Use Weapon Variants & Runes Effectively
Every weapon as two variants, all of which are effective in particular situations. It’s easy to fall into a committed playstyle. Personally, I much prefer the combat shotgun’s sticky bombs over full auto, and my runes are almost entirely catered toward glory kills. I love the plasma rifle’s heat blast, as it’s great for massacring groups, but the microwave beam is incredibly deadly against Doom Hunter shields. Blasting them with standard rounds works, but the beam will do the trick in a fraction of the time.
Similarly, The rocket launcher’s lock-on burst is effective against heavier demons in smaller encounters. The ballista’s destroyer blade is devastating against pain elementals and heavies in general, and the arbalest rips through larger groups. The chain gun’s energy shield deflects projectiles while shredding through demons, and the mobile turret will quickly stagger heavies.
Runes are more subjective, but one I’ve found undeniably essential is the aforementioned Punch and Reave. It rips through groups, and as often as you melee demons for glory kills, having them drop health is ideal. However, some situations call for specific runes. I often swapped them out to cater to certain battles. You’ll discover your own playstyle, but don’t overlook the many tools in your arsenal, as they all have a role to play.
Complete Mission Challenges
Every mission presents you with three challenges that test your demon-slaying prowess. Completing them rewards you with sentinel batteries that serve as currency in the fortress of doom to unlock additional upgrades. Challenges also encourage you to rethink your strategy. In doing, you inherently begin to play smarter. Mission challenges also update weekly, providing a ton of replayability.
Find Secrets & Collectibles
This tip is a cross between practicality and fun. On one hand, seeking mission secrets leads to Praetor suit points, weapon mods, and sentinel batteries, all of which are critical for progression. On the other, you’ll discover a variety of collectibles, including toys, iD Software records, codex entries, and cheat codes. The fun in searching for them are the many platforming puzzles you face to get there. Eternal’s traversal is exceptional, and flawlessly combining double jump, dash, monkey bars, and climbing to reach that treasured cacodemon toy is a blast. Plus, it’s nice to see your collectibles on display in the fortress while jamming to old-school Doom tunes.
For more on Doom Eternal, you can read our full review here.