An Arthurian Character Action Game

There’s been many different versions of the Arthurian Legend from retellings to reimaginings throughout the history of the entertainment medium. Stories that either focus on King Arthur or other key characters from the legend like Merlin, Lancelot and Guinevere as the protagonist. There’re even stories that either loosely base on or inspired by the legend such as placing it characters in a more contemporary and modern setting. Putting a different spin on the legend which make these stories and it characters uniquely standout among the other verisons. While the Arthurian Legend has always been prolific throughout the history of cinema and television but when it come to videogames. There aren’t many titles that either base or inspired by the Arthurian Legend I can really think of that standout which ultimately brings us to Tides Of Annihilation.

An upcoming character action game that’s being developed by Eclipse Glow Games, one of the current rising Chinese studios. Heavily inspired by the Arthurian Legend and shaping up to become one of the biggest titles of the decade for current gen-consoles. While a release date hasn’t been confirmed, the developers has released a few trailers online which also include a showcase of the gameplay. Along with promotional images for some of the Arthurian-Inspired characters, including it female protagonist in the game. There’s also images for a couple of enemies and bosses from the game that seem very “Final Fantasy” inspired from their designs. While at it core, Tides Of Annihilation is mainly an action-adventure game and more specifically an AAA “single player” experience.

Players gets to take control of Gwendolyn, a lone survivor of an otherworldly invasion that’s completely fractured the city of London. She possess the power to summon forth and command spectral forms of Knights Of The Round Table to assist her in battles. This ultimately allows Gwendolyn to utilize each knight’s different attacks to gain advantage against her enemies in battles. One such example is the knight, Sir Lamorak who wields a spear to pierce and impale various enemies to gain the advantage in battles. Two sets of knights (particular four knights in total) can be setup at a time and assist Gwendolyn in battle against various enemies. These knights can be switched freely in the midst of battle and during combos which ultimately allows Gwendolyn to gain advantage. Their configuration along with their powers and abilities are customisable amidst certain situations especially in battle.

There’re some light RPG elements such as levels and skill trees which allows players to make Gwendolyn stronger while progressing through the game. The character customisation includes battle-related elements such as knight configuration, weapon changes, equipment and accessory configuration. It also includes outwardly visible elements such as clothing, hair colour and makeup along with difficulty options for the game.

Tides Of Annihilation is ultimately a fantasy game that blends elements of medievel fantasy with a contemporay setting. For instant, the game features prominent battle against bosses who are base on the Knights Of The Round Table lore. The game takes place in the modern city of London and the mythical realm of Avalon as players progress though the story. Mainly set within the aftermath of an otherworldly invasion that’s completely fractured city of London and it inhabitants. The enviroment is roamed by Colossal Knights which are towering entities that serves as vertical challenges that can be explored, interacted with and ultimately battled.

Kun Fu, the producer described it as “Our game world reimagines London as a sprawling battleground where modern ruins coexist with echoes of medievel past. Imagine the city as a giant tree, its branches representing iconic district and landmarks, each with twisted and transformed by the otherworldly invaders”.

While there’s not much details on the game story except that Gwendolyn emarks on a quest to find the Holy Gail in a bid to save her sister and restore the world. Along with exacting vengeance against the demigods of Avalon which motivates the character throughout her journey. Also, the character of Gwendolyn is being voiced by Jennifer English who’s best known for her recent work on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. She also voices a character named Mordred (Aliona Baranova) who’s an antagonist to Gwendolyn throughout the game. That being said, Tides Of Annihilation is shaping up to become one of the biggest games of the decade for current gen-consoles. While other titles at this time like Black Myth: Wukong and the upcoming Phantom Blade Zero that has a very “Chinese Focus” aesthetic, and direction, Tides Of Annihilation is something different.

In conclusion, this is only just the beginning in this new wave of character action games especially as we progress through the new year. As mentioned earlier, there’s been many versions of the Arthurian Legend from retellings to reimaginings throughout the history of the entertainment medium. And while there’s been many Arthurian games in the past, though none of them are really considered to be memorable or standouts. That being said, Tides Of Annihilation might be the one game that standout among the pact of this particular genre. From it cast of characters to the various enemies and bosses that are very Final Fantasy inspired as seen from the recent trailers. You can follow the developers on social media like X, @play_toa and check out the official website for the game, playtoa.com for more information.