CYGNI: All Guns Blazing Reviews
KeelWork's strikingly opulent shooter dares to do new things with its genre in an effort to unite players of every level. This is what a blockbuster shooter should look like.
Cygni: All Guns Blazing is a rollicking bullet hell-inspired blockbuster that never lets off the gas.
There are a number of elements present in Cygni: All Guns Blazing that underwhelm. From its unremarkable enemy designs to its banal story, it simply doesn’t feel like it has a strong identity. However, for all its shortcomings, it does deliver seven action-packed stages of controller-gripping, shmup goodness. The ship customization stuff is neat, the energy allocation mechanic is novel, and it features some highly enjoyable boss battles. When all is said and done, I doubt Cygni will make much of an impact with the general gaming populace, but I suspect that bullet hell fans will find something to love here.
Mechanically-engaging and technically impressive when it wants to be, CYGNI: All Guns Blazing goes all in on spectacle with mixed results. Where its core energy-management system is an anxious-but-delightful thing to manage, it's most of what surrounds the gameplay that KeelWorks sadly don't fair as well on. Putting its immediate and dense introduction to one side, its lack of a stand-out musical or artistic identity, while not the end of the world, does mitigate a hefty chunk of how much enjoyment one can find. Particularly in such a visually-busy take on shmups as CYGNI is. Even so, a sufficient level of joy remains via those classically shmup-like moments of holding on to take down a boss or battling through an endless wave of hostiles and still coming out the other side unscathed. Its supposed unique standing doesn't always feel adequate, but CYGNI: All Guns Blazing still presides over an interesting-enough, modern-day take on the genre.
CYGNI: All Guns Blazing is an assault on the senses in the best way possible, with thrilling combat and some gorgeous visuals.
CYGNI: All Guns Blazing is a spectacular shoot'em up, fun and with a unique twist to the typical gameplay of the genre.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A fantastic 2D shooter, that despite being the developer's first game shows they understand the genre perfectly – but perhaps not the needs of those that are less familiar with its traditions.
For a debut effort, KeelWorks should feel proud of CYGNI. It's also a foundation to build on, because there's certainly one in place to make something even better.
If already in the preview the feelings in front of Cygni: All Guns Blazing had been positive, the long-distance review confirms how well the small KeelWorks team did with this spectacular and intense mix of shoot'em-up, bullet-hell and twin-stick-shooter.
Review in Italian | Read full review
If you're not into shmups, or you're curious about the genre, you're going to find things you're going to like at CYGNI. Its gameplay is addictive, its staging impeccable (despite the occasional slowdowns) and if you're going to get stung by the rankings and scores, here you have to be hooked for a long time, despite being a "short" game.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Cygni: All Guns Blazing might not entirely reinvent the idea of what a vertically scrolling twin-stick shooter can be, but it does do an excellent job of offering genre fans something slightly different by playing with depth, shield/gun prioritisation, and some seriously punishing, yet rewarding, sections. Yes, you’ll likely be done with the story in just a few short hours, and the narrative largely comes off as melodramatic, but Cygni: All Guns Blazing still sits comfortably as an impressive visual treat compared to its peers and one of the most cinematic genre entries I’ve played in recent years.
CYGNI: All Guns Blazing is an uneven experience that features great shoot-em-up elements wrapped in a bizarre cinematic focus that only seems to take away more than it gives. Particle effects can be disorienting and the story feels only partially realised. In the pursuit of cinematic excitement, it feels like the base experience has been compromised and damaged with a lack of focus across the board. If this was just a top-down shoot-em-up, I'd be far more positive here. If you can stick with it, you might find an enjoyable arcade-adjacent experience with cutting-edge presentation. Otherwise, maybe not.
If you’ve been looking for a more modern take on Touhou, Radiant Silvergun, or any of the many other bullet hell shooters on the market, CYGNI: All Guns Blazing ticks the box. It’s fast, it’s frantic, and it looks frankly unbelievable at times. And considering it’s being flogged at half the price of most other modern PS5 titles, it represents relatively reasonable value for money, too.
CYGNI: All Guns Blazing aims to be a vertical-scrolling shoot'em up tied to the old traditions of the genre, taking advantage of what hardware has made possible over the last four decades. It has hit the mark, including everything that is to be expected in works of this type, without wanting to add anything else. The result is the closest thing to a coin-op we could find in a parallel universe in which arcades have not known oblivion. Fast-paced, colorful, pyrotechnic, punishing, and capable of making everyone realize that shmups can still provide a lot of fun.
Review in Italian | Read full review
It's true that CYGNI: All Guns Blazing can feel somewhat difficult and overwhelming, but remember that that's just how these games are, and it's not to defend them; it is part of its charm. Pushing ourselves and testing ourselves is part of its essence: bringing out our innate skills with the controller and enjoying a good time, alone or in company, is an experience that you should not miss.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
CYGNI All Guns Blazing is not the classic "shmup" but, net of a convincing visual system and some successful gameplay ideas, it is a product that is unlikely to become the new reference point for purists of the genre and will struggle just as much to involve that slice of the public not used to vertical scrolling shooters, due to intricate menus and a poorly calibrated and not very customizable difficulty level.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Cygni: All Guns Blazing is an old-school shmup in modern clothing, offering the same sort of immediate arcade fun as its genre stablemates, but with a cinematic (albeit slightly perfunctory) story and some neat high-res graphics.
Cygni: All Guns Blazing, developed by KeelWorks and released by Konami, is a visually stunning vertical shmup with twin-stick shooter mechanics. While it offers full freedom of movement and innovative power management between shields and missiles, it has a few drawbacks such as lengthy stages and inconsistent difficulty spikes. Despite some frustrating elements, its cinematic presentation and engaging gameplay mechanics make it a noteworthy addition to Konami’s Shmup catalog. If you’re a fan of shmups looking for something fresh, Cygni: All Guns Blazing is worth checking out.
CYGNI may not be the new "benchmark in shoot 'em ups", but it's still a fun game with a great passion for a genre that has almost become a niche one.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Cygni: All Guns Blazing is the best-looking shoot 'em up out there, and along with its epic soundtrack, it's a treat for the eyes and ears. But a number of issues, such as its stages being too long and the screen often being simply too busy, mean that it doesn't fulfil its potential.