Blades of Time on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
Quick menu
Ayumi, the gorgeous gun and sword-wielding treasure hunter, sets out on a journey to an ancient island in search of new adventures. While rich in bounty, the island is also filled with the magic of Chaos, being at the same time home to blood thirsty monsters.
Blades of Time is a action, female protagonist and hack and slash game
developed and published by Gaijin Entertainment Corporation.
Released on April 20th 2012 is available on Windows and MacOS
in 7 languages: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Spanish - Spain.
It has received 2,503 reviews of which 1,975 were positive and 528 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.6 out of 10. 😊
The game is currently priced at 9.75€ on Steam, but you can find it for less on Eneba.
The Steam community has classified Blades of Time into these genres:
System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- OS *: Windows XP
- Processor: Intel Pentium 4 2.6GHz or AMD 3500+
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: Ati Radeon x1300 256 MB or nVidia GeForce 7300 GS
- DirectX®: 9.0c
- Hard Drive: 3 GB HD space
- Sound: Direct X-compatible sound card
- Other Requirements: Broadband Internet connection
MacOS
- OS: OSX Mavericks 10.9
- Processor: Core i5 - 2.5
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: AMD 6750M or GeForce 9600
- Hard Drive: 3 GB HD space
- Other Requirements: Broadband Internet connection
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
Blades of Time, developed and published by Gaijin Entertainment Corporation, is an ambitious action-adventure hack-and-slash game that attempts to merge traditional melee combat with innovative time manipulation mechanics. Released in 2012, it places players in the role of Ayumi, a treasure hunter who finds herself trapped on a mysterious island filled with ancient ruins, hostile creatures, and remnants of forgotten magic. The game’s premise draws heavily from classic third-person action titles, offering a mix of swordplay, acrobatics, and light puzzle-solving. What sets it apart is its unique “Time Rewind” system—a mechanic that allows players to duplicate their past actions, creating clones that replay their previous moves in real-time. This system is both the game’s defining feature and its most intriguing experiment, setting the stage for moments of tactical creativity amid chaotic combat. The core gameplay of Blades of Time revolves around Ayumi’s fast-paced melee abilities, supplemented by ranged attacks and magical powers. Dual-wielding blades and carrying a rifle for long-range combat, Ayumi can unleash a variety of combos, finishers, and spell-infused attacks that give combat a flashy, kinetic energy. The time-rewind ability fundamentally changes how encounters play out. When activated, Ayumi rewinds time to an earlier point while a temporal clone performs the actions she took before, allowing for layered assaults and strategic setups. For instance, players can attack a group of enemies, rewind time, and then flank them while their clone continues the previous assault. The mechanic also extends to puzzles—pressing switches, solving environmental challenges, and manipulating sequences that require multiple actions to occur simultaneously. When it works, the system feels inspired and adds a cerebral edge to what might otherwise be a conventional hack-and-slash experience. Unfortunately, while the concept is rich with potential, Blades of Time struggles to execute its ideas consistently. The combat, though stylish, can often feel weightless and repetitive, relying heavily on button-mashing rather than meaningful precision or timing. The camera frequently misbehaves, getting stuck on terrain or failing to keep up with the speed of the action, which can turn intense battles into awkward scrambles. The controls, while serviceable, lack the responsiveness found in more refined genre counterparts, leading to a sense of frustration during tight encounters or intricate platforming sections. This uneven technical performance extends to the overall design—environments alternate between lushly detailed ruins and barren, empty stretches, giving the experience a stop-and-start rhythm that hampers its pacing. Visually, Blades of Time is a product of its era, with a mix of beauty and roughness. The art direction aims for spectacle: grand temples, snowy wastelands, dense jungles, and floating islands provide a variety of backdrops that capture a sense of adventure. When viewed in motion, however, the illusion starts to break. Texture pop-in, inconsistent lighting, and dated animations reveal the limits of the game’s production values. The same applies to the character models—Ayumi’s design, while distinctive, feels overemphasized and stylized to a degree that borders on parody. The music, however, fares better. The orchestral and electronic tracks enhance the tension of battles and complement the mystical setting, occasionally achieving a sense of cinematic excitement that the visuals struggle to maintain. Narratively, the game’s storyline is serviceable but unremarkable. Ayumi’s journey through the island’s cursed landscapes is loosely framed by her quest for treasure and her rivalry with a fellow hunter named Zero. The plot touches on themes of greed, betrayal, and redemption, but never develops them with much emotional weight. Dialogue is often clunky, voice acting uneven, and character interactions perfunctory. The writing rarely elevates the material, leaving Ayumi as more of a visual icon than a compelling protagonist. The narrative ultimately serves as a thin thread connecting a series of combat scenarios and puzzle segments rather than as a driving force in its own right. Where Blades of Time does succeed is in its ambition to expand beyond traditional hack-and-slash boundaries. The integration of the Time Rewind mechanic into both combat and environmental design is commendable, even if its execution feels inconsistent. The developers clearly intended to offer players a sense of strategic agency—allowing them to combine magic, gunplay, and time manipulation in creative ways. At its best, the game delivers moments of genuine satisfaction when a complex sequence of moves and time rewinds align perfectly to overcome an otherwise overwhelming enemy or intricate puzzle. Unfortunately, these moments are sporadic, and the surrounding gameplay loop does not evolve enough to maintain a steady sense of engagement throughout its runtime. In terms of longevity, Blades of Time offers a fair amount of content but limited replay value. The campaign runs around eight to ten hours, featuring multiple environments and escalating difficulty. A secondary mode, called “Outbreak,” introduces cooperative and competitive multiplayer elements that attempt to extend the game’s lifespan. While an interesting addition, it suffers from balance issues and a lack of active player base, diminishing its impact. Upgrades, unlockable skills, and collectible items provide some incentive for exploration, but the lack of meaningful rewards and the linear progression structure prevent the game from feeling truly expansive. In the end, Blades of Time stands as an ambitious yet uneven effort—a game filled with creative ideas that never quite come together as cohesively as they should. It is a title defined by moments of brilliance buried under layers of technical roughness and design inconsistency. The Time Rewind system remains a genuinely clever innovation, one that still feels fresh in concept, but it is surrounded by dated mechanics and uninspired storytelling. Players willing to overlook its flaws may find enjoyment in its bursts of creativity and nostalgic charm, while others may find its shortcomings too glaring to ignore. Blades of Time is a reminder of how bold design risks can elevate a game’s identity but also how fragile that ambition can be without the refinement and polish to support it. Rating: 8/10
Expand the review
Really enjoyable game I loved it Creative combat Beautiful protagonist Fantastic atmosphere Everything was so well organized Really great game It deserves a remake or remastered
Expand the review
"That's just crazy. How could anyone make all that stuff?" I found this little gem as I was looking for games with the word Time in it. figured someone who likes to think about time must have interesting ideas, and I was right! The story is clever. You and the characters have no idea who is lying or truthful. And it makes for funny situations. One of my favorite lines from the game: "Stop being so persistent. It's giving me doubts." Ayumi is very on the nose, ("Unbelievable! I've never seen anything like this before...") which works well in a narrative sense. It's like you as the player are exploring this strange Dragonland with the protagonist. It's also written in a way that things make more sense in the 2nd playthrough. You'll notice things that you didn't before. The combat feels good with great animations, in particular the special (counter)attacks. Lots of boss fights. And also lots of chests with weapons with bonuses. They all look different, but in terms of mechanics, it's just the same sword and gun. The Outbreak mode is pretty fun too, but nobody plays it anymore. It's a 1-2 player experience, either coop or PvP, where you need to protect your towers and destroy the opponent's, while hordes from both sides spawn endlessly. And bosses appear every couple minutes. What's most interesting to me is there's a leveling system, where you get more and more passive skills, exactly like in the campaign. This adds more stakes to staying alive, and killing as many mobs as fast as possible, as the respawn time is 15 seconds. Blades of Time looks amazing in every regard, from the tropic environments to the characters. I feel like they did everything they could and more, using 2012 technology on a budget. The soundtrack is also better than what you'd expect from a niche game like this. It's a shame that it's hard to find any information on any of the artists. I wish they made some more DLC's. I think it would've driven some more sales and exposure. Sell the soundtrack for example, like they do for X-Blades, the prequel to Blades of Time. Speaking of DLC's. Dismal Swamp was a lot of fun as well. Great story and writing, silly as the main campaign. The ending was really epic, both in terms of cinematography and gameplay. The achievements are not too hard. Collectibles are hard to miss, and you can go back to a chapter if you do. The chapter will show an emblem if you found all the chests. I can safely say Blades of Time is one of those budget games that leave a lasting impression. Definitely worth checking out.
Expand the review
Blades of Time. at first, I thought it would be terrible and that I'd refund it within the first few minutes, but to my surprise, I ended up really enjoying it. Honestly, during my first playthrough, I didn't care about the story at all and just went around killing everything. The game is actually pretty fast if you play like that, and I don't blame anyone who does. On my second playthrough, I paid a bit more attention to the story and realized it's neither bad nor great—it's just average. It could have been a little better, though. The graphics are nice, the environments look good, and I didn't really pay much attention to the enemies, they do their job. It's worth picking up on sale—I’d give it a 7/10.
Expand the review
hot protagonist, smooth combat easier dmc4 mechanic for this price is gold
Expand the review
Similar games
View all
X-Blades
In X-Blades, the player takes on the role of the enchanting heroine Ayumi, who survives a breathtaking dance of blades through the Hordes of Darkness. The long-haired beautiful anime, with her pistol blades and mind-blowing leaps, whirls and swirls from one fantastic level to the next.
Marlow Briggs and the Mask of Death
A new breed of WARRIOR returns, committed to destroying the enemies of FREEDOM When ONE angry man, has a world to protect - There is only ONE future – HIS OWN No-nonsense hero Marlow never shied away from danger or trouble. But now he faces his ULTIMATE challenge.
Initial 2 : New Stage
“Initial Ⅱ” is a fast-paced hack & slash featured Action RPG. It tells a tale of both the super-power war and the friendship. Our Heroine wields 4 types of weapons and can dynamically switch between them at will. Hope you like it!
Enclave
Experience incredibly atmospheric and intense medieval combat action! Go ahead and enter a new world, the award-winning world of ENCLAVE!The people of Light and Darkness are divided by a bottomless rift that split the earth many millennia ago.
Darksiders III
Return to an apocalyptic Earth in Darksiders III, a hack-n-slash Action Adventure where players assume the role of FURY in her quest to hunt down and dispose of the Seven Deadly Sins. The most enigmatic of the Four Horsemen, FURY must bring balance to the forces that now ravage Earth.
Darksiders Warmastered Edition
Deceived by the forces of evil into prematurely bringing about the end of the world, War – the first Horseman of the Apocalypse – stands accused of breaking the sacred law by inciting a war between Heaven and Hell.
Zanzarah: The Hidden Portal
The legends speak of a long forgotten prophecy... of a shining hero and of perilous adventures... of sinister powers, strange worlds and swarms of fairies ... but they said nothing of a girl with a big heart instead of a big sword!
The Initial
THE INITIAL is a hyper action game about pretty schoolgirls battling against evil. It's developed by a small team of five developers. We hope you will love this game as much as we do.
Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition
The ultimate DARKSIDERS II experience! 1080p native resolution. Reworked and tuned game balancing and loot distribution. Improved Graphic Render Engine for even higher visual quality, lighting and shadows. Improved and reworked level, character and environment graphics.
Tomb Raider VI: The Angel of Darkness (2003)
A series of grisly murders brings Lara into conflict with a sinister Alchemist from the past, and a secret alliance of powerful individuals shrouded in mystery. Accused of the murder of her one time mentor, Werner Von Croy, Lara becomes a fugitive on the run.
Hunted: The Demon’s Forge™
It will take the combined efforts of two great warriors to explore menacing dungeons, overgrown ruins, and downtrodden towns … and discover the secrets of the Demon’s Forge.
STAR WARS™: The Force Unleashed™ II
The Star Wars® Saga continues with Star Wars®: The Force Unleashed™ II, the highly anticipated sequel to the fastest-selling Star Wars game ever created.
Frequently Asked Questions
Blades of Time is currently priced at 9.75€ on Steam.
Blades of Time is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 9.75€ on Steam.
Blades of Time received 1,975 positive votes out of a total of 2,503 achieving a rating of 7.62.
😊
Blades of Time was developed and published by Gaijin Entertainment Corporation.
Blades of Time is playable and fully supported on Windows.
Blades of Time is playable and fully supported on MacOS.
Blades of Time is not playable on Linux.
Blades of Time offers both single-player and multi-player modes.
Blades of Time includes Co-op mode where you can team up with friends.
There is a DLC available for Blades of Time. Explore additional content available for Blades of Time on Steam.
Blades of Time does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
Blades of Time does not support Steam Remote Play.
Blades of Time is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for Blades of Time.
Data sources
The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.
Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 23 October 2025 15:02 |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 20 October 2025 01:47 |
| Steam price | 29 October 2025 04:45 |
| Steam reviews | 27 October 2025 17:52 |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about Blades of Time, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about Blades of Time
- SteamCharts - Analysis of Blades of Time concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck Blades of Time compatibility
Game modes
Multiplayer
Features
Online players
2
Developer
Gaijin Entertainment Corporation
Publisher
Gaijin Entertainment Corporation
Release
20 Apr 2012
Platforms
Clicking and buying through these links helps us earn a commission to maintain our services.