Konami’s latest game turns the retro space shooter into a blockbuster

After nearly a decade of treading water, Konami is slowly rebuilding itself. The legendary publisher will release remakes of both Silent Hill 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, both of which will usher Konami back into the world of big-budget console gaming. Those projects join a collection of retro revivals, including this year’s Contra: Operation Galuga, showing that the company is willing to return to its most beloved franchises. It isn’t just digging up old IP, though. Its publishing efforts are still looking toward the future, even if through nostalgia-tinted shades.

In that sense, its most intriguing game isn’t one of its mega remake but something much smaller. Cygni: All Guns Blazing, a new space shoot ’em up launching on August 6, is the debut game from developer KeelWorks with publishing being handled by Konami. It’s a callback to one of gaming’s foundational genres as players blast waves of enemies from a top-down perspective. I recently demoed the upcoming game, checking out its first few levels. It’s both familiar and a wild swing for the genre, bringing in more complex mechanics and a cinematic art style. Call it modern nostalgia — a phrase that might just describe exactly what to expect from a refreshed Konami in 2024.

Shoot ’em up, evolved

When I say “space shooter,” you probably have a strong visual in your head already. I imagine that you’re picturing a vertical scrolling screen with a small ship at the bottom that unleashes energy shots at enemies dancing in patterned waves. You’d be halfway to understanding Cygni at that point, but you’d still be surprised as soon as you booted it up. It opens with a fully animated cutscene that looks like it was pulled from a Pixar movie. We see our plucky pilot jump out of bed and get ready for a mission all while some energetic music plays. Once I get some story setup and jump into my plane, the camera seamless swoops out of the cockpit and locks into that familiar top-down perspective. Its an early sign