The more I see footage of Tides of Annihilation, the more I feel like it’s a spiritual successor to Final Fantasy XVI. The similarities are just too uncanny.
Tides of Annihilation and Final Fantasy XVI are character action games that take inspiration from titles like Devil May Cry. While they don’t share the same level of complexity as that of Capcom’s character-action giant, both games excel in the ‘rule of cool,’ where you can juggle and swarm enemies with a flurry of stylish attacks.
One of the most distinct similarities with FFXVI is how Tides of Annihilation’s protagonist, Gwendolyn, can summon multiple spectral forms to fight for her in battle. Each Knight of the Round Table can give her a completely different moveset. If she wants to use spear combat, she can call on Sir Lamorak. Similar to Final Fantasy XVI’s Eikon system, Gwendolyn can freely switch between four knights during gameplay.
Another inspiration I found is how Eclipse Glow Games takes its boss fights even further. The recently revealed boss fight against Tyronoe, the Ferryman, evokes the same kind of epic flair as that of Odin in Final Fantasy XVI. These are true skill checks, encouraging players to mix and match different styles to be as effective as possible.
Both have been the major reasons why I’m considering picking up the game when it launches. It’s a true successor to Final Fantasy XVI. For the past few years, I have been ruminating over the fact that we will never get another game set within the Final Fantasy XVI world. The untapped lore of Valisthea and the many potential character spin-offs are all going down the drain, as Square has no plans to continue the entry.
There doesn’t seem to be a version of Torgal (Clive’s dog) in Tides of Annihilation, which is a shame. I’d love to see Gwendolyn have a pet during her tussles across post-apocalyptic London.
Tides of Annihilation can actually fill that void Final Fantasy XVI (and by extension, Devil May Cry) left for me. Eclipse Glow Games already knows who its audience is: those who relish in some stylish hack-and-slash action with cinematic boss fights.
Sure, there have been games like Stellar Blade that continue the appeal of character action titles, but Shift Up’s selection of boss fights isn’t as cinematic as Final Fantasy XVI. While I enjoy Eve as a character and eye candy, its combat couldn’t hold a candle to Ryota Suzuki’s style in Final Fantasy XVI.
I’m actually excited to play Tides of Annihilation. It has all the things I wanted in a character-action game, down to the tiniest and coolest details. If Square Enix decided to put XVI down into the gutter, then Tides of Annihilation can continue that legacy moving forward.
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