Beating Doom Eternal on a standard difficulty is impressive enough, but doing so on the masochistic Ultra-Nightmare setting is incredible. According to IGN it’s something even the developers haven’t managed to achieve and they built the thing.
Thanks to some speedrunners and long-time Doom professionals like DraQu who have managed to pull it off there are some techniques the average gamer can learn from them to do it themselves. It’s still brutal and requires incredible skill, but these tips will make it a bit more bearable.
Updated December 10th, 2020 by Hodey Johns: After getting feedback from players who have accomplished this feat, this list has been revised to more accurately state the tips that were the most important for those who have completed this tall order. While it’s certainly still one of the single most brutal tasks in video game history, practice, dedication, and a few timely tips should help readers finally check this box off of their to-do list.
10 Practice On Nightmare And Extra Life Nightmare
First thing’s first, learn how to beat the game on Nightmare without the permadeath system. This will pleasantly teach the ropes of how difficult each encounter is and what tactics are required to beat each scenario. Once comfortable on Nightmare, ramp up the difficulty a bit with Extra Life.
Among the many things that don’t make sense about the Doom franchise is a permadeath system but with the ability to manually use more lives. Still, the setting makes for great practice. After beating the game in this stage without losing too many lives then it’s time to take the plunge into Ultra.
9 Memorize Spawn Locations
Plenty of FPS games can boast that they are harder than Doom Eternal, but Ultra-Nightmare makes this difficulty a totally different animal. As such, it takes not only skills in combat but skills with the mind in order to win.
Watch any stream of someone who is attempting this and notice how they are aiming at the spawn points before the monster appears there with the correct weapon in hand. Those who don’t are constantly having to deal with getting overwhelmed and that’s not an encounter one is likely to survive after risking it several times.
8 Rotate The Chainsaw
Yes, the entire concept of using a chainsaw that slowly fills up on gasoline which restores ammunition is one of many things that make no sense about the game. Logical or not, though, players who want to beat Ultra-Nightmare must master this rhythm and dance to be successful.
The common mistake is to use all of a single type of ammunition and then use the chainsaw, but the problem is that it only restores about half of the Slayer’s ammo. So toward the end of a long find, the ammo will be running dry. The trick is to use about half of every kind of ammo and then use the chainsaw to stay topped off.
7 Ice Bombs Are A Blessing
Typically speaking, players will either be dealing with a horde of enemies or one big bad guy that has devastating attacks that can cut the run short. Ice Bombs are a great tool for crowd control or to buy some time during a difficult fight.
When combined with upgrades like Permafrost or Frost Bite, players can freeze a group of demons for a decent length of time making them sitting ducks. The Ice Bomb can also be lobbed at a large enemy and temporarily stop their brutal attack, buying time to get to cover. As soon as players get one of these, make sure to upgrade its powers as quickly as possible for maximum effect.
6 Flamethrower Armor Spawning
It’s helpful to keep armor topped off as it’ll do wonders to protect the health bar for the shots that can’t be dodged. One good way to do this is with the Flamethrower.
By setting an enemy on fire just before they’re killed they spit out a few shards of armor. Again, on Nightmare, this won’t be much, but getting in the habit of doing this on the weaker or last enemies will net players a few points of armor that can add up to save the Slayer’s bacon.
5 Stay Airborne
One hallmark of the best arena shooter games of all time is that they allow for aerial fighting. In the case of Doom Eternal, it encourages and incentivizes shooting from in the air. And in Ultra-Nightmare, it’s practically a requirement.
Going in the air yields several unique advantages. Half of the enemies are rendered useless, it enables a bird’s eye view for shooting enemies, and allows for a third dimension to dodge projectiles. Many Ultra-Nightmare enthusiasts have learned to practically juggle themselves in the air for entire encounters at a time.
4 Collect The Secrets
Knowing where the secret locations are and how to unlock secrets is incredibly helpful when doing an Ultra-Nightmare run. Getting those Praetor Upgrade points and tracking down Modbots is key to survival.
Obviously, this doesn’t include the collectibles which should not be a priority on this run. It’s also strongly recommended that players don’t bother with the Unmaykr weapon as the risk of completing the arena battles is just too high to make it worth it.
3 Know About Saving Throw
While any rune would be useful in this playthrough some are more valuable than others. Saving Throw rune can be tricky to obtain, but is incredibly powerful as it allows the seemingly-invincible Slayer to cheat death once in a playthrough.
This is huge and can really pay off in the harder sections of the game. It only works once, but gamers will be relieved to have it equipped when a nasty Marauder encounter doesn’t go their way. Just remember that the Slayer will only have five health after its use and to replace it after its charge has died; in only recharges on death, which can’t happen on this difficulty.
2 Use Survival Runes
Of course, the opinions about this will be all over the map, but as the mysterious VEGA helps the Slayer unlock runes, it’s important to use only the very best and most useful runes to survive on Ultra-Nightmare. So players will have to forfeit “cool” runes for ones that statistically increase odds of survival.
Some favorite runes among those who beat the game on this setting are the Air Control (ability to change direction in midair), Equipment Fiend (decreases recharge time of equipment when enemies are damaged by equipment or injured when under the effects of an equipment ability), and Chrono Strike (gain an ability to slow down time in midair).
1 Use Every Tool
The final takeaway is that players should be utilizing every tool at their disposal when doing an Ultra-Nightmare run. Even the pros struggle remembering this when they get into a rhythm but using every accessible tool will make this run easier. And don’t forget about the Crucible given to the Slayer by the enigmatic Samuel Hayden!
Use every gun, grenade, and rune that can be reasonably attained. Each has a purpose in this game and even the weakest weapons can be saviors when running out of ammo or options. Become familiar with each of these items, use them, and stay alive!
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