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DOOM Beginner Tips and Tricks

Get ready to fight through Hell with this beginner's guide to DOOM!
This article is over 8 years old and may contain outdated information

DOOM is finally back and it plays like the classic fast-paced action games before DOOM 3. That doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of things to do, collect, and upgrade though.

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Considering how fast and intense the game is, many people may not stop to see all the upgrades and how they work. I’m here to help get you started, or explain some of the things you could overlook when you start playing for the first time.

This guide will go over getting started and the basics in DOOM including:

  • Basic Info and Mechanics – The general idea of the game and the different things you can do while playing.
  • Exploration – What you can find and why it is important.
  • Praetor Suit Upgrades and Runes – The different things you can upgrade and how to do it.

Basic Info and Mechanics

In DOOM, you play as a marine who has just awoken in a facility on Mars. All you know is that there are demons and you must kill them before they kill you. 

The combat is fast, intense, and gory. You can shoot with your main weapon, and melee.

  • When the enemy is flashing and stunned, you can perform a “Glory Kill”, which is like a finishing move with a cool animation.
  • Depending on your location when performing the Glory Kill, you’ll get different types of kills.
  • Even that is quick, as to not slow down the action. You also get grenades to use, which are on a cooldown.

Eventually you get a chainsaw and of course, the BFG.

  • Killing with the chainsaw will drop plenty of ammo for your guns. 

When you first get your guns, you can’t use any weapon mods.

  • You must find field drones, then select which weapon and mod you want to unlock.
  • You can get weapon upgrade tokens by completing challenges and doing well in combat.

Exploration

DOOM map and exploration

Even though the game is fast, that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of secrets and exploration to be done.

  • You will be rewarded by taking some time to explore areas in the game by finding powerups, upgrades, and weapons.
  • Elite Guards are red guards you can find on the ground and grant upgrade tokens for your Praetor Suit.

You can also find Argent Cells, Field Drones, and Rune Trials.

  • Argent Cells are used to increase either your max health, armor, or ammo. They are red orbs that you find in special containers.
  • Rune Trials are special challenges that give you Runes to equip by completing them.
    • Runes give you passive benefits and can be upgraded by doing specific challenges, such as performing a certain number of Death from Above Glory Kills.

Praetor Suit Upgrades and Runes

Praetor Suit Upgrades

Your suit has 5 different upgrade categories, not including the Argent Cell upgrades, which are separate.

  • Environmental Resistance – Improves resistance to environmental and exploding damage.
  • Area-Scanning Technology – Improves the capabilities of navigation systems.
    • Helps you find exploration items and secret areas.
  • Equipment System – Improves equipment capacity and recharge.
    • These are for things like your grenades.
  • Powerup Effectiveness – Improves the effects of powerups.
    • Also gives extra effects after using powerups.
  • Dexterity – Improves the speed of certain actions, such as swapping weapons and climbing ledges.
Runes

There are 12 total Runes you can unlock by completing Rune Trials found on each level. You can equip a total of 3 at a time once you have completed enough trials.

DOOM Runes

  • Vacuum – Increases the range that you can absorb dropped items.
  • Dazed and Confused – Increases how long demons remain in a stagger state.
  • Ammo Boost – Increases how much ammo you get from demons and items.
  • Equipment Power – Increases effectiveness of equipment items.
  • Seek and Destroy – Launch into a Glory Kill from much further away.
  • Savagery – Perform Glory Kills faster.
  • In-Flight Mobility – Provides a significant increase to control over in-air movement after a double jump.
  • Armored Offensive – Glory Killing demons drops armor.
  • Blood Fueled – Move faster for a short time after performing a Glory Kill.
  • Intimacy is Best – Demons become more Glory Kill friendly due to a high damage resistance when staggered.
  • Rich Get Richer – Firing your standard weapons will not cost ammo when you have 100 armor or more.
  • Saving Throw – Get one chance to survive a death blow and recover health. This resets on death.

That’s everything for my DOOM Beginner Tips and Tricks. Let me know if you have any questions!


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Author
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Synzer
After gaming for 25 years, Synzer leveraged his vast knowledge of RPGs and MMOs into a job as a games journalist, covering the games he loves. Five years later, he's still writing about Kingdom Hearts, Pokemon, and Knights of the Old Republic. Synzer has a bachelor's degree in English and creative writing. You can see him in action on his YouTube channel (https://bit.ly/2F97BrR) and Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/synzergaming).