Verdun, 1917 - The endless swarms attacked from the sky...
1917 - The Alien Invasion DX is an old-school, arcade-style retraux Vertical Scrolling Shooter made by the German Indie studio, Andrade Games. And unsurprisingly given the name, it's a homage to the Capcom classic shump 1942, but set three decades back.
Set in 1917 (what the name said), in the middle of World War I, Earth was caught in the middle of an Alien Invasion when invaders from an unknown planet takes advantage of the ongoing war to attack, en masse. Taken by surprise, the alien forces are threatening to overwhelm humanity, and it's up to Germany's best scientists to unveil their top weapon, the Red Beelzebub, outfitted with state-of-the-art tech, and piloted by Major Dr. Brunhild Stahlmüller, to take the battle from earth to the aliens' home planet and save humanity from extinction.
Trust only this: An iron will and a heart of steel.
- Assist Character: Dr. Brunhild can summon literal Valkyries as backup after collecting enough power-ups; they're depicted as nude women (seen from the back) with gigantic wings and carrying huge swords, who sweeps across the arena and damages every onscreen enemy before leaving.
- Asteroid Thicket: In the third level, when the Red Beelzebub leaves earth after defeating Mad Rocket Slave in France and makes her way to the alien homeworld. An asteroid cluster gets in the way, and unlike most space-theme shumps the asteroids here can't be destroyed.
- Beethoven Was an Alien Spy: According to the briefing before the Star Palace stage, it turns out the aliens have been observing humanity for a long time, centuries prior to their invasion. In fact, Jesus Christ is an emissary sent by the aliens!Christ was no prophet, no son of any sane or benevolent god; no, he was an emissary, an ambassador, a slave to an alien race from beyond the cosmic wall that separates our world from the uncaring darkness of outer space.
- Bullet Hell: Oh yes, the onscreen bullet density can get absolutely intense during boss battles. Just like the old-school arcade games that inspired it.
- Camera Abuse: Occurs at the end of each boss fight - the slain bosses blows up and covers the screen in bloody smears!
- Cool Plane: The Red Beelzebub, a high-tech biplane outfitted with stolen alien tech which can fly through outer space!
- Deadly Distant Finale: Sort of, the end credit text reveals Dr. Brunhilde who defeated the aliens is now old and sickly, on her deathbed - while awaiting the outbreak of another World War.
- Excuse Plot: There are aliens, and the player has a Cool Plane equipped to kick ass. What plot?
- Meaningful Name: The player-controlled protagonist is named Dr. Brunhild, from the Germanic shield-maiden myths with the same name, and she can summon Valkyries as a backup.
- Monstrous Scenery: In the last stage, Agonized Rebirth; prior to facing "Verbannter Gott" the Abandoned Deity (the Final Boss) the Red Beelzebub flies past a huge, demonic-looking alien monstrosity
too big to even fit in a single frame. Said creature somehow takes up three screens' worth of space, but is otherwise harmless - it's the enemy drones in the foreground the Red Beelzebub need to worry about. - My Brain Is Big: Mad Rocket Slave "Grosshirn der Krankheit" is an alien giant whose forehead takes up most of his body. Fittingly he can use Psychic Powers to spam projectiles as a boss.
- "Not So Different" Remark: The ending credits somehow reveals that despite the alien invasion being thwarted, and humanity's peace restored thanks to the Red Beelzebub, two decades later World War II still happens, just like in our world, and humanity is as savage and brutal as the alien invaders who nearly wiped us out.With no invaders left to unite the different nations, war thus returned to earth and Brunhilde wondered, old and sickly on her deathbed, if what she saved had been worth saving - and if not, given enough time, a new Empress or Emperor of the Stars would rise in the form of a human.
- Organic Technology: The invading alien race appears to run on organic tech, with their ships and vehicles looking alive. When Red Beelzebub arrived on the alien's world, the landscape looks suspiciously flesh-like as well.
- Outside-Context Problem: The aliens are these according to the backstory - Europe is busy ripping each other apart in the middle of the First World War, when the aliens suddenly decide to attack and wipe out most of mankind's army almost effortlessly. It's up to the German prototype super-weapon called the Red Beelzebub to save the day.
- Scenery Gorn: The landscape isn't looking too swell in the aftermath of the invasion, with most of the city in ruins. It's still downplayed compared to the usual carnage-laden outputs Andrade Games is known for (see SturmFront: The Mutant War and Heidelberg 1693 for some serious gorefests).
- Spread Shot: One of the Valkyrie's first available upgrades, turning it's turrets into a spread of three. A further upgrade turns the spread into fine green lasers.
- Throne Room Throwdown:
- The first boss, Chessmaster "Überlegener" Herrscherbock, is a giant alien fought in his throne room. He's seated the whole battle and attacks by spamming projectiles from his face. He remains seated on the throne even after his head blows up upon defeated.
- Unterhändler der Götter is fought using a similar template, seated on a throne the entire battle and attacking the Red Beelzebub via projectiles.
- Congratulations, you are a true bullet hell warrior!
