CYGNI: All Guns Blazing review for PS5, Xbox Series X, PC

I have played many vertical shooters in my Gaming life, and there have been some very difficult ones that I would eventually master. But, when I booted up CYGNI: All Guns Blazing for the first time, I underestimated it’s impact it would have on my skills. I THOUGHT I was good, but I got humbled while still having a great time.

After remains of a lost civilization is found on the planet CYGNI, Earth forces succumb by a surprise attack from a powerful alien force, hellbent on destroying everything in their path. As one of the last pilots on the last carrier in the fleet, you are the only line of defense against this unmatched force, and the last hope of the lost civilization. While the main story can seem somewhat generic, it’s the presentation itself that will draw you in. If you have ever played fantastic vertical shooters like Dodonpachi or even the incredible Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire on the PC Engine, then you will feel right at home here. That’s not to say you will triumph as this title will, in fact be your judge, jury and executioner. You think you are good at shooters? … This game will prove you wrong!

The enemy AI does NOT play around and you will die, often. However, it never gets to the point of total frustration as you will keep coming back for more and more with each defeat. Playing long enough and never giving up is the key, as you can spot patterns that might get you through some tough areas, but not always. You have a unique system where you don’t collect weapon powerups like in most shooters of this kind, but rather pick up energy that you can distribute between your weapon power and your shields. Putting all of the power into your shields will protect you from harm as long as it lasts, but will decrease how powerful your weapon is. Adding more power to the weapons is dangerous as it will remove power from your shields and leave you vulnerable.

It’s best to keep an eye on both your shield and weapons meters to balance it out as best as you can. You don’t get many breaks in the action, so try to maintain the balance if and when an opportunity arises. Personally, in a firefight, I try to keep my shields charged as much as possible and work on the weapons whenever I can, as there so much trying to kill you here, staying alive is sometimes your only option. The level of difficulty is kind of insane, as even setting it to Easy will be tough as nails. Games this difficult may turn off some players quickly, but fans of these type of shooters will likely stick with it for longer. This game does not hold your hand at all, and even hardcore fans might have some trouble with the later missions.

I mentioned Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire earlier, mostly because that game is what I immediately thought of when I first fired this game up. The outstanding visuals and animations will drop your jaw, but you will have very little time to fully enjoy them as you’ll be dodging about 700,000 enemies and bullets right from the start of Mission 1. I got distracted many times looking at the backgrounds that I would take hits I could of avoided, but everything is so well presented you can’t help but stare sometimes. I feel that some of the graphics, like your ship and some enemies, for example, can look a little too small and can get lost in the large playfield. When two players play, it can also get difficult keeping track of yourself with everything on the screen at once. The audio is nothing to ignore, as the music, explosions and even the small ambient noises from background animations will completely pull you in to the world, as it completely decimates you.

I do suggest that before diving in, that you play through the tutorial level. There are many controls that you need to get acquainted with before you take on the main missions. Once I completed the tutorial, I felt better about the controls and did somewhat better in my playthroughs. Using missiles, and switching where your power goes mid fight takes getting used to, but with practice you can get the hang of it quickly.

CYGNI: All Guns Blazing is a very surprising release. These kind of games usually aren’t done well enough to garner attention from today’s gamers, but Konami really hit it out of the park with this one. It can be difficult and seem a little unfair at times, but that is what makes a great vertical shooter. The challenge is real here, and you feel accomplished when you finally make it through that difficult area. If you are a fan of these classic style, vertical scrolling shooters, or just looking for a solid challenge, then CYGNI: All Guns Blazing has you covered. Definitely check this one out anyway you can, you won’t be disappointed.

Note: Konami provided us with a CYGNI: All Guns Blazing PS5 code for review purposes.