X-Blades

About

X-Blades is a single player hack and slash game with fantasy, violence and erotic themes. It was developed by Gaijin Entertainment and was released on April 30, 2009. It received neutral reviews from both critics and players.

X-Blades is a single-player Fantasy Hack and Sl game with anime-style graphics and a stunning soundtrack, but its gameplay is underwhelming with lots of grinding. As Ayumi, you'll dance through hordes of monsters in a variety of magical indoor and outdoor worlds, using pistol blades and magic spells to defeat imposing bosses and collect experience points for new skills. Despite its flaws, X-Blades' impressive effects and animation will make you laugh and leave you in awe.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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53%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,379 reviews

graphics87 positive mentions

story94 negative mentions

The game features beautiful visuals and a vibrant art style that appeals to fans of anime.
The soundtrack is engaging and adds to the overall atmosphere of the game.
The combat system, while simple, can be enjoyable for those who appreciate mindless hack-and-slash gameplay.

The gameplay quickly becomes repetitive, with players often spamming the same attacks and spells.
The story is weak and poorly developed, lacking depth and character development.
Controls can feel clunky and unresponsive, making combat frustrating at times.

story
358 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
61%
26%
The story in "X-Blades" is widely criticized for being generic, poorly written, and largely forgettable, with many reviewers noting that it serves merely as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a compelling narrative. Characters are often described as underdeveloped and the dialogue as cheesy, contributing to an overall lack of engagement with the plot. While some players appreciate the simplicity of the story, most agree that it fails to provide a meaningful or immersive experience, making it a weak point in an otherwise action-focused game.
- “The game follows the story of Ayumi, a fierce and agile treasure hunter, as she battles hordes of enemies, solves puzzles, and uncovers ancient secrets in a quest for powerful artifacts.”
- “The nuts and bolts of X-blades are that the story surrounds a treasure hunter named Ayumi and her trusty gun-blades (swords that are also pistols) as she seeks to find ancient all-powerful artifacts that are currently hidden away in a long-forgotten temple.”
- “The story may be basic, but I don't think that every game needs a good story; definitely buy it if you want to have some fun.”
- “The writing, dialogue, and story are god awful.”
- “The story is generic and poorly written, with forgettable characters and cheesy dialogue that add little to the overall experience.”
- “The story feels like an afterthought, serving only as a backdrop for the action.”
gameplay
274 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
52%
30%
The gameplay in "X-Blades" is widely criticized for being repetitive and lacking depth, with many reviewers noting the simplistic combat mechanics and limited enemy variety that lead to a monotonous experience. While some players appreciate the flashy visuals and soundtrack, the overall consensus is that the gameplay feels clunky and uninspired, making it difficult to recommend despite its potential appeal to fans of the hack-and-slash genre.
- “The gameplay remains primarily true to the characteristics of classic hack and slash: rapidly staged battles against a large number of opponents.”
- “The gameplay is hack and slash fun but without the fun... the story is nothing to write home about, legit did some out of bound glitches to skip the cumbersome tutorial.”
- “Fast-paced, stylish gameplay with an even more stylish protagonist.”
- “The gameplay quickly becomes repetitive, with limited enemy variety and simplistic combat mechanics that don’t evolve as you progress.”
- “The gameplay is very repetitive, as 99% of the levels are just arenas (sometimes even just 1 room) with a flood of spawning enemies that you have to eliminate before being able to continue to the next level.”
- “The gameplay is tedious, the mechanics are terrible, and if you buy any of the dark power spells you get an unavoidable bad ending that there is zero warning of.”
graphics
209 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
46%
12%
The graphics of "X-blades" receive mixed reviews, with many praising its vibrant art style and colorful visuals that were impressive for its time, while others criticize the dated and inconsistent quality, particularly in character designs and environments. Some players appreciate the flashy effects during combat, but technical issues and repetitive level designs detract from the overall visual experience. Overall, while the game showcases some appealing aesthetics, it struggles with coherence and polish, leading to a divided reception among players.
- “The graphics are great, and the fast-paced interaction in the game is fun, with magic upgrades, weapon upgrades, and multiple difficulties.”
- “X-blades looks incredible for its time, and the graphics and camera run very smoothly.”
- “The graphics are good for the year it came out, and the effects are really impressive.”
- “Visually, while the game attempts a bold style with bright colors and exaggerated character designs, the graphics feel dated and sometimes awkward.”
- “The combat is janky and unresponsive, the graphics look horrible and I had to actively change the lighting to make sure I could see from the 2nd level onwards.”
- “The graphics are quite jarring, as although the environments are relatively decent-looking for the game's age, they do not match the aesthetics of the main character.”
music
175 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
45%
10%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players praising the soundtrack as one of its standout features, often describing it as "amazing" or "great," particularly during combat. However, some users criticize the repetitiveness and lack of variety in the tracks, noting that while the music can enhance the experience, it sometimes feels mismatched or generic. Overall, the soundtrack is frequently highlighted as the game's best aspect, despite its flaws.
- “The music is amazing.”
- “The character design is good and the music might be the coolest part of the game.”
- “The soundtrack is quite possibly the best accompaniment for this type of game that I've ever heard.”
- “The sound design and music do little to enhance the atmosphere, often feeling out of place or repetitive.”
- “The music is just as lousy as the game's visuals; the game's title screen music comes off as try-hard, and has some kind of identity crisis of trying to be metal and a really boring cover of the worst of Linkin Park music I've ever heard, and the rest of the actual in-game music does an awful job of trying to give some kind of atmosphere or tension during gameplay; it's all ultimately forgettable.”
- “The music can get repetitive and the levels are decent.”
grinding
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The reviews consistently highlight that grinding in the game is a tedious and repetitive experience, often feeling like a chore rather than an engaging gameplay mechanic. Players note that combat becomes monotonous, with many battles dragging on due to enemy spam and poorly designed mechanics, leading to frustration rather than enjoyment. While some players appreciate the grind for character progression, the overwhelming sentiment is that it detracts from the overall experience, making the game feel unnecessarily prolonged and lacking in excitement.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Each level entails killing wave after wave of enemies, occasionally with other specific tasks, and early on, it can feel a bit tedious.”
- “The gameplay is tedious, the mechanics are terrible, and if you buy any of the dark power spells, you get an unavoidable bad ending that there is zero warning of.”
- “The bosses are also just as tedious and pathetic damage sponges, with most of the strategy with these bosses that amounts to 'spam that one projectile spell I'm weak to and win'.”
character development
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
40%
33%
Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing the lack of depth and coherence in the story, leading to a failure to create memorable characters. While some appreciate the vibrant character designs and engaging combat, others feel that the designs overly sexualize characters without providing meaningful development. Overall, the game struggles with repetitive gameplay and a shallow narrative, which detracts from the potential for rich character exploration.
- “Deep story, amazing character design, engaging and varied combat.”
- “This game surprised me, a very complex storyline as well as amazing character development and backstory.”
- “The story is decent and the character designs are impressive.”
- “Visually, the game is a dull, lifeless nightmare, with uninspired character designs and environments that lack any real depth or imagination.”
- “Unfortunately, the character design seems to overly emphasize her physical appearance, giving the impression that she was primarily created to appeal to players through sexual fantasies rather than as a well-rounded and three-dimensional character.”
- “The almost non-existent plot and lack of character development prevented me from fully immersing myself in the game.”
humor
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely derived from its "so bad it's funny" elements, including poor voice acting, cringeworthy animations, and absurd character designs. Players find amusement in the game's repetitive mechanics and the over-the-top antics of its protagonist, often leading to laughable moments that can make for entertaining gameplay, especially at its low price point. While the game may not be a serious contender in its genre, its comedic aspects provide a unique charm that some players appreciate.
- “The game is kind of a shoddy action game, but it's worth it for the hilariously bad voice acting and 3D animation. It's often on sale for a dollar or two, making it a fun experience even if you only play for an hour.”
- “The entire game involves smacking monster-shaped piñatas over hilariously edgy music, moving from one arena to the next filled with these piñatas. It's a unique and funny experience.”
- “The protagonist is a funny, overconfident, and arrogant female lead. This may be a turn-off for some, but I enjoyed the humor throughout the game.”
stability
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of glitches, buggy mechanics, and unresponsive controls that significantly detract from the overall experience. Players have encountered issues such as out-of-bounds glitches, graphical problems, and inconsistent hit detection, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience. While some users noted that the game runs well on older PCs, the pervasive bugs and clunky combat overshadow any potential enjoyment.
- “It's not a native port, but a Wine wrapper; however, it runs great and even detects my controller flawlessly.”
- “It is actually a PC game with good graphics for its time, and it runs great even on old PCs.”
- “There's a ton of weird glitches and mechanics that make the game a pain to play.”
- “The game is buggy, the combat is clunky and unsatisfactory; it would have been good back in 2009, but you could have also played God of War.”
- “I've had enemies drop through the floor becoming invincible and impossible to kill, random deaths that just happen, and even positioning glitches that just up and throw me into the skybox allowing me to get to the exit with ease.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
Overall, the game's replayability is considered very low, with many players noting that it can be completed in a single day and lacks significant incentives to replay, such as achievements or varied gameplay experiences. While some may attempt a second playthrough for alternate endings or harder difficulties, the general consensus is that the repetitive gameplay and lack of engaging content diminish its replay value.
- “Infinitely replayable.”
- “The replay value is okay, but once you finish the game, you don't even want to play again for the next few years.”
- “It's a mess that the achievements were not added, because without them, it really kills replay value.”
- “Somewhat interesting storyline, decent cutscenes, fantastic soundtrack, boring and repetitive gameplay, graphics haven't aged well, developers were too lazy to add achievements (even though console versions had achievements, should've transferred those to Steam), not really any replay value unless you want to play the entire game a second time for the alternate ending.”
- “It can be finished within a day, and there's little replayability, possibly twice if you wish to play the game on hard mode, and maybe once more if you really want to mess around with other abilities.”
- “So replay value is pretty much a zero.”
emotional
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
44%
Overall, the emotional aspect of the game is largely criticized, with many players expressing frustration over its boring story, flawed level designs, and repetitive gameplay. While some appreciate the difficulty curve and smooth character movement, the lack of engaging narrative and poor combat mechanics detract from the overall experience, leaving players feeling disappointed and unfulfilled.
- “I want to cry every time I open my library.”
- “This has a really nice difficulty curve that made me feel like I was getting fairly skilled at surviving against absolute hordes of enemies.”
- “Very flawed level designs, repetitive gameplay, and a boring story.”
- “Good graphics and music, but the story and gameplay are boring.”
- “Boring story, and the characters don't help it either.”
optimization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
Overall, the game's optimization is praised, with many users reporting smooth performance and high framerates even on older hardware. While some players experienced minor performance issues, the game generally runs well, with responsive controls and good graphics. However, lower resolutions can lead to twitchy mouse controls, which may affect gameplay.
- “Graphics in this game are very good and the game is well optimized; I've seen games with bad graphics and poor optimization, for example, Dreamfall Chapters.”
- “Thankfully, the game is extremely well-optimized, with my old desktop able to get framerates in the low 100s at 1920x1200 with everything maxed (AA on 4x).”
- “+Really well optimized, ran smoothly.”
- “Ayumi hops from one battle arena to the next with loading screens and statistical breakdowns of her performance breaking up the action.”
- “If you have to use a lower resolution for performance, the mouse becomes unplayably twitchy and fast.”
- “I have some performance problems, but this game didn't crash and I played it fluently.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game's atmosphere is largely criticized for its lack of memorable sound design and music, which many find out of place and repetitive, failing to enhance the overall experience. While the visuals and level design are noted for their detail and intrigue, the overall atmosphere lacks personality and tension, leaving players with a forgettable impression.
- “Chaining attacks is fast and easy, and the animations are superb. The levels are also detailed and intriguing (even the arena-style ones), giving the battles a nice atmosphere.”
- “The sound design and music do little to enhance the atmosphere, often feeling out of place or repetitive.”
- “The music is just as lousy as the game's visuals; the title screen music comes off as try-hard, having an identity crisis of trying to be metal while sounding like a really boring cover of the worst Linkin Park songs I've ever heard. The rest of the in-game music does an awful job of creating any atmosphere or tension during gameplay; it's all ultimately forgettable.”