Game:

Doom II: Hell on Earth (1994)

Category:

Vlog

Duration: 22:14

187 views

8

Welcome back for some more Doomy goodness, folks. Today we're going to check out a favorite of mine called Intergalactic Xenology Trilogy, a 16-level Boom-compatible collection of maps made by Dreadopp and Lord_Z. Intergalactic Xenology Trilogy (which I'll occasionally call IXT from now on for brevity) is actually a compilation of three episodic collaborations between the aforementioned creators that uses the texture pack of skillsaw's magisterial megawad Ancient Aliens. When they were released on their own, the first two episodes of IXT were runners-up at the 2020 and 2021 Cacowards respectively, so we know from the start that we're in for a real treat. Let's see what those pesky aliens are up to now!

Basic info
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IWAD: doom2.wad
Difficulty: Ultra-Violence (pistol start)
Map author: Lord_Z
Music: "Ocean of Truth" by Jimmy
Port: DSDA-Doom 0.27.5
Compatibility level: 9 (Boom v 2.02)
QoL mods: Colored Blood, Ultrawide Statusbar (from Ancient Aliens)
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Additional notes
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Everything feels familiar, as if you've been here before...and you have, but things are also quite different. It's only now occured to me that the episode finales all have titles that rhyme: 'The Clouds Have Eyes'/'The Walls Speak Lies'/'The Silent Cries'. How fitting that IXT should properly end with 'Shatter Fate's Ties', a nod to the idea of taking control and breaking free. This is our chance to do it, to stop the cycle and demolish the fourth wall. The opening is basically identical to 'Astrological Upload', something that should help you quickly nab the first two secrets. Afterwards, we're treated with a beautifully scripted visual sampler of the various locations we've visited over the course of fifteen levels, before landing into a courtyard complex dominated by a gigantic, awe-inspiring green alien head and peppered with a cornucopia of monuments like ziggurats and obelisks. The glorious harmonies and melodies of Jimmy's "Ocean of Truth" do a lot of heavy lifting, and while the action might not be up to par for most of the map, the way in which we must hunt for key switches in order to enter the head and engage in a post-climactic showdown is a wonderful way of doing storytelling. The ending remains slightly ambiguous, but my understanding is that the scientists were perhaps not evil but simply trying to gather data and to test your resolve and resourcefulness against a real-life alien invasion of Earth that happens off-camera, and whose denouement leaves us with a cliffhanger. Considering that we were successful and passed every test thrown at us, though, we're left with the feeling that humanity will prevail as long as they have Doomguy. 'Shatter Fate's Ties' is a great wrap-up, and like many of the best levels of Ancient Aliens, it flawlessly uses pop culture tropes in order to create a very satisfying and idiosyncratic experience.

This brings us to the end of Intergalactic Xenology Trilogy, thank you for watching my playthrough, and thank you to Dreadopp and Lord_Z for creating a fantastic spiritual successor to Ancient Aliens. Extra thanks to Tristan Clark, Jimmy, and Dragonfly for providing the soundtrack. Please read the wad's text file for the complete list of credits.

See you all in the next Doom adventure!

Secret 1: 0:02

Secret 2: 0:15

Secret 3: 13:14

Links
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WAD:

https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom2/Ports/megawads/dzintxnt

QoL mods:

Colored Blood:

https://www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/118074-dsda-doom-source-port-v0243/?page=16

Ultrawide Statusbars:

https://github.com/NightFright2k19/doom_widehud

Other Statistics