Beginner's Guide to DOOM Eternal

New to DOOM Eternal? Learn movement, the combat loop, difficulty settings, upgrades, and mission structure.

Movement & Traversal

  • 1DOOM Eternal rewards constant movement -- standing still is the fastest way to die on any difficulty.
  • 2You have two air dashes and a double jump -- combine them to cross entire arenas without touching the ground.
  • 3Monkey bars, jump pads, and climbable walls are placed throughout arenas for vertical movement options.
  • 4Dashes recharge quickly -- use them to dodge projectiles, close distance for Glory Kills, or escape danger.
  • 5The Meat Hook on the Super Shotgun acts as a grappling hook -- use it to slingshot toward airborne demons.

The Combat Loop

  • 1DOOM Eternal has a core resource loop: Glory Kill for health, Flame Belch for armor, Chainsaw for ammo.
  • 2These three abilities are your lifeline -- cycle through them constantly to stay topped up on resources.
  • 3Never tunnel-vision on one demon. Keep moving, keep switching targets, and keep using your abilities.
  • 4Stagger demons appear with a blue/orange glow -- run toward them for Glory Kills even mid-combat.
  • 5The game is designed so you can always recover from low resources if you use the loop correctly.

Difficulty Settings

  • 1Start on Hurt Me Plenty (Normal) if you are new to the series -- it teaches the combat loop without being punishing.
  • 2Ultra-Violence is the intended experience for FPS veterans -- demons hit harder and are more aggressive.
  • 3Nightmare removes the HUD damage indicators and makes demons extremely fast and deadly.
  • 4Ultra-Nightmare is a permadeath mode -- one death ends the entire campaign run. Save it for mastery.
  • 5You can change difficulty at any time from the pause menu except Ultra-Nightmare which is locked in.

Upgrades & Progression

  • 1Sentinel Crystals increase your maximum health, armor, and ammo capacity -- prioritize health and ammo early.
  • 2Praetor Suit Points unlock passive abilities like faster Glory Kill range, longer Flame Belch duration, and more.
  • 3Weapon Points unlock weapon mods and their upgrades -- focus on one mod per weapon to max it quickly.
  • 4Runes provide passive combat bonuses. Savagery (faster Glory Kills) and Air Control are top-tier picks.
  • 5Sentinel Batteries open locked doors in the Fortress of Doom for Praetor Suit upgrades and collectibles.

Mission Structure & Exploration

  • 1Each mission has a main combat path plus hidden areas with collectibles, upgrades, and lore items.
  • 2Automap stations reveal the full level map including secret locations -- find them early in each mission.
  • 3Cheat codes found in missions can be activated in replay mode for fun but disable progression rewards.
  • 4Extra Lives are scattered throughout levels -- grab them as insurance against death in tough encounters.
  • 5Revisit completed missions with the Fast Travel option at the end of each level to grab missed collectibles.