Ripped from the pages of Robert E. Howard's preeminent pulp series, the mighty Conan muscles onto Xbox 360 as a sword-swinging action game in the spirit of Ninja Gaiden and God of War. As players navigate the lush world of Hyborea, they will confront bloodthirsty warriors, powerful beasts, and towering boss characters. The heart of the game is its combo-heavy combat engine, which incorporates grapple attacks, projectiles, shield blocks, and support for multiple weapon types. Conan can specialize in skill trees devoted to one-handed weapons, dual wielding, or two-handed weapons by spending points earned through leveling.

The environments also play a role in combat, as players can toss enemies onto spikes, throw them into sludge pools, or set them on fire by igniting dry underbrush. In keeping with the tone of the books, each fight in Conan typically involves dismemberment, blood spatter, snapping bones, and other barbaric feats. While normally averse to magic, the hero has been cursed with new elemental powers to use in battle. Conan's quest, however, is to rid himself of the dark magic, eventually taking him across eight realms. In addition to hearing the lamentation of the women, players will listen to an original orchestral score that sets the stage for the thrusting, slicing, and maiming that follows.