E3 2011: Blades of Time ticking down to early 2012

LOS ANGELES--Konami opted to avoid the mad rush of E3 week by holding a pre-Electronic Entertainment Expo media briefing last week. However, that event, which was headlined by the Metal Gear Solid and Zone of the Enders HD collections, isn't all that the publisher has up its sleeve.

Today, Konami announced Blades of Time, a new hack-and-slash title from X-Blades studio Gaijin Entertainment. In development for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, Blades of Time will be available during the first three months of 2012.

Though Blades of Time shares a protagonist with X-Blades, which received a lukewarm reception, it appears to have a less cartoony aesthetic. The game stars nubile heroine Ayumi, a gunsword-wielding treasure hunter out for bounty on an exotic and dangerous island. The hack-and-slash action adventure offers more than 40 sets of melee skills and tactics, in addition to an assortment of magical skills.

Beyond the single-player storyline, Blades of Time includes both cooperative and competitive multiplayer options. The co-op element lets players run through the game's storyline together, while competitive play features deathmatch scenarios.