Depending on your perspective, the latest State of Play was either pretty good, containing announcements for multiple third-party titles or underwhelming due to the lack of big exclusives. The latter is somewhat understandable the year has only begun, but Sony has yet to flesh out its plans. Ghost of Yotei and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach are the big titles, but neither received any updates (though Kojima Productions will have a special panel in March at SXSW 2025).Sure, we didnt see Fairgame$ or other live-service titles, and Housemarque unveiled its next project, Saros, but thats coming in 2026. Yes, there were plenty of other titles including the long-rumored Days Gone Remastered but you can sympathize with those seeking exclusives.On the bright side, if we have to focus on third-party titles, Tides of Annihilation offered a very nice surprise.Developed by Eclipse Glow Games, it presented one of the cooler premises weve seen in a character-driven action game. Long story short, London is under attack by some mysterious Outworld force causing all sorts of havoc. Who else to venture into the ruins and fight back by Gwendolyn (voiced by Jennifer English, best known for Shadowheart from Baldurs Gate 3) and King Arthurs Knights of the Roundtable?The twist is that the Knights arent exactly physically playable characters. Instead, theyre akin to the Spirits in Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights or, well, the Homunculi in Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist. Gwendolyn attacks with a sword revealed to be Niniane, who may or may not be the Lady of the Lakes successor. However, she can call in the knights any time to follow up with their own attacks, chaining them together into combos.You can unleash long-range damage with arrows that burst after a short period, deal a heavy blunt blow, ravage threats with ice magic or rush forward and pierce them. But thats not all based on the extensive new gameplay, each Knight has different contextual abilities. Hold down on the archers attack, and it will create a swirling dome of attacks that constantly damages enemies within.If that wasnt enough, Gwendolyn executes enemies, whether smashing them into the ground with a gauntleted hand or taking ones axe to bash it to bits. This expands the options to juggle enemies, attacking mid-air and creating stylish combos, like freezing foes and shattering them to bits with a heavy attack. Keep in mind that there are more than six additional Knights that have yet to be showcased.There are plenty of questions like how Gwendolyn possesses this power, whether she can save her sister from the ongoing calamity and how Avalon, the same island from Arthurian legend, ties in. Of course, the development team confirmed other promising details in a roundtable Q&A (via WCCF Tech), like over thirty hours of gameplay on average.There are also more than thirty bosses with unique abilities (with some very challenging boss fights promised). Thus far, weve seen Mordred, a powerful counterpart to Gwendolyns fighting style and two other cool-looking bosses who unleash devastating melee attacks. Dodging and searching for the right windows to unleash skills is paramount, but the sheer sense of style and over-the-top action looks great.Its also worth noting that Gwendolyn will unlock three additional weapons fists, bows, and a mysterious fourth option. Two-handed swords, potentially leading to the use of Excalibur? Lances? One could certainly hope.It may have been enough if Tides of Annihilation had excellent combat, but there are some incredible visuals courtesy of Unreal Engine 5. The sense of scale is awe-inspiring, whether running for your life in a fold realm, watching a leviathan emerge from the water, or scaling the giant knights that roam London.The latter is especially intriguing because not only do you climb their giant structures and fight them, but also delve into their palatial depths and uncover the grand tales that define their existence. Over/under on this being the way to unlock new Knights or abilities? Whatever the case, its yet another incredible addition to whats already looking like a responsive, enjoyable hack-and-slash title.In some ways, the reveal and sudden buzz surrounding Tides of Annihilation is reminiscent of Game Sciences Black Myth: Wukong. Both came out of nowhere and immediately created an impression with their art direction and visual fidelity. Granted, their approaches to RPG elements differ Wukong offers more distinctive build crafting, loot and unlockables, while Tides has levels and skill trees but doesnt lean too much into it. But they both look incredibly responsive while touting some impressive boss fights.Intriguingly, thats not the only connection they share. Eclipse Glow revealed that the publisher invested in both projects with varying expectations. Black Myth: Wukong targeted the Chinese market, but for this project, we targeted a Western audience, so we chose the Arthurian legends. The origin of this project was when the producer came up with the concept surrounding knights, and then we made the connection with the Knights of the Round Table from Arthurian myths, said the developer. Thats also partly why Tides of Annihilation has been revealed at this stage the team is seeking feedback to improve on it.Though the Arthurian set-up is Western-focused, its all the more fitting given how popular and well-known it is worldwide. Look no further than the Fate franchise, which has created iconic characters based on King Arthur and Mordred. Tides offers its unique spin on the same while still connecting to those with some knowledge of the Arthurian legend. Having a great-looking character action game is just the icing on top.Fortunately, we wont have to wait too long between the games reveal and release. Tides of Annihilation entered the beta stage at the end of 2024, and though its in the early development changes with everything subject to change its targeting a 2026 launch. Certain areas could use more polish, especially when the screen is alight with particles and the frame rate suffers. However, when you consider how long it took for Black Myth: Wukong to release following its August 2020 reveal, its exciting to see so many other compelling titles to follow up on it.Theres plenty to talk about regarding Sonys approach to State of Plays or its presentation of first-party games, never mind the whole live-service fiasco. Some may even offer concerns that the company is coasting on third-party offerings now that the PS5 is a certified, established success, which has some credence. After all, the last quarter of 2024 was its weakest in first-party offerings (Astro Bot arrived in September), and yet, it still shipped over 9.5 million consoles, bringing its lifetime total to 75 million.However, if that approach means focusing the spotlight on games like Tides of Annihilation (and Lost Soul Aside, which finally received a release date), then maybe its not all that bad. Either way, were keen to see how the project develops and whether it can live up to the massive success of Black Myth: Wukong.Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.