X-Blades is a hack-and-slash-style action-adventure game in which the player must fight monsters using a pair of gun blades and spells through indoor and outdoor levels in order to progress. Monsters are encountered in both preset numbers and in areas with Monster Generators which spawn both standard and boss opponents until they are destroyed. Power-ups and coin fragments which grant different upgrades are hidden throughout the game. Power-ups include combat techniques, magic, weapon enhancements, and teleportation. Also earned throughout the game are souls, that function as experience points which can be converted into skills. The skills range from Area of Effect attacks to weapon enchantments. These skills are of either "light" or "dark" alignment and the use of them has an effect on whether the player receives the "light" or "dark" ending.