Doom is an iconic franchise in many ways. The ultra violence, breakneck pace and unique enemies all stand out, but one thing rises above the rest to me: the weaponry.
Having grown up with the series, and having played Doom Eternal, I wanted to put together a ranking of the top five weapons in the franchise. So let's rip and tear until it is done.
5. BFG 9000, Doom 3
I'm going with a controversial pick by putting anything Doom 3-related on this list, especially with the BFG, but this was the first time the legendary weapon was realized in 3D. It looked great, sounded great and still fired that big green ball of energy we all knew and loved.
ESPN Daily: Sign up here!
Yes, Doom 3 was a far departure from what made the series tick, but picking up and using the BFG brought it back a little closer to home.
4. Rocket Launcher, Doom/Doom 2
There are a lot of great weapon choices in the original Doom, but when you wanted to save your BFG for the big bosses, you used the rocket launcher. Equally deadly to you as it was to the hoard of hell, there was nothing quite like letting a rocket fly in an open area and strafing to the side to watch it connect with your target. And the mess it made -- yikes.
3. Chainsaw, Doom (2016)
The original chainsaw was a thing of beauty, but what Doom in 2016 did was make it both beautiful and practical. Not only was the chainsaw revamped to be a cinematic slaughter anytime you used it, chopping down enemies yielded precious resources in a time of need. It was messy, unapologetically over-the-top and fit perfectly in an already perfect game. Rip and tear, indeed.
More: Overwatch releases 32nd hero, Echo | Meet Sova, Valorant's resident scout and sniper
2. Plasma Rifle, Doom/Doom 2
When you need to fry some demon butt (the original instruction manual's words, not mine), accept no substitutes. You can still hear the sound, can't you? That's what stood out to me the most -- the sound. I don't even know how you'd write it out ... maybe something like "brrrrrrrrrrIIIPP." All I know is unleashing a litany of blue energy balls to rapidly crash into imps and zombies never got old. We had never seen anything quite like the Plasma Rifle in games before, especially the look, and thankfully Doom Eternal evokes the same accordion-style design we all love.
1. Super Shotgun, Doom Eternal
I haven't had this much fun with a weapon in a video game since calling back Kratos' axe to my hand in 2018's God of War.
The sound, the feel, the weight and power of every shot ... and that's not even the best part. New to the Super Shotgun in Doom Eternal is a grappling hook that pulls you toward enemies. What's even better is when you combine this with a rune that slows down time whenever you're aiming and airborne, you get these wildly gratifying moments of slow-motion carnage. It's beyond useful -- the mobility, the second or two to plan your next move, the ability to take out a weak point of an enemy ... I can't get enough of it. It's an amazing take on an old favorite.