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[Agent_4Seven]

OT title by Punished Miku​

 

[Punished Miku]

Can't wait. The game is definitely a looker.

 

[Arsic]

Curious how this does. I’m skeptical if it’ll be a good shmup but it may be a good game.

 

[Magic Carpet]

Need to start posting Gaf leader boards. I expect to be at the top.

 

[Punished Miku]

Need to start posting Gaf leader boards. I expect to be at the top.

Just pray that NeoIkaruGAF doesn't play this then.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Nice OT as always! Picking up my copy later today and will give this game a spin.

 

[Agent_4Seven]

Curious how this does. I’m skeptical if it’ll be a good shmup but it may be a good game.

Judging by reviews I've seen, they're promoting the game as an entry point for the new shmup players, but in reality it isn't, there's quite a learning curve you need to get through and play the game on easy first to unlock upgrades and then go for harder difficulty levels.

I wish I could buy it on Steam, but it's been blocked for RU region. I guess I need to find a way to get it on EGS for free then.

 

[Shadowstar39]

Konami ? Am i reading that right?
What systems? Epic game store, hell no, guessing timed exclusive...grrr. I can wait for steam.

This looks great, we don't get shmups anymore, and with todays tech it could be awesome. Would also like some actual 3d first person aracde space shooters.
Fast action, get in to the fighter, launch out of a carrier and do missions, think x-wing game from back in the 90s. Or open world freelancer style..
Those aren't shmups though. There can be room for both.

It's kinda strange how the genre just died out after ps2 era.

 

[Shadowstar39]

Judging by reviews I've seen, they're promoting the game as an entry point for the new shmup players, but in reality it isn't, there's quite a learning curve you need to get through and play the game on easy first to unlock upgrades and then go for harder difficulty levels.

I wish I could buy it on Steam, but it's been blocked for RU region. I guess I need to find a way to get it on EGS for free then.

oh its going to be a free game..well then, thats the only time i use epic, lol

 

[nikos]

Nice OT.

Game looks great. Was going to pick it up on Steam but it's going to be free on EGS this Thursday, so I might as well wait a couple of days. I've really been in the mood for a shmup lately so it should be nice.

 

[TintoConCasera]

Reminder that it will be given for free on the EGS from the 8th until the 15th.

Thanks Tim.

 

[Icymanipulator]

Reminder that it will be given for free on the EGS from the 8th until the 15th.

Thanks Tim.

No excuse to not get it then, very cool

 

[Crayon]

Woof someone let us know if you can turn off the camera shake when you get it.

 

[simpatico]

So hyped for this. It will be free on Epic on Thursday.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

For the price of actually free I'll definitely try it. Probably the first free game on epic I'll play lol

 

[Evil Calvin]

Looks interesting. Good price (less than 1/2 the price of a AAA release). The physical is the same price as digital. Was eyeballing it last night on Amazon and then this morning, saw only 4 copies left. Snatched one up.

 

[anthony2690]

All buns glazing!

Curious what people think off this game, I'll get it soon most likely.

 

[00_Zer0]

All buns glazing!

Curious what people think off this game, I'll get it soon most likely.

Can't speak for the final game, but I played the demo, and it had shader compilation issues, and severe stutter. What good fast paced Shmup do you know that has stutter?

Also, this has dual analog control, and I believe every button and trigger is used as well. Definitely a steep learning curve to learn the controls, and sometimes you feel like you don't have enough fingers or hands to get the job done.

Overall, the demo was so bad, that I decided not buy the game. It will be interesting to see what kind of improvements were made to this game, and to see if it reviews well. Who knows if enough people say it's good I may pick up the game.

 

[Punished Miku]

Also, this has dual analog control, and I believe every button and trigger is used as well. Definitely a steep learning curve to learn the controls, and sometimes you feel like you don't have enough fingers or hands to get the job done.

That's interesting. Sounds like initial impressions might be worse than impressions once you get used to it. Looking forward to trying it within the hour.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

For the price of actually free I'll definitely try it. Probably the first free game on epic I'll play lol

Same

 

[sono]

Came for the Buns

Great OT

 

[Pejo]

I'm really interested in this game. Looks like good old fashioned fun, but I will wait for impressions from GAF.

 

[Magic Carpet]

I've been watched a full walkthrough. Someones already completed the game.

All the areas look very similar and the music is dramatic orchestra.
Very Bullet Hell if your into that kind of thing, (I am)

 

[Agent_4Seven]

Came for the Buns

Great OT

You'll only see them in the opening intro (which is amazing) - keep your expectations in check

*****

Played a game for a bit. You definitely need to play the tutorial to understand how the game works (I recommend doing it at least a few times to understand everything better).

So basically there's two plains you can shoot the enemies in - the air and the ground, and if you won't be shooting the ground units - you're fucked. There's also energy routing mechanic which allows you to give more energy to the shileds or to your weapons depending on the situation, you need to manage that on the fly while aslo dodging bullets and enemies (there's a crap ton of them on the screen) and I like that a lot.

It takes time to get used to how you need to play the game and don't fuck things up, but it's really satisfying and so as the amazing visuals, the art, the atmosphere and the sense of scale of everything. It is literally the best looking shmup I've ever played in my life. But, it's UE game and there's NO shader precompilation after you start playing the game for the first time so there's a lot of stutters during gameplay.

 

[Punished Miku]

Yeah the tutorial alone is a lot for this genre.

 

[Punished Miku]

1st impression is a mixed bag. Had to drop from medium to easy almost instantly. Still on easy it is surprising how aggressive enemies are on stage 1. They do some interesting flight paths you dont really see in shmups where they just kind of aggressively get in your face and fire and keep repositioning rapidly. Feels like they are aggressively trying to hit you and sometimes difficult to read their movements.

I died a couple times to incredibly thin bullets I almost didnt think were shots for a sec. Presentation can make it a bit tricky. Sometimes I am hoping for more noticeable hit reaction so I can tell Im doing damage. Little vague. Sometimes I cant tell if enemies are on the ground or air.

I dont know what Im doing wrong but clicking the stick doesnt turn on homing shot like in the tutorial. Hitting x isnt switching pattern either.

Shield system is fun. Energy pickups default to shield but you can divert to guns on openings to pummel enemies then back to shields. Full shields let you get hit like 4x so more than most games like this.

Stage 1 of 7 took 15 min. So definitely a traditional short arcade shmup.

On to stage 2. Still not sure what I think honestly. Also, the music so far is pretty weak.

 

[Punished Miku]

Boss 2 down. Really enjoyed it. Juggling the energy levels is fun. You have to manually transfer to the weapons, then a missile shot expends a charge. Then power up weapons again. Then collect shields. All while doing everything else.

Still not understanding how homing works or pattern switch.

 

[Hyphen]

Have played for about an hour, and here are my thoughts -

(I'll encourage everyone to go through the 'tutorial' first, and place the difficulty on easy before going into Stage 01)

I've reached Stage 03 (haven't played it yet though), and this is certainly the type of game that will grow on me the more that I play. I do enjoy it, and I know I will enjoy it much more as I get the hang of it. Absolutely got lost at first when confronted by the wealth of options that were available, but I'm starting to get the hang of it in terms of switching energy points, ground and air enemies, how the 'upgrade' menu works, and switching gun presets. The gun presets will certainly be important when replaying as I've already started switching between a wider arc, and a narrow arc depending on what wave I'm facing. However, I'm not sure what the 50% sections mean above all the available preset slots. I guess it will become clearer as I play.

There are still some other things that I'm not sure of their function, but I'll gather that on my next playthrough, as I'm certain some things only unlock when you complete the game or purchase a specific upgrade. This is my only gripe so far with the game in my opinion - It's not made clear enough how everything works. The tutorial is a good intro to it all, but I feel like it could have been more precise in its explanation of things. Maybe it's just me though, as like I said, I'm starting to understand how things work now.

I'm playing on PS5, and the game is gorgeous to look at, despite the odd framerate hiccup here and there. I sometimes think there really is too much going on as the enemy waves gather to attack, because I'm never sure if I've actually cleared everything during an initial wave. It's just explosions absolutely everywhere. However, I felt a similar feeling when I first played the original Söldner-X: Himmelsstürmer. A side-scrolling shoot 'em up, that was so frustrating at first, but made so much sense the more I played. This will happen with Cygni.

The music is a strange one for me. It's certainly not bad in any way, and it's definitely dramatic and beautifully orchestral, but I feel it doesn't quite fit the atmosphere when playing. The only theme/tune that does (which I like) is when cycling through the MISSIONS/UPGRADES/BADGES/LIBRARY menu. That's just personal taste I guess, and no disrespect meant to the composer who I'm sure put a ton of effort into the in-game music.

Overall, really enjoying the game, and absolutely happy with my purchase. Will play again tomorrow.

 

[Punished Miku]

Have played for about an hour, and here are my thoughts -

(I'll encourage everyone to go through the 'tutorial' first, and place the difficulty on easy before going into Stage 01)

I've reached Stage 03 (haven't played it yet though), and this is certainly the type of game that will grow on me the more that I play. I do enjoy it, and I know I will enjoy it much more as I get the hang of it. Absolutely got lost at first when confronted by the wealth of options that were available, but I'm starting to get the hang of it in terms of switching energy points, ground and air enemies, how the 'upgrade' menu works, and switching gun presets. The gun presets will certainly be important when replaying as I've already started switching between a wider arc, and a narrow arc depending on what wave I'm facing. However, I'm not sure what the 50% sections mean above all the available preset slots. I guess it will become clearer as I play.

There are still some other things that I'm not sure of their function, but I'll gather that on my next playthrough, as I'm certain some things only unlock when you complete the game or purchase a specific upgrade. This is my only gripe so far with the game in my opinion - It's not made clear enough how everything works. The tutorial is a good intro to it all, but I feel like it could have been more precise in its explanation of things. Maybe it's just me though, as like I said, I'm starting to understand how things work now.

I'm playing on PS5, and the game is gorgeous to look at, despite the odd framerate hiccup here and there. I sometimes think there really is too much going on as the enemy waves gather to attack, because I'm never sure if I've actually cleared everything during an initial wave. It's just explosions absolutely everywhere. However, I felt a similar feeling when I first played the original Söldner-X: Himmelsstürmer. A side-scrolling shoot 'em up, that was so frustrating at first, but made so much sense the more I played. This will happen with Cygni.

The music is a strange one for me. It's certainly not bad in any way, and it's definitely dramatic and beautifully orchestral, but I feel it doesn't quite fit the atmosphere when playing. The only theme/tune that does (which I like) is when cycling through the MISSIONS/UPGRADES/BADGES/LIBRARY menu. That's just personal taste I guess, and no disrespect meant to the composer who I'm sure put a ton of effort into the in-game music.

Overall, really enjoying the game, and absolutely happy with my purchase. Will play again tomorrow.

Accurate.

Game is really growing on me already. I didnt even touch the upgrade menu yet. Looking at it now that answers a lot of my questions.

So you have to manually create your pattern presets? This is wild. I dont have enough points for hardly anything. Definitely designed to be replayed repeatedly.

 

[Hyphen]

That's interesting. Sounds like initial impressions might be worse than impressions once you get used to it. Looking forward to trying it within the hour.

Hmm, I feel this will absolutely be true. I'm hoping initial buyers will be patient and persevere, as it's quickly becoming quite clear to me that there could be a great title underneath the initial bombardment of new things that the game is asking you to learn/decipher.

 

[Punished Miku]

Beat stages 1 and 2 twice. Got homing shot. Game is awesome. No wonder stage 1 felt like a blur the 1st time. One of the most aggressive 1st stages ever. Feels like you're flying through an enemy army single handedly.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Watched some gameplay vids on YT.

A different kind of twin stick shooter. This game you'll get hit a lot but have a shield mechanic to it. So the complete opposite of typical games where it's one-hit death or maybe a few hits (losing weapons) and then death.

 

[nikos]

Game is free on EGS right now. Going to try it in a bit.

 

[Punished Miku]

Beat stage 3 last night. Really fun, but the boss was slightly odd. Visually cool but I honestly couldn't quite tell what he even was lol. Some kind of weird membrane bug?

 

[Solarstrike]

This game has got to be the hardest shmup up there with Target Earth (Genesis) Mushihimesama, and Ikaruga (arcade), yet with more complex gameplay mechanics which are nonetheless devious af. You have to constantly keep manipulating your ship abilities if you want to progress. Made it as far as the giant walking crab/octopus thing. What the devs fail to realize is that I don't give up too easily! Fukc yeah here we go, death number 37 I ain't got time to bleed

 

[Punished Miku]

It's pretty slick how you can use missiles by clicking right stick, homing off/on on left stick and energy manipulation on the bumpers. So you technically don't have to move your hands at all except for pattern alteration button.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

This is the real Axelay 2?

 

[kurisu_1974]

Konami ? Am i reading that right?

It is made by some Scottish studio though. Getting flashbacks of those horriblle eurostyle shmups on the Amiga

 

[Magic Carpet]

Downloaded it free from Epic Game Store, Game launches to the menu then just no controls do anything, Keyboard, Controller, Can't press escape, enter, nothing works.
Have to Task Manager to quit.
Anyone know what I might be doing wrong?

Edit-Holy heck I just launched it from within Steam Big Picture Mode and everything works.
Open Epic with Steam Big Picture Mode and then launch the game.

 

[BlackTron]

Downloaded it free from Epic Game Store, Game launches to the menu then just no controls do anything, Keyboard, Controller, Can't press escape, enter, nothing works.
Have to Task Manager to quit.
Anyone know what I might be doing wrong?

Weird. I connected my Xbox controller AFTER launching the game and it worked. Prompts changed between keyboard and controller on the fly as well.

Do you have any controller applications running? Even Steam can screw things up depending on what your settings are. Try killing any of that stuff.

 

[Magic Carpet]

Weird. I connected my Xbox controller AFTER launching the game and it worked. Prompts changed between keyboard and controller on the fly as well.

Do you have any controller applications running? Even Steam can screw things up depending on what your settings are. Try killing any of that stuff.

Yea I just got it working by launching it through Steam. I've done this before on another game. Just another reason Steam is the place to be.

 

[BlackTron]

Yea I just got it working by launching it through Steam. I've done this before on another game. Just another reason Steam is the place to be.

Honestly man that's hilarious. Glad it's working.

 

[Punished Miku]

Stage 4 down. Really cool boss. I love this game.

 

[Magic Carpet]

Stage 4 down. Really cool boss. I love this game.

I don't understand the controls, I need to do the tutorial again.

 

[Punished Miku]

I don't understand the controls, I need to do the tutorial again.

There's still stuff in the tutorial I havent unlocked. Going to just figure out what I can on my 1st run then look up stuff. Still havent figured out how you make gun patterns.

 

[[Sigma]]

I plan to get around to this before Astro Bot releases hopefully.

 

[jshackles]

Played the first few levels - had this on my radar thanks to the excellent OT here, and no reason not to play it thanks to Epic giving it away for free.

I suck at shumps, but this is pretty solid.

 

[BlackTron]

I only tried launching the game once but I picked New Game and it threw me right into the first level. After losing to the first boss several times I could tell I wasn't figuring out all the mechanics so I looked for a tutorial. I ended up just looking at the controls screen that was the only guide I had. All I can do is get its shield down.

Gonna try to find this tutorial you all are talking about again today WTF.

 

[gunstarhero]

Game is deeper than what I would have thought. Still trying to wrap my head around the load out/power up systems. The Shield/Weapons management is pretty awesome - though I will admit changing the option to have that hud up at all times really helps.

Great game - though it definitely would benefit from a better tutorial.

 

[Evil Calvin]

Tried stage 1 on easy and I still suck. Got to the boss but instantly died. One thing I hate is that there is no checkpoint system and if you die, nothing carries over. It's start again at the beginning of the level. I've tried 3x and .....I get nothing. But it's still cool and a pretty intense game. I felt a bit worn out even after I got to the level 1 boss.