Konami’s historical past is steeped in shoot-‘em-ups, from the 1985 arcade traditional Gradius to so-called cute-‘em-ups like TwinBee. Because the Japanese writer slowly begins to embrace its previous once more, it’s picked CYGNI: All Weapons Blazing, a nostalgic nod to the blasters of the previous – albeit one developed by KeelWorks, a studio based mostly within the unlikely metropolis of Edinburgh.
Whereas this vertical bullet hell affair clearly has an affinity with the 90s shooters of previous, its glitzy visuals remind us extra of a recent Housemarque launch; the nebulous “recreation really feel” is beautiful, with the display shaking every time you lay waste to one of many title’s many alien invaders. Regardless of the promise of a deeper plot, its bookending cutscenes and in-game lore library doesn’t add a lot worth, however that gained’t cease you from having fun with the moment-to-moment motion.
Progress is hard on the usual issue tier and above, as you’re restricted to only a solitary life, though a threat/reward defend system provides depth. Certainly, you possibly can decide to stash your defences or reroute energy into your ship’s weapon module; you possibly can then expend whole blocks of assets of homing missiles. You may customise your firing patterns, and even simply swap between aerial and ground-based fight, a transparent nod to Namco’s Xevious.
Whereas levels solely final 10 to fifteen minutes, they pack a lot of content material, and a few of the set-pieces are completely excellent. With simply seven ranges it does imply the title has a comparatively quick working time, however clearly outings of this ilk earn a whole lot of their endurance from repetition and mastery, and that’s no completely different right here. There’s a native co-op choice so as to add longevity as effectively, though we didn’t get the chance to check it throughout our evaluate.
In the event you’ve been on the lookout for a extra fashionable tackle Touhou, Radiant Silvergun, or any of the various different bullet hell shooters in the marketplace, CYGNI: All Weapons Blazing ticks the field. It’s quick, it’s frantic, and it seems to be frankly unbelievable at instances. And contemplating it’s being flogged at half the worth of most different fashionable PS5 titles, it represents comparatively affordable worth for cash, too.