Konami’s history is steeped in shoot-‘em-ups, from the 1985 arcade classic Gradius to so-called cute-‘em-ups like TwinBee. As the Japanese publisher slowly begins to embrace its past again, it’s picked CYGNI: All Guns Blazing, a nostalgic nod to the blasters of the past – albeit one developed by KeelWorks, a studio based in the unlikely city of Edinburgh.

While this vertical bullet hell affair clearly has an affinity with the 90s shooters of old, its glitzy visuals remind us more of a contemporary Housemarque release; the nebulous “game feel” is exquisite, with the screen shaking each time you lay waste to one of the title’s many alien invaders. Despite the promise of a deeper plot, its bookending cutscenes and in-game lore library doesn’t add much value, but that won’t stop you from enjoying the moment-to-moment action.

Progress is tricky on the standard difficulty tier and above, as you’re restricted to just a solitary life, although a risk/reward shield system adds depth. Indeed, you can opt to stash your defences or reroute power into your ship’s weapon module; you can then expend entire blocks of resources of homing missiles. You can customise your firing patterns, and even easily switch between aerial and ground-based combat, a clear nod to Namco’s Xevious.

While stages only last 10 to 15 minutes, they pack a lot of content, and some of the set-pieces are absolutely outstanding. With just seven levels it does mean the title has a relatively short running time, but obviously outings of this ilk earn a lot of their staying power from repetition and mastery, and that’s no different here. There is a local co-op option to add longevity as well, although we didn’t get the opportunity to test it during our review.

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.

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Cygni: All Guns Blazing (PS5)
Cygni: All Guns Blazing (PS5)

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