Cygni: All Guns Blazing

CYGNI: All Guns Blazing absolutely nailed it. It succeeds spectacularly in its mission to modernize the shoot 'em up genre and once again made me truly enjoy an arcade shoot 'em up game.

72%Game Brain Score

gameplay, graphics

optimization, grinding

67% User Score Based on 270 reviews

Critic Score 77%Based on 14 reviews

Platforms

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About

Cygni: All Guns Blazing is a single player and multiplayer arcade shooter game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by KeelWorks and was released on August 5, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

It's a twin-stick vertical scrolling Shooter hybrid with a cinematic flare: An unrelenting onslaught of eye-popping visuals, ear bursting soundscapes and mind-melting action makes Cygni the vanguard for the next generation of shoot-em ups.

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67%

Audience ScoreBased on 270 reviews

gameplay41 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

Stunning graphics and visual effects that enhance the overall experience.
Fast-paced gameplay that offers a challenging yet rewarding experience for players.
Unique mechanics that allow for strategic power management between shields and weapons.

Excessive difficulty spikes, especially in the first stage, can be frustrating for players.
Lack of clear tutorials and explanations for mechanics, making it hard for new players to grasp the gameplay.
Long stages with repetitive enemy patterns can lead to a tedious experience.

gameplay
133 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
65%
4%
The gameplay of "Cygni: All Guns Blazing" is characterized by its fast-paced and frenetic action, requiring players to multitask between managing shields and weapons while dodging a barrage of enemy fire. However, many players find the mechanics overly complex and difficult to grasp, leading to frustration, especially with the steep learning curve and convoluted energy management system. While the game boasts stunning visuals and a dynamic experience, the gameplay loop can become repetitive and lacks the engaging depth found in traditional shmups, making it a mixed bag for fans of the genre.
- “The gameplay is smooth and responsive, with tight controls that allow for precise maneuvers, dodging enemy fire, and unleashing devastating counterattacks.”
- “Each encounter demands players to adapt to different enemy behaviors and environmental challenges, keeping the gameplay fresh and engaging throughout.”
- “Fast and frenetic gameplay, excellent graphics, nice cut scenes, satisfying bullet dodging, cool enemy designs - this is easily worth a purchase when on sale.”
- “It's also very difficult to understand the system mechanics — from how the weapons work to the meaning of the HUD elements.”
- “The gameplay is just way too complicated at first; it's more RPG-like than bullet hell shooter.”
- “Unfortunately, the gameplay loop just doesn't work here.”
graphics
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
44%
3%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning visuals and modern aesthetic, blending retro-inspired designs with high-quality effects that create an immersive experience. However, many players note that the overwhelming visual complexity can hinder gameplay, making it difficult to navigate amidst the chaos of bullets and enemies. While the graphics are a highlight, they are often seen as insufficient to compensate for gameplay shortcomings and performance issues.
- “The game's art style merges retro-inspired sci-fi aesthetics with modern effects, resulting in visually captivating scenes that keep players immersed in the cosmic battlefield.”
- “The graphics are absolutely incredible, playing this on a big OLED and you just feel immersed.”
- “It masterfully blends classic arcade gameplay with stunning modern visuals and audio.”
- “The game as a whole begins to terribly irritate just at the first level from the combination of all the above factors and the graphics do not save the situation.”
- “This game is just too fancy with the graphics, but ignores performance optimization and the gameplay.”
- “There's potential here, but overall I recommend skipping this; I feel like I paid $20 for graphics, $5 for the actual gameplay, and $5 for the new ideas towards a good shmup.”
story
84 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
83%
4%
The story in "Cygni: All Guns Blazing" is generally viewed as underwhelming, featuring a basic and short narrative that lacks emotional depth and progression, with only seven missions and minimal character development. While some players appreciate the concise cinematics, many criticize the disjointed storytelling and repetitive mission structure, which detracts from the overall experience. Environmental storytelling and subtle narrative elements provide some context, but the gameplay often overshadows the story, leaving it feeling incomplete and lacking engagement.
- “I appreciate how there is a decent story that is told in concise 20-second cinematics instead of wasting your time with huge expositions.”
- “While the story takes a backseat to the gameplay, subtle narrative elements and environmental storytelling provide context and motivation, enriching the overall experience without overshadowing the core action.”
- “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.”
- “The story is plain and far too short, leaving no emotional impact or sense of progression.”
- “The main character kinda sucks and there is no depth to the story.”
- “The game has practically no story whatsoever.”
music
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
49%
10%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its energetic and immersive qualities that enhance gameplay, while others criticize it as dull, repetitive, or mismatched with the game's atmosphere. Many players appreciate the orchestral and cinematic elements, but some find it generic or disconnected from the action. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a highlight by some, but a significant drawback by others, reflecting a divide in player preferences.
- “The soundtrack complements the intense gameplay perfectly, with an energetic score that enhances the urgency of every battle and adds to the overall immersive experience.”
- “The gameplay mechanic is super enjoyable, graphics are amazing, and the soundtrack is perfect for the world immersion.”
- “I think the soundtrack is really good; in my opinion, it ties in very well with the game and helps set the vibe, especially when things get hectic.”
- “The background music is dull and repetitive, which makes the overall atmosphere feel lifeless.”
- “Music is the worst pseudo-orchestral slop I've heard in years and the sound effects are ear-grinding.”
- “Sometimes, I want to shut off the music completely as it is tone-deaf to the game's presentation.”
optimization
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
66%
17%
Overall, the game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting performance issues such as frame rate drops, stuttering, and poor performance during intense action sequences, even on high-end hardware. While the graphics are praised for their quality, they seem to come at the cost of smooth gameplay, leading to a consensus that the game requires further optimization to enhance performance.
- “Performance scales down well to low-end hardware, but there are slight FPS dips in the busiest sections.”
- “Cygni: All Guns Blazing is a fun, challenging game with gorgeous visuals and, no less important, almost perfect optimization.”
- “Game optimization - it's terrible.”
- “The game is unpolished and needs optimization.”
- “At launch, there are performance issues with big framerate drops (shader compilation stutter?) even on an RTX 4080 + 7800X3D system at 1080p 60fps, which is pushing the envelope for shmups.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and confusing, particularly regarding the upgrade system and resource management. While some enjoy the challenge and potential for fun through grinding, many casual players feel overwhelmed by the necessity to grind for upgrades, especially on easier difficulty settings. A notable tip is the use of the Konami code to bypass some of the grinding frustrations.
- “The upgrade system is confusing and grindy if you want to put the time in.”
- “The easy setting gives you three lives, but the game requires a lot of grinding for casual players who dislike high difficulty.”
- “There's definitely fun to be had here if one spends time with it (and it does take some time in easy difficulty to get used to how it plays as well as check off some small upgrade boxes, like ground damage actually being useful, so keep that in mind, or the 'Konami code' will skip the unlock grinding).”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is often derived from its absurdities and design flaws, such as an out-of-place comedic moment during a character's suit-up and the chaotic gameplay that turns item management into a comedic math problem rather than an engaging challenge. Players find amusement in the game's shortcomings, suggesting that the humor is unintentional yet entertaining.
- “It is funny that when there are frequent item spawns, the main focus becomes basic calculus of items flying on the screen and pressing the convert button rather than paying attention to dodging bullets or shooting the enemy.”
- “Funny thing about shmups, though?”
- “Va-esque pilot, presumably the one in the ship you will be controlling, with a nice panty shot during the 20-second suit up while a generic pop rock song plays; it is very funny for how out of place it is.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while it offers strong incentives for score attacks and mastery through leaderboards, many players find it lacking in variety and depth for casual play. The emphasis on challenging missions can enhance replayability for dedicated players, but accessibility issues may deter average gamers from returning.
- “This not only enhances replayability but also encourages thoughtful decision-making as you prepare for increasingly difficult missions and boss encounters.”
- “The focus on high scores and global leaderboards encourages mastery and replayability.”
- “Lacks variety and replayability.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
33%
Reviewers feel that while the game's visuals are inspired by iconic films and are visually appealing, the character development is lacking and could have been more robust to enhance the overall experience.
- “The character development in this game is incredibly engaging, allowing players to form deep connections with the characters as their stories unfold.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, each with their own unique arcs that make the experience feel personal and immersive.”
- “The depth of character development adds layers to the gameplay, making every decision feel impactful and meaningful.”
- “For an eye-pleasing game like this, they could've included a bit more character development.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is criticized for being lifeless, primarily due to dull and repetitive background music that fails to engage players.
- “The background music is dull and repetitive, which makes the overall atmosphere feel lifeless.”
- “The environments lack detail and creativity, resulting in a bland and uninspiring atmosphere.”
- “The lighting is too harsh and uninviting, contributing to a cold and unwelcoming atmosphere.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is criticized for its lack of depth, as the short and simplistic story fails to create a meaningful impact or a sense of progression for players.
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game has not been directly addressed in the provided text, but the mention of difficulty in avoiding bullets suggests that players may feel pressured to spend money on upgrades or items to enhance their gameplay experience. Overall, the game's marketing may not align with player expectations regarding its strategic elements.

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77%Critics’ scoreBased on 14 critic reviews

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9h Median play time

7h Average play time

4-10h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Cygni: All Guns Blazing is a arcade shooter game with science fiction theme.

Cygni: All Guns Blazing is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, Mac OS and others.

On average players spend around 7 hours playing Cygni: All Guns Blazing.

Cygni: All Guns Blazing was released on August 5, 2024.

Cygni: All Guns Blazing was developed by KeelWorks.

Cygni: All Guns Blazing has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its optimization.

Cygni: All Guns Blazing is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include DRAINUS, Enemy Mind, Sky Force Anniversary, Revolution Ace, Bleed and others.

Cygni: All Guns Blazing

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