8/24/2015 - "Xerania's Fall v3" by EZkeel

[Jigoku]

Map Title: Xerania's Fall v3
Author: EZkeel (Simon West-Bulford)
From: Xerania's Fall v3
Filename: Xerania.unr
Music Files: K_vision.umx, Newmca16.umx, Warlord.umx




Video Playthrough:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwUWc1xt3JI

Synopsis: The player enters a huge crumbling Skaarj base. Get the hell out!

Discuss!

[UB_]

A great classic brought you by JHC
The illegal owner of Newmca16.umx, really.

[Semfry]

Guess I'll put my old comment, but I'll consider updating things later, given the video is so old it's when Youtube still had a video length limit (update done!):

It's somewhat ironic that one of Ezkeel's first maps is one of his most grand and detailed (albeit still pretty simple). It's a pretty massive map with quite a bit in it, although the whole "alternative worlds" concept seems a bit half-baked and seems to suffer from Ezkeel not really having the skill to pull it off, the water world in particular has very little identity at all. Plus progression is kind of vague at times (and easily breakable in the Krall world's case). Combat gameplay is pretty simple, but some of the Brute clusterfucks are quite well done (actually, this is probably one of the few maps that does Brutes some justice). I'm not actually sure I've played the (much superior) V3 version before, as I always remember having a lot of trouble with the lift.

[Semfry]

This is still a very ambitious map, and probably Ezkeel's biggest outside of one or two Legacy maps. The start is kind of odd as it seems like it's supposed to be some sort of frantic defence, but it seems like nothing really happens? Maybe difficulty changes it somewhat. The time travel concept of seeing the location change is cool though. The main tower is a lot more playable with the lift change, although the teleporters are kind of simple. As I said before, of the extra locations the water area feels much more simple than the others, and it doesn't seem to connect to the story like the other two either. The face that opens in Krallous is still a really interesting mover though.

I think there's a perception that Ezkeel's maps got more preachy as they went along, but replaying this makes me realise this is probably second only to Legacy in that regard, given the Christian stuff is pretty central to the plot. It makes me wonder if "Xerania" is supposed to have some sort of meaning, since it's apparently supposed to such an abomination it can only be defeated with the Lord's help or something yet it doesn't seem to have much to it beyond being some experimental creature (unless there's something I forgot in the sequels). As for the fight itself, it's actually easier to just stand back and shoot Xerania than to take the intended route of activating the crusher, since the arena makes it's harmless if you stand behind a pillar, it's health doesn't seem to be changed much and it has super-long reach with it's melee hits.

Edit: Oh I thought Xerania was a persistent villain in the series, but now I remember it isn't in the later ones, so I guess it probably is some throwaway monster.