While many of the stories that came out of E3 really weren't much of a surprise, one that did catch many folks off guard was the announcement from Konami that X-Blades was receiving a sequel of sorts, titled Blades of Time. Now that Gamescom has arrived, several more details and screens have been revealed.
In Blades of Time you play once again as Ayumi, a gunsword-wielding treasure hunter. While the island she's exploring is certainly full of many treasures, it is also caught in the throes of Chaos Magic. Thankfully, the island is also full of special powers and abilities which Ayumi can gain to aid her in defeating a multitude of enemies. Using all of her newfound abilities, Ayumi struggles to break free of the possessed island's grasp.
Here's a handful of screens showing off the game in action:
Konami also revealed several key features for the title:
*Richly entertaining characters. From the young yet tough Ayumi the wise and battle worn mentor Zerand more, this character-driven story has a unique charm, banter and mystery all its own.
*Lushly designed environments. Experience huge and beautifully realized game locations, including snowy lands, jungles, ancients cities, temples and sky islands.
*Deep combat system. Unlock 40+ sets of skills, including melee, tactics, combos, as well as the powerful Order and Chaos forms of magic to defeat your foes.
*Special moves change up gameplay.
• Time Rewind allows Ayumi turn back time and produce a clone of herself help solve puzzles, tackle hordes of enemies, and more.
• All-new Dash ability means Ayumi can close the distance between herself and her enemy prey almost instantly, as well as travel quickly using environmental features.
*Robust multiplayer options. Fire up a co-op Campaign or battle in PvP.
Blades of Time, which is being developed by Gaijin Works, will be released in February 2012.