10 Best Weapons In DOOM History - Ranked
5. Rocket Launcher - Doom & Doom 2
The rocket launcher is one of the first truly meaty weapons you get your Doom Slayer mitts on in the original Doom games, and the first one that truly does any long-range damage. It also, however, did splash damage, making it one of the few weapons that could do as much damage to you as it did to the hordes of Hell, if not more.
The primary reason for the rocket launcher's inclusion here is because it was the first weapon to let you start thinking tactically, and not just running and gunning your way across the maps.
Want to camp somewhere in multiplayer and snipe away? Want to strafe across wide open spaces during boss fights yet still concentrate fire on one area? Want to try this crazy thing called 'rocket jumping' to make it to a secret area? Or do you just want to enjoy the sight of powerful ordinance making its way across an entire map to blast the bejeezus out of whatever was waiting on the other side, and never having to get your hands dirty?
The rocket launcher was your best friend in all these scenarios.
Later games would let you upgrade your rocket launcher with controlled detonations, target lock-ons, and other gadgets, but for pure explosive mayhem, it was tough to beat watching a rocket sprite get smaller before it blew up a group of demons in the first games.