X-Blades swinging in late 2008

Female game heroines are popular these days. The most famous example is Tomb Raider's Lara Croft, of course, though she's not the only one--witness Nariko from Heavenly Sword, Jade from Beyond Good and Evil, and Joanna from Perfect Dark.

Now there's a new contender--Ayumi, who will be the star of upcoming hack-and-slash game X-Blades. Described by publisher Southpeak Interactive as "stunningly seductive yet tenacious," the blonde bombshell will use pistol blades, acrobatics, and magic spells to send enemies unfortunate enough to cross her path stylishly to their graves.

X-Blades is being developed by TopWare Interactive, and will be coming to next-gen consoles and the PC in "late 2008."