Developer: Andrade Games
Publisher: OtakuMaker.com
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
1917 – The Alien Invasion DX – Review
Top-down shooters have always been a rather interesting genre, albeit repetitive and nowadays the genre seems to only be good for clones of older titles, or uninspired hogwash. Nonetheless, most of these games actually end up being decent, or fun for shorter periods of time, which makes them great to play in-between bigger titles. That aside, there are a few diamonds in the rough that surface now and then, to bring something new to the genre in terms of gameplay, style or even story. We believe 1917 – The Alien Invasion DX is one of those titles that might just give a little nudge forward to the genre.
Story
It seems that in this game’s 1917 things went a lot differently, as our planet is currently being swarmed by alien invaders, and we are pretty much beaten to the ground. Only one person rises up, with an airplane that is capable of thinning out the hordes of monsters and swoop in for the final kill. This is pretty much all the information you’ll get at the start of the game, with a very German-like theme. The latter makes it both funny, as well as attractive, that the Germans are the savior during this period of time. Nonetheless, don’t hope for too much story content, but the content you’ll get in the form of small texts is rather original and actually gives the game a very fun atmosphere.
Graphics
1917 – The Alien Invasion DX has Super Nintendo-like graphics, which means you’ll be treated to a pixilated explosion and gore-filled shooter. You’ll notice that even though the game may look old school, there’s a sufficient amount of different enemies, the effects are done in a proper fashion, and from time to time, things get rather bloody as well. Overall, this would have probably blown up your Super Nintendo with all the things going on at all times, but still this old school look fits the game like a glove. We reckon if this was done with modernized graphics, the game would have lost its edge, especially given the fact it situates itself around a different 1917 than we know today.
Sound
The game has a rather upbeat soundtrack, bordering music that would suit the themes of a war movie, albeit in a somewhat chip-tuned sense. You’ll be able to enjoy a different tune per stage, while enjoying the sounds of explosions, your constant cannon fire, as well as that of your enemies, and a demon-like announcer that occasionally speaks a word or two. The latter is a true mood setter, and we regret it isn’t used more often.
Gameplay
1917 – The Alien Invasion DX is in all honesty a very simplistic top-down shooter, and it’s because of said simplicity in combination with the theme that this game ends up being very likeable. You’ll have to choose your favorite plane (two at the beginning, four at the end) and dive in the action. Other than the story mode, or the option to replay separate levels, you won’t find anything special, but again, the game doesn’t need any extra whistles and bells.
Overall you’ll notice that every plane flies a bit differently, has a slightly different arsenal of weapons, and you can easily pick the one you fancy the most. You’ll have a main attack, which is fairly weak, but tends to cover a lot of the screen when powered-up, compared to your alternate fire, which dishes out a lot more damage, but is more concentrated. Last but not least, you’ll have a special attack which can be used once per life, as we did not encounter a power-up to refill said weapon, which is a shame, as some normal power-ups come way too frequently.
This game is hard, not because of the enemies, as you’ll learn to dodge a lot rather quickly, but because this is one of those ‘one hit, and you die’ titles, you’ll certainly see that death counter go up in a matter of minutes. If you have a shield, you can take up to two hits, which is still hardly anything. Nonetheless, we get what the developers were going for, but an easy mode to start unlocking the levels and planes would and could have been nice for those who aren’t that good in reflex-based games, but still love to play them.
Conclusion
1917 – The Alien Invasion DX is a blast, albeit one that comes with a high difficulty curve. Nonetheless, those who cling on to this title will soon enough battle their way through the levels and experience a hefty amount of boss fights. Those looking for a retro experience, with a fun theme and atmosphere, might just want to give this one a go. We were rather fond of the ‘guts’ this game possessed, both figuratively and literally.
1917 - The Alien Invasion DX - Review,
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