Cygni: All Guns Blazing Review — Retro Arcade Has Returned

Konami is back in the gaming world, doing what it does best: making retro arcade games new again. First, it was with Contra: Operation Galuga, and now with Cygni: All Guns Blazing. Cygni: All Guns Blazing is a shoot-‘em-up, or as us oldies like to call it, a Shmup game created by KeelWorks and published by Konami. It’s a twin-stick vertical scrolling shooter set in space, touted as the next generation of Shmups for today’s audience. I must admit that I’ve always been turned off by these games due to their bullet-hell nature, but with Konami in their renaissance of retro-inspired games and titles, I thought, with all-new accessibility, now might be the time to check them out.

When you start Cygni: All Guns Blazing, you are presented with a simple mission briefing that explains what’s going on and gives you your objectives. To the right of the screen, it shows your stats. There are options for solo and co-op missions, which adds a layer of versatility to how you can approach the game. The game begins with a short cutscene that introduces your character, immediately setting the tone and showing that this is more than a simple old-school shooter game. The attention paid to presenting a story and characters seamlessly transitions into the main gameplay.

The narrative of Cygni: All Guns Blazing revolves around invading machines and humanity’s stand against them, later incorporating their technology, which turns against them. While the story might not be groundbreaking, it does an admirable job of providing context and motivation for the relentless action that follows. The brief cutscenes in between each mission attempt to flesh out the story, giving players a sense of progression and purpose.

After completing my first stage, I felt a huge wave of accomplishment. These stages are definitely not easy to complete. I had to lower the difficulty because on medium, you get one life and have to start the stage again upon dying. So, I would say there is no shame for new players to this genre of games dropping it down to easy so you can get three lives to complete a stage.

Combat in Cygni: All Guns Blazing is primarily controlled with the L2 and R2 buttons, which are used for primary fire and beam weapons. Beam weapons attack enemies on the ground, while primary fire destroys flying attackers. Additionally, the L1 button adds energy to your shield, while the R1 button does the same for your weapon. The X/A buttons shoot missiles, which are limited, and the Square/X buttons switch up the shooting pattern of your guns. Shields are replenished by picking up drops from downed enemies.

Visually, Cygni: All Guns Blazing is a treat for the eyes. The game never dips in frame rate, even while throwing numerous spaceships, ground units, and bullets your way. It runs as smooth as easy-spread butter! The varied backdrops for each level are beautifully crafted and offer a plethora of enemies on the screen, both in the sky and on the ground. While I didn’t feel much of a threat from the ground forces at first, I came to realise that this is all part of keeping up the combo system and end-of-round scores. Eventually, in the later levels, I came to eat those words as they would become increasingly difficult shooting up homing missiles and area-of-effect bombs. Dodging all the bullets while trying to collect shield power-ups to stay alive presents a real and unforgiving challenge, especially on higher difficulty settings. If you are a Soulsborne fan, this will really give you a new challenge in a different style of game.

The visual presentation of Cygni: All Guns Blazing is nothing short of spectacular. Each level is meticulously designed with a variety of enemies and environmental hazards that keep the gameplay fresh and exciting. The attention to detail in the graphics is evident, and the smooth animations make the experience even more enjoyable. The game’s aesthetic perfectly captures the retro arcade feel while incorporating modern visual enhancements that make it stand out.

The soundtrack of Cygni: All Guns Blazing is equally impressive. While I wouldn’t dare to compare it to the legendary scores of John Williams, the music in this game is an amazing sci-fi soundtrack on the epic scale side of great. Each level features unique tracks that complement the fast-paced action and enhance the overall experience. The sound effects, from the explosions to the firing of your weapons, are crisp and satisfying, adding to the immersive nature of the game.

One of the standout features of Cygni: All Guns Blazing is the ability to upgrade your ship’s capabilities between stages. These upgrades range from gun and drone presets to increasing the number of homing missiles and enhancing their damage. Special upgrades add air-to-ground and air-to-air specialties, allowing you to tailor your ship to your play style. The relentless enemies ensure that each level presents a new challenge, with swarms of foes that never seem to stop. The variety in enemy types and attack patterns keeps the gameplay engaging and prevents it from becoming repetitive.

Cygni: All Guns Blazing also includes leaderboards, encouraging players to compete for high scores and adding a layer of replayability. The game’s difficulty settings ensure that both newcomers and veterans of the genre can find a suitable challenge. For new players, I recommend starting on the easier settings to get a feel for the game before tackling the more challenging modes.

At a price of $39.95 AUD RRP on digital stores, Cygni: All Guns Blazing offers great value for its content. It’s a fun twin-stick shooter that brings a retro arcade feel to modern audiences. While the game might not be for everyone, especially those who are not fans of the bullet-hell genre, it is a well-crafted experience that pays homage to the classics while introducing new elements that keep it fresh and exciting.