Tencent Targets Western Audience with Arthurian Knights in Tides of Annihilation

In an insightful interview with Wccftech at Gamescom 2024, the developers of Tides of Annihilation, Eclipse Glow Games, delved into the reasons behind the game's Arthurian myth-inspired setting and its focus on a Western audience. Here’s a deeper look into the game's concept and future plans.

Tides of Annihilation Aims For A Western Audience

The Central Concept Of Arthurian Myths And Knights

Eclipse Glow Games, despite being a China-based studio, chose to set Tides of Annihilation in a Western context due to strategic directives from their financial backer, Tencent. The game's producer explained, "This game and Black Myth: Wukong are two projects invested in by Tencent, and there were different expectations set on these two projects. Black Myth: Wukong targeted the Chinese market, but for this project, we targeted a Western audience, so we chose the Arthurian legends." The central theme revolves around knights, culminating in a narrative centered on King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

Set in a post-apocalyptic modern-day London, Tides of Annihilation depicts a city devastated by an Outworld invasion, leaving the protagonist, Gwendolyn, as the apparent sole human survivor. The game blends an alternate modern setting with rich fantasy elements inspired by Arthurian myths.

Devil May Cry-inspired Combat And Over 30 Bosses

The gameplay reveal of Tides of Annihilation showcases combat mechanics reminiscent of the iconic Devil May Cry series. The developers confirmed this influence, stating, "It's definitely more like Devil May Cry" while emphasizing the inclusion of difficulty selection to cater to a broader audience. The combat system is designed to be accessible yet customizable, offering four weapons and over ten different Knights to command as sidekicks. Gwendolyn can summon these legendary Knights of the Round Table to aid her in navigating the ruins of London and uncovering the truth behind the invasion. With over 30 unique bosses to battle, players are promised challenging and engaging gameplay.

Plans Of Creating An Anthology

Eclipse Glow Games also expressed their ambition to expand the Tides of Annihilation franchise into an anthology series. They aim to explore various settings and mythologies, each potentially featuring a different protagonist. "But we would still want to use the Outworld invasion concept that we're using for Tides of Annihilation," they noted, suggesting that this theme would be a unifying element across the series. The success of the first title is crucial for realizing this vision of bringing more mythologies and games to life.

Currently in its beta phase, Tides of Annihilation is slated for a tentative 2026 release on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Players will join Gwendolyn on her quest to combat fate and save both London and the intertwined fantasy realm of Avalon.