFinal Fantasyentry, taking its climactic battles to even greater heights. The sheer scale ofTides of Annihilation’s setpieces themselves is rarely seen outside theFinal Fantasyfranchise, taking great advantage of the PlayStation 5 Pro’s next-generation hardware.
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It’s even easier to draw comparisons to the recentFinal Fantasy 16andTides of Annihilation,given its heavier influence of medieval fantasy compared to most of the series utilizing sci-fi elements. Even with these similarities,Tides of Annihilationchose an unexpected route by taking inspiration from Arthurian legend, with a heavier focus on pre-existing mythology. This inspiration is more easily seen in character names like the protagonist Gwendolyn and one of the bosses being named Mordred in the gameplay reveal trailer, on top of Gwendolyn’s use of summoning up spiritual knights being a prevalent mechanic throughout the game itself.
Rather than criticizing the upcoming release compared to other iconic fantasy franchises,Tides of Annihilationcould offer a worthwhile experience for fans of games likeFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthwhile they wait for a new entry in the series. To contrast its similarities withFinal Fantasy,the fantastical elements overtaking the modern world inTides of Annihilationfeel like an inverse of how industrialism and Magitek invades the natural environment throughout theFinal Fantasyfranchise, being especially prominent inFinal Fantasy 7.
It’s even easier to draw comparisons to the recentFinal Fantasy 16andTides of Annihilation,given its heavier influence of medieval fantasy.
Looking like a fantastic mix betweenFinal Fantasy 16and the legendaryElden Ring, it seems thatTides of Annihilationis taking elements from some of thebest RPGs of recent years. This isn’t to say as thoughTides of Annihilationis anything remotely close to a rip-off ofFinal Fantasy,however, asthe upcoming game still has a fairly distinct style that’s a surprisingly ambitious outing for a seemingly newer studio.
After A Gameplay Reveal, Tides Of Annihilation Feels Much More Real
Breaking The Trend Of Overly Ambitious Reveal Trailers
In a surprising twist,Tides of Annihilationreleased a lengthy gameplay trailer mere days after its initial reveal, backing up the ambitious project with actual in-game footage. Traveling throughout the gorgeous yet eerily supernatural world of an overgrown London, Gwendolyn can be seen walking past floating ruins and statues of citizens frozen in time, further adding to its unique post-apocalyptic atmosphere.
Incorporating elements fromDevil May Cryand the more recentFinal Fantasy 16.
Aside from the unique world, the main draw of the gameplay trailer wasTide of Annihilation’s flashy combat mechanics, incorporating elements fromDevil May Cryand the more recentFinal Fantasy 16,as Gwendolyn is seen juggling enemies with aerial combos. While it might not have the same level of depth as a game likeDevil May Cryitself,the mix of magical abilities, powerful summoning attacks, and even execution animations will likely keepTide of Annihilation’s combat from getting stale anytime soon.
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WhereTides of Annihilation’s combat seems to shine the most is with its cinematic boss battles, which seem to play out like a dance between two incredibly skilled opponents. From dodging and striking in time while progressing through each phase of a boss like Mordred,Tides of Annihilationallows for more storytelling than a traditional RPG boss, taking further inspiration fromFinal Fantasy’s blend of cinematics during combat.
Corrupted enemies and powerful bosses from mythology aren’t the only challenges Gwendolyn will face on her journey, as the world itself seems to come to life at times to stop Gwendyoln in her tracks, growing even more unstable over time. On top of being able to use the summoned spirits of past knights to aid Gwendoyln in combat, she uses them to interact with the environment when it comes to solving puzzles. Utilizing her unique talents,Gwenyoldn and her companion Niniane can interact with the fantastical elements of the world, helping to bend reality back using her own will.
FF7 Remake Part 3 Could Still Be Years Away
There’s Plenty Of Time To Try New Games Like Tides Of Annihilation In The Meantime
While Square Enix claims thatFinal Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3is well underway and making good progress,it’s likely that there will be roughly another four-year gap between the release ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthand the third and final entry in theFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeproject. PC players will have an even harder time waiting for the third edition of theFinal Fantasy VIIremake, as it’s likely to add another entire year to the wait thanks toPlayStation’s timed exclusivity contract.
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Although Tides of Annihilationdoesn’t have an estimated release date for either the PlayStation or PC, it could very well be launched long before Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 hits stores, given that its developers have already released an extended gameplay reveal trailer. On top of its development potentially being further along,Tides of Annihilationseems like it won’t be tied down by the same exclusivity problems asFinal Fantasy 7, with store pages already up for PlayStation, Steam, Epic Games, and even Xbox, surprisingly.
Fans ofFinal Fantasyor narrative-driven action-adventure games in general should keep a close eye out for future updates forTides of Annihilation.
Despite frustration over delays when it comes to PlayStation games being ported to PC, it might have worked in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s favor, as the PC port was acrowning achievement for the series. Even thoughTides of Annihilationmight still have a delayed release for consoles outside the PS5, the confirmation of additional consoles already gives it a great advantage over its competitors. Regardless of when it ends up releasing, fans ofFinal Fantasyor narrative-driven action-adventure games in general should keep a close eye out for future updates forTides of Annihilation.
