Ethan Crossfield 
Eclipse Glow Games’ debut title, Tides of Annihilation, made a strong impression during a roughly two-hour hands-on session in Chengdu, China. The upcoming character action game combines modern London with the mythology of Avalon, then uses that collision to stage elaborate fights, shifting environments, and a distinctly theatrical adventure led by Gwendolyn.
What happened during the hands-on
The preview followed Gwendolyn through a time-spanning journey in a version of modern London where Arthurian legend has broken into the real world. One of the featured locations was the Great Russell Museum, a fictional institution that appears modeled after London’s Great British Museum. Gwendolyn enters the museum in search of a Holy Grail Shard, moving through galleries dedicated to Egyptian, Japanese, Chinese, and other cultural exhibits.
Those exhibits are more than background decoration. Tides of Annihilation changes the mood and presentation of the museum’s encounters according to the surrounding collection, including the designs of its enemies and the music accompanying each area. The hands-on also offered glimpses of boss encounters and the game’s fast, knight-focused combat system.
Why it matters for the game
Tides of Annihilation is the first game from Eclipse Glow Games, a China-based studio established only two years ago. Its team includes developers with experience on major series such as Assassin’s Creed, For Honor, Persona, and Yakuza/Like a Dragon. That background is visible in the project’s ambition: it is attempting to pair the momentum of a character action game with a large fantasy premise and a setting that can transform from one encounter to the next.
The London-and-Avalon concept also gives the game a useful identity. Rather than placing its Arthurian material in a conventional medieval kingdom, Eclipse Glow is building contrast between a recognizable European city and a legendary realm invading it. The result, based on the preview footage and hands-on session, is a game that wants every major sequence to feel like an event.
What to watch next
The most important questions concern how consistently the spectacle supports the underlying combat. The preview showed a high-energy experience built around knights, boss fights, and rapid action, but the broader adventure will determine whether the museum’s cultural shifts become meaningful gameplay ideas or remain primarily visual flourishes.
Players should also watch how Gwendolyn’s time-spanning story connects modern London to Avalon, and whether the game can give its many Arthurian-inspired characters enough room beyond their striking introductions. Eclipse Glow has established a memorable premise; its next challenge is proving that the systems beneath the presentation are equally distinctive.
Key takeaways from the preview
- Tides of Annihilation is Eclipse Glow Games’ upcoming debut character action title.
- The story places Gwendolyn in modern London as Avalon and Arthurian legend collide with the city.
- The Great Russell Museum changes its enemies and music according to the cultural exhibits explored.
- Combat centers on fast action and a roster of knights, with boss battles among the featured encounters.
- The development team brings experience from Assassin’s Creed, For Honor, Persona, and Yakuza/Like a Dragon.
Expert View
Tides of Annihilation stands out because its spectacle is tied to a clear creative hook rather than existing as empty scale. The fusion of contemporary London, Avalon, and culturally shifting museum spaces gives Eclipse Glow a foundation that could separate the game from more familiar fantasy action titles. If the studio matches that visual ambition with combat that remains deep across the full adventure, its debut could become one of the more closely watched character action games in development.
