DOOM Eternal’s monsters and weapons are a blast

In a video for Noclip, DOOM Eternal’s Game Director Hugo Martin noted “We wanted to definitely bring as many characters from DOOM II back as we could. I think we’ve gotten all of them!”

The second mainline game in the franchise, Doom II: Hell on Earth, was a full game available boxed in stores, unlike the initial release of the original game with its shareware distribution model via BBS downloads and demo diskettes. DOOM Eternal takes inspiration in the story from DOOM II which, as the title implies, involved demons from Hell attacking Earth.

Among these returning monsters are the rotund cyclopean Pain Elemental. It’s a real stout foe that burps up fireballs.

Another returning favorite is the Arachnotron. A delightful mechanized organic mash-up of a spider, grenade launcher, and a sentient brain (think Krang from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) - it can latch onto ceilings and fire multiple rounds from its turret of danger.

Everyone remembers the self-immolating Archvile from Doom II with its ability to revive its fallen creepy comrades. In the DOOM Eternal version of the Archvile, it has a killer firewall and and can blast licks of flame at you in short order.

The common Soldier enemy has an aggressive melee attack that he’ll dish out if you dilly dally too much on the battlefield.

Now, it’s time to look at some of the new villains. Whiplash is the first female demon of the series - a sort of Medusa creature, she slips back and forth with alarming speed and aggressive whipping.

Adding to the series Lovecraftian influence is the Tentacle. Bursting from the ground to keep players on their toes, this prickly appendage will make you tense as you lurk around the next dark corner that lies ahead.

The Marauder is a big boss monster you face a few times during the course of DOOM Eternal. Carrying a large axe with energy blades in one hand and a shotgun in the other, this is quite the beast to beholder.

There’s also the Doom Hunter, a fun nod to the cyberpunk elements of the game - a half skeleton torso is armed with a chainsaw and a cannon. Doom Hunter moves via a combat hover sled flanked with gleaming turrets and anti-air ordinance.

A most gruesome enemy is the Carcass. Doffing a mechanical eye, its one-two punch of flame thrower and rocket launcher might lead you to a fiery grave if you’re not careful.

A big focus of DOOM Eternal is changing AI for the enemies to further challenge the player. The enemies often switch up their tactics, and so should you.

We’ve discussed the monsters, but surely there is a way to fight them, right? You don’t go around giving the demons from Hell tender kisses, do you? Of course not!

You fight them with loads of amazing weapons, a hallmark the Doom saga is revered for. The Blood Punch is an early upgrade that mashes groups of up-close enemies into a pulp.

Its juicy animation brings to mind the Berserk Pack power-up from the original DOOM. Operating off a limited fuel supply is the chainsaw which can bifurcate the bad guys with the best of them.

Everyone likes to maul monsters up close and personal, but guns are where it’s at for the DOOM Slayer. With that in mind, the Combat Shotgun is fine for dispatching weaker foes.

Even better is its sticky bomb modification that really makes its power stick to the ribs of thine enemies. Making its return is the much beloved Super Shotgun. It even has a grappling hook you can use to close the distance between you and your opponents before letting loose with a blast that’s up close, personal, and more than a little sloppy.

Long distance warriors will delight in the Heavy Cannon. Its high rate of fire makes it the perfect pick to soften up creepies from a distance. Depending on how you mod it, you can fire tiny rockets or precision bolts.

Energy weapon enthusiasts will glom onto the Plasma Rifle with its ultra fast blasts. Its Heat Blast mod works wonders against shielded enemies.

Rocket Launchers have always been reliable weapons in DOOM, and DOOM Eternal’s take is no exception. The Remote Detonate mod adds a bit more strategy to the fun as you can determine when the rockets pop off.

Another oldie, but a goodie, is the Chaingun which combines power with speed. The Mobile Turret mod lets you quintuple your fun to greet the demons with a five-chaingun surprise.

The Ballista is a novel addition to your arsenal, a kind of medieval meets sci-fi take on the crossbow. The Destroyer Blade mod gives it an extra punch when you need it the most.

Of course, the weapon most gamers think of when DOOM comes to mind is the BFG 9000. The one in DOOM Eternal does not disappoint with its green energy tendrils laying waste to everything in its path.

Disposable throwable weapons include the hearty hearty Frag Grenade and the Ice Bomb. The latter works a bit like the Freezethrower from Duke Nukem 3D. Hit an iced-over enemy enough times and it shatters!