10 Best Weapons In DOOM History - Ranked

Being the Doom Slayer is much like being a connoisseur of fine dining. Just like a gourmand wouldn't dare use the wrong spoon for soup or fork for dessert, the Doom Slayer never wants to use a shotgun when a plasma rifle is called for.

Since the original Doom slapped us all in the face back in 1993 (and this writer remembers patiently, slowly downloading the shareware on a 56K modem,) the game has always been about more and better.

From a basic arsenal in Doom 1 to Doom Eternal's expansive collection of guns, launchers, and gadgets, the Doom games have continued to deliver evermore powerful tools of destruction and mayhem, letting you choose playstyles and customize your character.

Got a thing for explosives? Upgrade your shotgun. Prefer getting up close and personal? Dump your weapons and get at it hand-to-hand. Love lightshows? Bust out an energy weapon and pretend you're Pink Floyd.

There are, however, some weapons that stand out for one reason or another - classic, timeless tools of the trade that let the Doom Slayer inflict maximum carnage and chaos throughout the worlds he finds himself traversing.

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NOTE - this list will not include any multiplayer-only weapons, despite how many excellent ones there are. These weapons are vanilla game and DLC only.

Despite prophecies and destiny, the Doom Slayer is, at heart, a soldier; a professional warrior who can turn his hand to any weapon, including, well, his hands.

Some argue that if you are down to using your fists (complete with spiked knuckles in Doom 1) that you're done for.

Others take the opposite tact, that fighting back with only your hands to get past a group of possessed soldiers to the sweet, sweet ammo pack you can see at the end of the hall presents you with one of the best challenges, and feelings, in the game.

Going hands-on becomes better when you run across the Berserk powerup, a short-term power boost that puts you into beast mode, splattering demons left and right with your fists while your eyes glow white with energy.

Doom 2016 turned up the volume even more on this concept with Glory Kills, special up-close and personal melee attacks that happen when you inflict enough damage on a foe to see it start glowing orange.

When this happens, and when you're in range, the Doom Slayer will break necks, tear off arms, gouge out eyes, and all other manner of gruesome finisher. Because Glory Kills are often tied to Achievements (and are just damn fun to see) the game practically begs you to experiment with different ways to perform these Kills.

Out of ammo doesn't mean out of options!