One of the trademarks of the Doom series is the sheer quantity of firepower available to the player in each title. While other games limit you to only a few weapons, the Doom Marine can carry an entire arsenal on his back without ever slowing down. From shotguns to chainsaws, he’s got nearly every tool of destruction available under the sun.
With the upcoming release of Doom Eternal this March, which brings a plethora of new chaotic tools to complement an already formidable roster, we thought we’d take a look back at the weapons available in the previous game. Here are the 10 best weapons in Doom.
10 Your Bare Hands
Guns? Who needs ’em? Though not a conventional weapon, our first entry is as deadly as any other on this list. The Doom Marine himself is a force to be reckoned with, even without any futuristic guns or high tech blasters.
This is especially true in the most recent game, where the Glory Kill system saw players rending demons limb from limb with nothing but the Doom Marine’s hands. Add to that the Berserk power-up, and the Doom Marine becomes an unstoppable demon-slaying machine as he literally eviscerates his foes.
9 Combat Shotgun
Although the first weapon you technically receive in the game is the pistol, the Combat Shotgun can be considered the first proper entry into your ever expanding arsenal. Obtained after a short tutorial section, this gun quickly becomes players’ first choice when conquering the early levels.
Add to the Shotgun its useful mods, which can turn your bullets into grenades or release a rapid fire burst, and it becomes adept at defeating the legions of Hell. It’s not the best weapon in the game, but it gets the job done.
8 Plasma Rifle
The Plasma Rifle can be found early in your journey through the UAC facilities, and it’s something you’ll want to have on hand. This gun releases a rapid fire barrage of charged particles, mowing down weaker demons and burning through the shields of stronger enemies.
Additionally, the mods to the Plasma Rifle let you stun your foes to keep them trapped in place as you attack them, or build up a heat reserve to release a devastating blast of energy. It’s a handy tool to keep on hand for all your encounters.
7 Gauss Cannon
The Gauss Cannon can be found in multiple places in Doom, including tucked away in a secret location in a mid-game level. It uses the same ammo as the Plasma Rifle, but to much greater effect, sending devastating arcs of energy at a distance to incinerate the demons.
The Gauss Cannon is a precision weapon, evidenced by the fact that one of its mods gives it a sight allowing you to zoom, sniper rifle style. This can work against it in Doom’ tight levels and fast paced combat, but it’s still a force to be reckoned with.
6 Chaingun
Though not as high tech as some of the other weapons on the list, the Chaingun is without a doubt an excellent gun to have. It especially comes in handy during boss fights, where you need to deal a great deal of damage without letting up for an instant.
To balance its power, the Chaingun does need a moment to spin up before it can be fired. Once it begins, though, it will shred every single demon you cross paths with to pieces before they even have a chance to fight back.
5 Heavy Assault Rifle
The Heavy Assault Rifle is not the best weapon in the game, and some of the earlier entries on this list are even better than it in certain situations. However, it is a great all-rounder weapon, one that can easily be used in nearly any circumstance, regardless of what you’re facing.
It has two mods that enhance its abilities as well - a sight that can help with accuracy, and micro missiles to fire at targets. These both help to flesh out the Heavy Assault Rifle as a versatile tool in the Doom Marine’s kit.
4 Rocket Launcher
The Rocket Launcher is exactly what you’d expect it to be - a powerful gun that fires explosive projectiles, dealing incredible damage. This also comes with the drawback that if used in close quarters, you’ll damage yourself as well as the demons.
Despite this risk, the Rocket Launcher is still the best tool for dealing with pesky Cacodemons or distant foes. If you find yourself up against a particularly tricky boss fight, this gun can also burn their health down easily, making it a solid choice for any demon slayer.
3 Chainsaw
Rip and tear, indeed. The Chainsaw is found early in Doom, and can be used to one hit kill every ordinary demon you come across. This will reward you with a shower of generic ammo that will restock your other weapons and ready you to deal with the hordes of Hell.
The Chainsaw does have limited fuel, though, and needs to be upgraded to store more. This is the only way to use it against more powerful foes, which require multiple fuel charges to kill. It’s still an excellent tool, both for taking down threats and restocking your supplies.
2 Super Shotgun
The Super Shotgun - a classic weapon, and a perfect choice for the number two spot on our list. This gun will absolutely obliterate any demon that get too close, packing more of a punch than the Combat Shotgun, but with the drawback of only working at extremely close range.
The Super Shotgun also needs to be reload after every pull, making it slower than the other weapons in the game. But when you’re eliminating a demon with pretty much every shot your fire, does that really matter?
1 BFG 9000
Could our top pick ever have been anything else? The BFG 9000 is a monster of a gun, both in size as it dwarfs every other weapon you’ve got, and in power as it packs a punch unlike anything else in the game.
One blast from the BFG 9000 is enough to take out an entire room of low level demons, enough to instantly kill some of the toughest base enemies in the game, and enough to take down the biggest and baddest endgame bosses. It’s an icon of the series for a good reason, and our pick for the best weapon in Doom.
NEXT: 5 Reasons We’re Excited For Doom: Eternal (& 5 Things We’re Worried About)
