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 of Tides of Annihilation. Seeming like a cross between Elden Ring and Final 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-adventure Tides of Annihilation​​​​, there’s already plenty to unpack from the footage that’s been revealed.

While Sony’s State of Play itself faced criticism over missing several highly anticipated titles, exciting new games like Tides of Annihilation and Lost Soul Aside helped ease the pain left by their absence. Inspired by Arthurian legends with knights and magic galore, Tides of Annihilation combines 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 of Tides of Annihilation will 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 of Tides 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 in Tides of Annihilation almost seem straight out of a fantastical Final Fantasy entry, taking its climactic battles to even greater heights. The sheer scale of Tides of Annihilation‘s setpieces themselves is rarely seen outside the Final Fantasy franchise, taking great advantage of the PlayStation 5 Pro’s next-generation hardware.

It’s even easier to draw comparisons to the recent Final Fantasy 16 and Tides 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 Annihilation chose 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 Annihilation could offer a worthwhile experience for fans of games like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth while they wait for a new entry in the series. To contrast its similarities with Final Fantasy, the fantastical elements overtaking the modern world in Tides of Annihilation feel like an inverse of how industrialism and Magitek invades the natural environment throughout the Final Fantasy franchise, being especially prominent in Final Fantasy 7​​​​​.

It’s even easier to draw comparisons to the recent Final Fantasy 16 and Tides of Annihilation, given its heavier influence of medieval fantasy.

Looking like a fantastic mix between Final Fantasy 16 and the legendary Elden Ring, it seems that Tides of Annihilation is taking elements from some of the best RPGs of recent years. This isn’t to say as though Tides of Annihilation is anything remotely close to a rip-off of Final Fantasy, however, as the 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 Annihilation released 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 from Devil May Cry and the more recent Final Fantasy 16.

Aside from the unique world, the main draw of the gameplay trailer was Tide of Annihilation‘s flashy combat mechanics, incorporating elements from Devil May Cry and the more recent Final Fantasy 16, as Gwendolyn is seen juggling enemies with aerial combos. While it might not have the same level of depth as a game like Devil May Cry itself, the mix of magical abilities, powerful summoning attacks, and even execution animations will likely keep Tide of Annihilation‘s combat from getting stale anytime soon.

Where Tides 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 Annihilation allows for more storytelling than a traditional RPG boss, taking further inspiration from Final 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 that Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 is well underway and making good progress, it’s likely that there will be roughly another four-year gap between the release of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and the third and final entry in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake project. PC players will have an even harder time waiting for the third edition of the Final Fantasy VII remake, as it’s likely to add another entire year to the wait thanks to PlayStation’s timed exclusivity contract.

Although Tides of Annihilation doesn’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 Annihilation seems like it won’t be tied down by the same exclusivity problems as Final Fantasy 7, with store pages already up for PlayStation, Steam, Epic Games, and even Xbox, surprisingly.

Fans of Final Fantasy or narrative-driven action-adventure games in general should keep a close eye out for future updates for Tides 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 a crowning achievement for the series. Even though Tides of Annihilation might 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 of Final Fantasy or narrative-driven action-adventure games in general should keep a close eye out for future updates for Tides of Annihilation.