X-Blades review

Gunswords! Magic! Constant near-nudity! With just a few short exclamations, you have the overarching concept of X-Blades. It’s most easily described as "Devil May Cry ultra-lite: Thong Edition," but perhaps best summarized as a wholly competent hack-and-slash action title that never really makes a lasting impact – quite a feat, considering main character Ayumi spends the entire game in her butt-flossing underwear.

X-Blades sports a litany of combat options, though at its core, the "swords and firearms" approach reminds us significantly of the aforementioned action franchise, Devil May Cry. In this case, the two styles are combined via treasure-hunter Ayumi's gunblades (Final Fantasy VIII, anyone?), though in execution the melee and ranged attacks are about as distinct as they'd be with separate weapons.

Additional combos and firing options are unlocked through the adventure and found artifacts, though a significant portion of your arsenal is held within the diverse set of magic spells. Simple projectile attacks and larger-scale area assaults are available via the push of a button (using a filled-up rage meter), with other special moves and weapon-infusing elemental powers also available for purchase via collected "souls."

In a nice touch, you can use souls to purchase mundane-yet-useful things like extra health as well as flashier attacks. Ayumi can even transform into light and dark versions of herself later in the game, though neither form proves to be particularly essential.