It’s Thursday: you know what that means? Time to stop Hell from taking over planet Earth by ripping and tearing your way through them as the Doom Slayer. DOOM Eternal has finally released; if you are playing the game now, you may have noticed how intense the enemy encounters can be. Here are five tips to aid you in Doom Eternal’s difficult combat sequences.
Keep moving
This might seem obvious, but do not stop moving. Always keep the Doom Slayer jumping, dashing, and running throughout the various environments. If you don’t, the demons will surely get to you.
Constant movement also helps with organizing your thoughts during battle. DOOM Eternal’s combat is very deliberate and requires a lot of your attention. You have to always be aware of your ammo, armor, and health, as well as the type of enemies that have spawned. Moving gets you out of those sticky situations that allow you the time to breathe and think about your next move.
Find a line
As sort of an extension to the last section, I found it helpful to find a “line.” What that means is finding a route or two that allows you to observe your surroundings and act accordingly. It’s easy to just play aggressively in DOOM Eternal without really knowing what is happening on the screen, but more often than not, that approach will end in death. Finding a line allows you to move without really thinking. It becomes routine, letting you actually think about what is happening within the chaos.
Use your entire arsenal
Typically when I find a weapon I like in a game, I stick with it. It is my main weapon, and I’ll use it for just about every encounter. That is not really an option in DOOM Eternal.
The reason I said you have to be aware of the enemies that spawned in the first section is that each enemy has a weak point. Some weapons are more effective at taking out those weak points than others. As such, you have to be familiar with your entire arsenal, and be ready to use a weapon you may not necessarily like.
That doesn’t mean I didn’t have a favorite gun. The Super Shotgun was my main weapon as it was a great way to traverse the environments more effectively thanks to its hook. However, if I saw a Cacodemon, I’d immediately use my ballista as it deals more damage to flying enemies.
This also extends to the Flame Belch (flamethrower), grenade, chainsaw, and Glory Kills. Using these are your means for survival. Enemies on fire will drop armor, chainsaw deaths give you ammo, and glory kills give you health. It is imperative to know where you stand in each of these areas and act accordingly.
Know your enemies’ weaknesses
I’ve mentioned it a few times now, but know your enemies’ weaknesses. Each demon has a weak point. Exploiting it will only benefit you, and help you make the encounter less stressful. DOOM Eternal does a good job of introducing enemies at a pace that lets you soak in all that information easily and naturally. Knowing how to take down the demons effectively is not only satisfying but a whole lot of fun.
Don’t be afraid to “waste” ammo on your big guns
There are a couple of heavy duty weapons you’ll garner near the end of the game, both of which have been shown in previous trailers. These are the BFG-9000 and the Crucible (the lightsaber). Each of these essentially instantly kills every enemy save for Marauders (the shielded demons who have the annoying dog). Since they are so powerful, ammo for both weapons is limited. Despite that, do not be afraid to waste that ammo.
As with all ammo, you should be mindful when thinking about using the Crucible or BFG-9000. There are definitely moments where you are “supposed” to use it. For example, I wouldn’t use the Crucible to take out imps or the BFG for a grouping of zombies. You will want to use them for when combat gets overwhelming. When that happens, no matter what you see in front of you, don’t be afraid to use those big weapons. Even if ammo is sparse, not progressing through the level is a bit more frustrating.
There are tells for the most optimal times to use these weapons. Typically, if you see BFG or Crucible ammo lying around, that means there will be a moment where you will want to use it. More often than not, this meant an Arch-vile or Cyberdemon will spawn sometime during the encounter. I highly encourage you to use the Crucible, BFG, or both at this time. It’ll make that encounter so much easier.
DOOM Eternal is available now on PS4, Xbox One, Google Stadia, and PC.
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