The game was originally released in November 2007 by 1C Company in the Russian language for Microsoft Windows, under the title Oniblade (Ониблэйд).
X-Blades is a hack-and-slash style action-adventure game in which the player must fight monsters, using a pair of gun blades and spells, through indoor and outdoor levels in order to progress.
Long, long ago, in an age that only the gods can now remember, the universe was ruled by two powerful beings that were revered and worshipped by all races – but the brotherly relationship between these two creatures was always in question from the beginning of time, simply because no one knew who the real number 1 was.
This is how two Artifacts came to be hidden in a huge Temple – and how the Enlightened prevented the downfall of the entire universe.
The game begins when a map which has been lost for countless years suddenly turns up – and it shows the location of the artifacts.
The Dark wounds Jay and then turns to attack Ayumi, hoping to regain his lost power.
[6] On 29 February 2008, SouthPeak Games announced that X-Blades would also be released on seventh-gen consoles late '08.
Oniblade was developed by Gaijin Entertainment as the first action / anime-style game in Russia and uses the Dagor Engine.
James Seaman, Managing Director at Topware Interactive, was quoted as saying "Our goal was to create stylistic characters and artwork and to mix that bombastic visual style with lightning fast action.
The result is a killer title that gamers and animation fans won't be able to put down.
"[7] Electronic Gaming Monthly called its "lead character, Ayumi...a typical sassy, scantily clad, smart-talking bad girl, who proves once and for all that a bikini-thong combination is suitable armor for taking on hordes of...just about anything.
"[24] GameDaily featured Ayumi as one of their "Almost Famous Hotties" pleased with her artistic depiction yet dissatisfied with both the game and her personality.
[21][22][23] IGN reviewer Nate Ahearn was displeased with the repetitive hack-and-slash gameplay, mediocre special effects, annoying controls, and weak AI.
They noted that the main character's only power is that she does not wear pants, it was somewhat of a Tomb Raider knock off, as well as taking certain gameplay elements like switching from sword and gun attacks during battle from Devil May Cry.
[27] It was also the subject of Unskippable the following week, making light of the game's stilted dialogue and confusing chronology in the opening cutscene.