In the action-adventure game Tides of Annihilation, Knights of the Round Table face off against Egyptian gods in modern-day London. It’s precisely this wild mix that won Dani Herz over in less than an hour.
I have so little time left in the demo when the giant Egyptian god Anubis finally falls to his knees after two frantic phases. With hands trembling from adrenaline, I set down the controller—andwish I could just keep playing.
BecauseTides of Annihilationstill has so much to offer, so much to discover.My 45 minutes aren’teven close to enough to dive into all the secrets, lore, and mechanics.
But even in a quick playthrough—and despite some nasty stick drift on my trade show controller—this unusual action-adventure immediately grabbed me. A game that had completely flown under my radar until now suddenly becamean unexpected highlight, and I can hardly wait for its release.
What Tides of Annihilation isand why this unusual mix of modern London, ancient Egyptian gods, and the Arthurian legend is so incredibly fun, I’ll explain to you now.
Beautiful Urban Fantasy
In *Tides of Annihilation*, modern London is infiltrated by the Otherworld, causing magic and terrifying creatures to seep inexorably into our real world. I take on the role of Gwendolyn, a survivor of this catastrophe who sets out to find her family—and, along the way, may have to save all of humanity.
I can’t tell you much about the story yet, since the demo throws me right into the thick of the action. But what I could rave about for hours is the world around me. In search of the mythical Book of the Dead, I find myself—how could it be otherwise—in the British Museum’s Ancient Egyptian exhibition.
The fantasy elements here sweep over reality like a force of nature. Rubble blocks my path; fragments of massive Gothic churches float surrealistically in the air; and in between, I keep finding ancient relics that have survived the chaos intact and stand obediently behind their barriers, as if they were still being visited by curious tourists.
I would have loved to stop in front of every vase, every mural, and in every corner of the Chinese wing to read the lore texts and soak up the beautiful surroundings. Because *Tides of Annihilation* creates a hypnotic blend: Our familiar, real world blends with epic fantasy elements to create an atmosphere that immediately grips me—because it feels both so familiar and yet completely foreign—and evokes a fascination in me similar to that of a post-apocalyptic world.
The Knights of the Round Table
Fortunately, Gwendolyn doesn’t face this adventure alone. Fighting by her side are none other than the legendary Knights of the Round Table from the Arthurian legends. As spectral spirits, they assist me in battle—and that’s exactly what makes the system so fresh and exciting.
In addition to light and heavy standard attacks, I can summon my knights at any time. They come in pairs, and I can switch back and forth between Set 1 and Set 2 in a flash using the D-pad. In the demo, I used an offensive duo that cornered my enemies with a sword and halberd, while a second pair covered my back by pushing enemies away or briefly freezing them.
The combat-focused cherry on top is the powerful special attacks I charge up during battle. Both Gwendolyn and the knights have ultimate abilities that really pack a punch and let them perform cool maneuvers with specific button combinations.
At first glance, this sounds like classic action fare, but in practice, these systems mesh so perfectly that they create an extremely dynamic, fast-paced, and spectacular-looking brawling experience. And that’s despite the fact that I didn’t even have a chance in the demo to really get a good handle on all the systems and figure out the best synergies. So for now, I can only imagine how great the fights will feel once I really get the hang of the systems and mechanics.
Small puzzles lead to the Book of the Dead
Before reaching the demo’s grand finale, I get a chance to catch my breath and solve some puzzles. In front of me sits a contraption with two rotating spheres, adorned with ancient hieroglyphs. I have to navigate small parkour sections to find the right symbols in the environment and align the spheres accordingly to open a portal to the Otherworld.
The puzzle isn’t particularly complicated, but it introduces another mechanic: My spectral knights aren’t just for fighting! In quiet moments, they serve as handy helpers. For example, a knight might lift heavy crates so that I, as Gwendolyn, can reach higher areas, or he might use sheer brute force to break through crumbling walls when I’m stuck in a dead end.
Anubis(s) in the Grass
The fantastic combat system in Tides of Annihilation really flexes its muscles when I enter the Book of the Dead. I’m teleported into a magical arena and look straight up at the gigantic jackal head. At first, I dance around it, showing off everything I’ve learned in the last half-hour.
But Anubis has a few tricks up his sleeve. In addition to a challenging move set, he summons magical walls and protective priests. Only with a perfectly timed dash can I slip through gaps in the walls to take down the priests and make Anubis vulnerable again. In phase two, absolute chaos breaks out: the arena flashes, stones rain down from the sky, the ground shakes, and the god teleports wildly around.
The boss fight is a true spectacle—a storm of cool design and tough but absolutely fair challenges—and the game kindly saves after the first phase.& nbsp;
I have just over a minute left on the clock when Anubis finally goes down. As happy as I am that I was able to finish the fight, I’m also sad that my time with Tides of Annihilation has come to an end. But we’ll meet again—for now, my eyes are firmly fixed on this action-adventure game!
Editor’s Verdict
Wow. Here I am, lying on the hotel room bed with a face mask and foot mask on after an endlessly long day at the trade show, typing these lines. But just a few hours ago, I was still running through the British Museum and actually exploring the Book of the Dead! My journey into the fantasy world of *Tides of Annihilation* felt as though I had actually been there.
I was literally glued to the screen for the full 45 minutes, wanting to soak up every detail, examine every ancient fresco, and delve even deeper into the fast-paced combat system. When three-quarters of an hour flies by at a noisy trade show and you’re sad to have to leave afterward, that’s the greatest compliment you can give a game. In any case, I’ll be dreaming about Gwendolyn and that beautiful world tonight—and I sincerely hope we won’t have to wait too long for the release!
