We are just a couple of days away from the formal release of Bethesda and id Software’s newest game, DOOM: The Dark Ages. Set before 2016’s critically lauded DOOM, the Slayer teams up with the Sentinels of Argent D’Nur in a medieval war against Hell’s demons. The new entry features new characters to meet, planes to explore, and most importantly, guns to rip and tear with in the series’ biggest campaign yet.
Arguably, the most important facet of any DOOM game is its guns. There is a certain expectation for the Doom Slayer’s arsenal, especially with series staples, like the Super Shotgun or the BFG. DOOM: The Dark Ages introduces some brand-new weapons, as well as some of these beloved staples with a fresh coat of medieval paint. We’ve played through the entirety of the campaign, testing out the various guns available to the Slayer. While the new entry’s arsenal features a ton of variety that all feel great, some stand out above the rest. Here are the five best guns in DOOM: The Dark Ages.
1) Ballistic Force Crossbow (BFC)
The Ballistic Force Crossbow, or shortened as BFC, is DOOM: The Dark Ages‘ variant of the BFG. Unlike previous entries, this incredibly powerful weapon is fashioned as a crossbow rather than a big… freakin’ gun.
This interpretation of the beloved weapon isn’t too different from its predecessor. Players simply point, shoot a bolt, and watch a giant green explosion decimate every demon on the battlefield. The BFC in DOOM: The Dark Ages feels a bit extra powerful, as it can really destroy anything with a shot. The Slayer can only hold 3 bolts at a time, but unless players are using 3 shots during on combat sequence, it isn’t too hard to find ammo.
The BFC is far and away the most powerful gun in the game, and is definitely one of the best DOOM: The Dark Ages adds to the Slayer’s arsenal.
2) Rocket Launcher
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Another weapon synonymous with id Software in general is the Rocket Launcher. Although not as iconic as Quake‘s version, DOOM has had its fair share of great interpretations of the explosive weapon. As one would expect, DOOM: The Dark Ages has its own Rocket Launcher, albeit with a slight twist that is incredibly beneficial for the Slayer’s survivability.
Typically, one of the drawbacks of the Rocket Launcher is self-inflicted damage. The weapon is usually used from a distance so that the explosion doesn’t hurt the user. That changes in DOOM: The Dark Ages, as players can upgrade the Rocket Launcher to actually heal the Slayer when they cause self-damage after a successful parry.
Since much of the gameplay of DOOM: The Dark Ages requires players to be aggressive and get up close to the enemy, this works incredibly well. If a player finds themselves low on health and has no health pack in sight, they can simply parry the enemy, shoot the rocket launcher at their feet, and get free heals. This helped quite a bit when things would get a bit hairy. It may not be as powerful as some would like, but at least it still benefits the Slayer greatly.
3) Cycler
The plasma weapons in DOOM games don’t typically find themselves in the spotlight too often. However, there is usually some reason to use it. In DOOM: The Dark Ages, using either the Cycler or the Accelerator will help players take down enemies with energy shields. The Accelerator is also a great close-range damage option. However, it was the Cycler I found to be a solid overall go-to weapon option when dealing with a mob.
Along with being significantly more accurate than its counterpart, the Accelerator, the Cycler applies a Shock effect to enemies that take enough damage. This status effect increases the damage the Slayer does to the enemy affected. When the Shocked enemy is killed with the Cycler, it applies to enemies nearby. So, it can become this chain of Shocked enemies just getting obliterated from a range that is a bit safer.
4) Shredder
The Shredder is essentially DOOM: The Dark Ages‘ assault rifle. This is probably the most boring gun on the list, but it is tremendously useful. This is mostly due to its long-range damage. Each shot does the same damage, no matter how far you are from the enemy. Since the gun shoots in a relatively straight line, it makes it an incredibly valuable tool to be used when dealing with enemies from medium to long range, especially in one-on-one situations.
It does have some utility when dealing with mobs of enemies. There is an upgrade called Ricochet, which bounces bullets off an enemy after stunning them with a shield. This helps get rid of small enemies, as well as get some decent damage in on some of the more powerful ones.
Again, this is definitely one of the more boring weapons in DOOM: The Dark Ages, but it is one I found myself going back to throughout the entirety of my playthrough.
5) Super Shotgun
Maybe unsurprising to everyone, the Super Shotgun is one of the best weapons in DOOM: The Dark Ages. Arguably, it is also the most versatile. This is because, as mentioned before, the gameplay typically has the enemy getting up close and personal with the Slayer. More often than not, the player will find themselves just inches away from a demon, making a shotgun the perfect weapon for the majority of encounters.
The Super Shotgun, paired with an upgraded shield and flail, gives players essentially all the tools they need to take out almost every enemy, including bosses. Although it is limited in range and has a slower reload time, it is still effective from a further distance than one would think, and the reload time is fast enough to be done between parries, so it is hardly ever an issue. It can also do increased damage to armored enemies, which is very useful. Its only drawback is that its effectiveness towards energy shields is pretty low. However, players can upgrade the Slayer’s shield to instantly kill those enemies when throwing the new weapon.
DOOM: The Dark Ages‘ Super Shotgun is an incredible weapon that synergizes with the rest of the Slayer’s weaponry. Combined with the shield and flail gives players the power fantasy they expect from modern DOOM games, and continues id Software’s tradition of making some of the best shotguns in gaming.
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