X-Blades is a fast paced beatem' up that is non stop from beginning to end.
That all said lets talk about how this could be a great game as opposed to decent.
There is no multiplayer. This game would be fantastic with 2 Co-op both local and internet. There is a character introduced early in the story that would make a perfect second character.
Art Design needs more excitement. The elementals need to be more then just masses of energy. I don't mind having to use the opposite energy to kill them, but make them actually look like a creature. The other enemies are just fine.
Sound could be a little more hardcore. There are some decent rock sounding tracks that should be used more often. Some of the songs are a little to mellow and a nice hard rock feel will help.
The shooting could be a bit more refined. There is an auto targeting mechanic that works ok. Once you understand the camera angle to get the enemies you want it works just fine. However you really cannot tell what your bullets are hitting. I am not sure the best way to approach this, but maybe tracer type rounds just to show the firing lines?
The story needs more meat. They have a decent story concept but it needs a lot more development. It is very spotty and essentially pointless in the end. They should have really gone a lot further with this.
In the end the game is really fun, and if over look some of the flaws you will find a fun game that is great for killing time and slaughtering enemies, but I would wait for a price drop. $60 bucks is really steep. I would recommend $30 bucks for this one.