CYGNI: All Guns Blazing Review

OUR RATING: 8/10

CYGNI: All Guns Blazing is a modern-day revival of classic shoot ’em ups, with an intense bullet hell twist that will put even the most experienced players to the test. KeelWorks has managed to create an experience that blends nostalgia with technological innovation, taking the genre to new heights.

Set in a war-torn future, you take control of a ship on Cygni Prime, a planet on the brink of annihilation. CYGNI ’s narrative is simple but effective, serving as the perfect backdrop for the frenetic action. What really stands out here is the sense of urgency and danger that permeates every moment of the game.

From the very beginning, CYGNI throws you into high-stakes situations where every move must be calculated with precision. The learning curve is steep, but as you learn enemy attack patterns and upgrade your ship, the game becomes an incredibly rewarding experience. In other games, your battleship will usually be destroyed by just one attack. Here, your ship will not be destroyed by one attack because it has its own Health Bar. In fact, you can sacrifice your Health Bar to convert it into energy that strengthens your shots.

The main challenge of this kind of game is how you avoid every bullet that shoots at you and the amount is very much without knowing the word rest. Since the first level, this game has immediately given you a fairly high challenge because your enemies always come one after another in groups without knowing the time.

Your enemies also do not hesitate to shower you with bullets with certain patterns that require you to keep moving to avoid them. Although the variety of enemies themselves is not much and repetitive, sometimes there are also special enemies who have different attack patterns from ordinary kroco-kroco. At the end of each level, of course there will be a boss that you must face. Each boss has a unique attack pattern so you must stay focused and observant to avoid their attacks.

There’s something incredibly satisfying about overcoming hordes of enemies and towering bosses after multiple failed attempts. The difficulty may be daunting at first, but with patience and practice, you’ll find true joy in mastering the controls and emerging victorious.

One of the biggest surprises in CYGNI is the upgrade system. As you progress, you earn points that can be used to improve your ship in a variety of ways. Additional weapons, support drones, and improvements to targeting and defense are just some of the options that allow you to adjust the gameplay to your style. This customization makes the game even more engaging, offering new strategies with each attempt.

The alternation between aerial and ground combat is one of the game’s highlights. Enemies come from all directions, and it’s up to you to decide when to use specific weapons for each situation. At times, the screen is so full of enemies and gunfire that it’s almost a miracle to survive. However, it’s precisely in these moments that CYGNI shines, offering an experience full of pure adrenaline.

The ability to quickly switch between different weapon types, plus the need for quick reflexes and precision, makes each stage a tense and engaging battle. With each level completed, the feeling of achievement is enormous.

Graphically, CYGNI is a masterpiece. Each level is an explosion of colors and impressive visual effects. The environments are detailed and varied, and the explosions and gunshots are rendered in a way that creates an atmosphere of controlled chaos. The soundtrack and sound effects perfectly complement the action, increasing immersion and tension.

CYGNI’s visual display is quite extraordinary for a Shoot’em up game. The background environment that becomes your battlefield looks very detailed and there are lots of particle fragments flying in the air. The explosion effects from weapons colliding with each other also look beautiful, like watching fireworks on New Year’s Eve.

One of the amazing things about this game is also seen from its stunning CGI display. For a game class that comes from an indie developer, the quality really exceeds expectations. This is inseparable from the role of Nareg Kalenderian, who has been involved in Pixar animated films.

CYGNI: All Guns Blazing is a triumphant return to the shoot ’em up genre, offering an experience that is both challenging and rewarding. The steep difficulty may put some players off, but for those willing to put in the time and effort, the game offers one of the most intense and satisfying experiences in the genre.