Abscission
By Snaxalotl - 32 Maps
Format: Vanilla
[Download]
Started: August 20th 2026
Finished: August 21st 2026
Status: Completed
[STARCANNON399'S DEAN OF DOOM SEASON 4 WAD REVIEWS: PART 6 - ABSCISSION]
Damn I got through this one fast. Abscission is... eh. Of all the wad's I've covered this might be the one I have the least to say about. It really just is "Doom 2 again but everything's dark and a bit spooky". Snaxalotl does a better job of level design than id Software did, but many maps still have equally wack and annoyingly confusing progression in then, and I can't say the atmosphere really grabbed me. When you're still running around supershotgunning guys for 32 maps, some darkness and ambient music doesn't really do much. Maps 31 and 32 both rely on weird vanilla glitches for their gimmicks, but while 31 at least still mostly works, 32 completely falls apart if you can't get the compatibility settings right. I tried 4 different sourceports and several different compatibility settings and i STILL couldn't get map 32 to work as intended. I question the need to map around a weird glitch that seemingly is patched out of nearly every sourceport ever, and it's a shame because 32 probably would've been the only map here that did something unique enough to warrant talking about.
Even the Dean of Doom episode isn't one I have too much to say about. It's Doom 2 but darker and a bit spooky. It does do a great job of making Abscission seem more interesting and horrifying than it actually was to play, but its vanilla simplicity doesn't leave much to discuss. Considering how it ended though, I hope MtPain takes a long break after finishing Season 4, it seems like he desperately needs one. Considering the hints we've gotten between the Patreon and the RoC25th episode, I've got a pretty damn good idea of what WAD is up next (Drake O'Brien Ovational Megawad), and considering how long it is I'll probably have to get started right away in order to finish it on time.
Rating - ⭐⭐⭐
Favorite Map - Map 29: "Epiclesis"
Least Favorite Map - Map 19: "Phosphene"