Rating: 2.8 out of 6 ratings
X-Blades invites players into a fantastic universe where the enchanting heroine Ayumi fends off innumerable monsters and imposing bosses with her power, spells, fighting tactics and her deadly Pistol Blades. The anime-style level and character designs are what give X-Blades its special flair. Nearly 40 indoor and outdoor worlds dazzle players in an enthralling rhapsody of color and detail. Non-stop action and vivid magical effects are impressively incorporated in gameplay through the use of cinema stylizing such as bullet time or motion blurring. X-Blades will prove to be a hack ‘n’ slash spectacle for fans of entertaining action games and anime.
In the distant past the universe of X-Blades was ruled by two powerful beings, the Enlightened on the side of good, helping his people how and when he could and the Dark One who was quite the opposite. Both were revered by all peoples and a balanced, but never-ending battle between the two persisted for centuries. Humans suffered terribly in the constant combat between the two, combat which shook the universe to its very core. In order to ease this suffering, the Enlightened banished the divine power of the Dark One, imprisoning it in a stone, known as an Artifact, but at a price. Inseparably linked, where one of the divine beings went the other was bound to follow and so the power of the Enlightened was captured in a matching Artifact. Together the two were hidden away and peace, as well as balance was restored to the universe. But peace is a fragile thing. It is said that any human who comes in contact with the Artifacts will be cursed and the power of darkness will once again be awakened.
Enter the game's heroine Ayumi. As the game begins a map which has been lost for countless years suddenly turns up and it shows the location of the artifacts. Unaware of the curse, the adventurer Ayumi searches for and finds the immensely valuable stones, releasing powerful forces in her body. Her goal and the player's is to discover what the secret of the curse is, free herself from it and at last defeat the darkness.
X-Blades offers action-packed enjoyment in fantastic Hack-and-Slash style. Using various weapons, spells and tactics, the player must fight his/her way through many indoor and outdoor levels, killing hordes of monsters on the way. The story, exciting and rich in variety with numerous cutscenes not only motivates the player, it also cleverly interlinks the individual levels. Besides the ‘normal’ monsters, there are also "Monster Generators," which ceaselessly create new creatures (and of course powerful Boss opponents) for the game world. Hidden powerups and coins ensure that the player is rewarded for exploring a level. Some locations can only be reached by bold and daring leap/jump combinations.
Player achieve ultimate success in the game through use of the extensive character development system for the heroine Ayumi. For example, experience points earned, must be converted to Skills. Powerups, such as combat techniques, magic, weapon enhancement and teleportation are available as well and the right mix will lead to success. Apart from that, the use of skills on the "good or bad side" also affects the finale. Depending on player actions, two different game endings await the heroine Ayumi.
