CYGNI: All Guns Blazing [Review]
CYGNI sets a new visual standards for SHMUPs.
Credit: Konami Digital Entertainment / KeelWorks Ltd.
You streak through the sky in your fighter, blasting alien drones into oblivion. Fiery explosions erupt around you, but there’s no time to savor the destruction of these small fry. A hailstorm of enemy lasers fills the air, and you’re too busy dodging death. The explosions cast an eerie light on the battlefield below, where thousands of your fellow soldiers battle against an unstoppable robotic force. You drop bombs to support them, but suddenly, something stirs. You stare in awe as a massive mechanical behemoth with writhing tentacles emerges from the billowing smoke, towering over the carnage. There's no time to gawk—this monstrosity is intent on crushing you.
CYGNI: All Guns Blazing from KeelWorks and Konami might be the best looking SHMUP I’ve ever played. Developed in Unreal for next-gen platforms, this game is a jaw-dropping spectacle that breathes new life into a classic genre. It’s packed with grand cinematic moments, offering brief respites from the relentless, arcade-level difficulty of the gameplay.
Credit: Konami Digital Entertainment / KeelWorks Ltd.
Humanity now lives amid the ruins of an alien civilization on the planet Cygni after fleeing a ravaged Earth. When biomechanical aliens suddenly emerge and attack, your fighter is one of the last lines of defense. Murky morals and questions of military colonialism aside, the story isn’t very deep or interesting. But that’s not why we’re here, is it?
CYGNI is the next-gen successor to classics such as R-Type or Ikaruga. You’ll fly your ship through a relentless bullet hell as the screen scrolls automatically, leading you to a final boss—if you can survive. While you primarily fire straight up, you can use the right thumbstick to shift your aim as you would in a twin-stick shooter, but only within a limited range. You can fire air-to-ground to hit targets far below you, as well as missiles that will home in on airborne enemies.
Credit: Konami Digital Entertainment / KeelWorks Ltd.
The gameplay twist that sets CYNGI apart is the power management system, a mechanic that forces you to strike a balance between your offense and defense in real time as you fight. You can allocate up to six units to attack and six to your shields. Any hit you take will deplete a shield unit; lose all shields and one more hit means game over. As your shields wane, you’ll need to decide whether to divert power from your attack, which means decreasing your damage output. Each missile volley you fire also comes at a cost, as it drains an attack unit as well. This system makes you think fast, forcing you to make split-second decisions during some nail-biting moments. There’s a single powerup to pick up which will regenerate shield power, but it can be feast or famine with these so you need to be careful.
While CYGNI: All Guns Blazing feels fantastic to play, the true stars of the show are its visuals and cinematic flair. Powered by modern hardware and Unreal Engine, the game boasts an incredible level of detail, not just in the frenetic action at the forefront, but in the war unfolding on the ground below. Swirling smoke, fiery explosions, and the ominous glow of incoming bullets all contribute to an atmosphere of intense realism. The scale of the battles, especially when facing off against colossal bosses, creates unforgettable moments, the kind that will stick with you and become touchstones in the genre. The mechanical designs are distinct, striking, and just plain cool.
Credit: Konami Digital Entertainment / KeelWorks Ltd.
The game’s campaign spans seven levels, each equally impressive and brutally difficult, playable solo or in co-op. I managed to finish the game’s first level on medium difficulty only after using my experience points from my playthrough on easy mode to buy upgrades such as extra drones, added firing patterns, and more powerful missiles. The difference between easy and medium is palpable. I didn’t try hard mode. CYGNI also features an arcade mode like the classics.
Seven levels might sound short, but it’s the perfect length for an arcade style game like CYGNI. The real longevity comes from the challenge the game presents at medium difficulty and above. There’s plenty to love here and I’ll be coming back to it again and again. I just gotta get good.
CYGNI: All Guns Blazing is available now on PC (Steam / Epic), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Overall Score: 9/10
Played on: PS5
