Tides of Annihilation recaptures the Bayonetta magic with cool action
I've been curious about Tides of Annihilation ever since that first reveal back in 2025, as for a long time I couldn't actually figure out what the game is actually like to play.
This is a problem with many action games, particularly character action like Bayonetta or Devil May Cry, in that you really need to get hands-on to understand it.
Tides of Annihilation will invite comparisons to many other flashy character action games, but I think the most comfortable comparison I’d suggest is that of the Bayonetta series, just without as much cheese.
Unlike that series or Devil May Cry though, the characters of Tides of Annihilation are far more sincere. It plays out less like an anime, and more like a historical fantasy drama that just happens to have a lot of chaotic action in it.
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Tides of Annihilation is set in modern day London, albeit one that has become much more apocalyptic following an otherworldly invasion which has left the city destroyed.
You play as Gwendolyn, a survivor of this attack who is able to summon the Knights of the Round Table during combat to use their own abilities to turn the tide of the fight.
The game wears its Arthurian legend inspirations on its sleeve, with the mythical realm of Avalon acting as a secondary location that pops up throughout the game. It's clear that developer Eclipse Glow Games has done its research on this aspect of British mythology, all while not overwhelming the player with lore and stories which they may not be familiar with.
The knights that come to your aid during fights also have their own unique abilities and strengths, something that you need to manage during combat to ensure you’re using the right ones at the right time.
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Tides of Annihilation is thrilling, but I feel like I haven't found the real sauce yet
The Gamescom demo ran for around 45 minutes and featured several snippets from the game, with a short tutorial, an early chapter, and a boss fight to play through.
For the purposes of the demo, I was encouraged to tune the difficulty down to Story, probably so I could see as much of it as possible within the short time window that I had.
For games like this which excel at providing a fun challenge on higher difficulties, it seems that the full extent of the game’s sauce may not have come across during this demonstration, but what I already played was quite fun nonetheless.
The game’s combat goes heavy on the combos, featuring different attacks that you can string together to create powerful moves. You can use Gwendolyn’s own abilities in these combos, or mix them up with the attacks from the various knights you can summon using triggers on the controller.
During these combat segments, you’ll also have to block, counter, or dodge certain attacks from enemies which can slow down the momentum of these fights.
It’s a bit different from simply being able to counter certain attacks, as in Bayonetta, as some enemy moves force you to react in a certain way such as jumping or dodging, and that can take the wind out of a lot of fights as you lose your rhythm.
Still, what I’ve played here is rather fun, even if I’m not fully convinced its Arthurian legend narrative is mixing nicely with the fast action of its gameplay. Tides of Annihilation will certainly appeal to fans of character action games though, that’s for sure.