Rip and tear. Everyone knows the mantra by now. But when id Software dropped Doom Eternal Ancient Gods Part 1 and Part 2, they weren't just adding more levels to a game that already felt like a shot of pure adrenaline. They were basically issuing a challenge to every player who thought they were "good" at the base game. It was a wake-up call. You think you can quick-swap? Cool. Can you do it while two possessed Barons of Hell are breathing down your neck in a swamp? That's where things get interesting.
The expansion didn't just expand the lore—though seeing the Dark Lord in the flesh was a trip—it fundamentally shifted how we look at first-person shooters. It turned a power fantasy into a high-stakes chess match played at 120 frames per second. Honestly, some people hated it. Others, the ones who live for the "Nightmare" difficulty, found their new religion.
The Difficulty Spike Nobody Expected
Let's talk about the UAC Atlantica Facility. That first level in Doom Eternal Ancient Gods Part 1 is legendary for all the wrong (and right) reasons. Usually, DLC lets you wade in slowly. Not here. Hugo Martin and the team at id Software decided to skip the warm-up. They threw everything at you—Marauders, Whiplashes, and those annoying Turrets—right out of the gate.
It was a shock. You’ve got all your gear from the base game, sure. You have the Flame Belch, the Ice Bomb, and a fully mastered Super Shotgun. But the game treats those like the bare minimum requirements for entry. If you aren't using every single tool in your kit every ten seconds, you’re dead. Period. The Blood Swamps took it even further. Navigating through fog while fighting a Trial of Maligog? It’s stressful. It’s loud. It’s perfect.
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The introduction of the Spirit was the real game-changer, though. This blue, ghostly summoner inhabits heavy demons, buffing their speed and damage while making them immune to faltering. You can’t just chainsaw a possessed Baron. You have to kill the host, then immediately switch to the Microwave Beam mod on the Plasma Rifle to melt the Spirit before it jumps into another body. It forces a specific rhythm that a lot of players found suffocating, but it forced us to actually get better at the game.
Why Part 2 Split the Fanbase
Then came Part 2. It felt... different. While Part 1 was a brutal middle finger to casual play, Part 2 felt like a victory lap. The Hammer—specifically the Sentinel Hammer—is probably the most "overpowered" feeling tool in the Slayer’s arsenal. It replaces the Crucible and, honestly, it’s way more fun. You smash the ground, stun everything in a radius, and get a shower of ammo and health.
Some veterans felt like it made Doom Eternal Ancient Gods too easy. They weren't wrong, exactly. The escalation in Part 2 is weird. You have these massive, sweeping vistas like Reclaimed Earth and Immora, which look stunning, but the combat encounters felt a bit more spread out. The Escalation Encounters were a neat addition, giving you a choice between a standard fight and a "gimme that reward" hard mode, but the tension felt lower than the suffocating dread of the Blood Swamps.
And then there’s the Dark Lord. Davoth. The big bad.
Fighting him was essentially a giant boss-sized Marauder fight. You wait for the green flash, you strike, you repeat. For a game that is all about "the fun zone" and pushing the player's aggression, the final boss fight felt oddly passive. You spend a lot of time waiting for him to make a move so you can counter. It’s a bit of a letdown after the sheer chaos of the levels leading up to it, but the lore payoff? Watching the Slayer literally kill his creator? That hit hard.
The Lore is Wilder Than You Remember
We need to talk about the fact that Doomguy is basically a god. Not just a "tough guy," but a literal cosmic entity. Doom Eternal Ancient Gods confirmed that the Father and the Dark Lord are two sides of the same coin. The revelation that Davoth was the original creator and the Father was the usurper flipped everything we knew about the Doom universe on its head.
It’s dense stuff. You find these physical Codex entries scattered around that explain the fall of Jekkad and the rise of Immora. It turns the Slayer into a tragic figure, a tool used by the Maykrs that eventually became their undoing. The ending of Part 2, where the Slayer is sealed back in the sarcophagus because his work is "done," feels like a heavy, definitive period at the end of a very long sentence. It’s rare for a franchise this old to actually commit to an ending, even if we all know they’ll find a way to wake him up for a sequel eventually.
Mastering the Combat Loop
If you’re still struggling with the expansions, you’re likely ignoring the "meat hook" mobility or the specific weapon combos. Doom Eternal Ancient Gods is a game of priority.
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- Kill the fodder for resources.
- Freeze the fast threats.
- Microwave the Spirits immediately.
- Use the Hammer to extend your "safe" window.
The "Quick Swap" is the most important skill you can learn. Mapping your weapons to individual keys (if you're on PC) or getting really comfortable with the weapon wheel (on console) is the only way to survive the later stages of the DLC. Combining the Precision Bolt with the Rocket Launcher or the Super Shotgun allows you to bypass the reload animations, effectively tripling your damage output.
It sounds like a lot of work. It is. But once it clicks, you feel like a literal god. You aren't just playing a shooter; you're conducting an orchestra of violence. The music by Andrew Hulshult and David Levy, while different from Mick Gordon’s iconic score, carries that same weight. It keeps your pulse high and your fingers moving.
Actionable Insights for the Aspiring Slayer
If you’re diving into these expansions today, don't jump straight into Nightmare. Start on Ultra-Violence. The jump from the base game to Part 1 is genuinely steep, and there's no shame in learning the new enemy patterns before you commit to the "one-hit-and-you're-done" lifestyle.
Focus on the following steps to actually enjoy your time in the DLC:
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- Practice the Microwave Beam: Most people ignore this mod in the base game. In the DLC, it is a life-saver. Get used to the movement penalty while firing it.
- Prioritize Screecher Buffs: In Part 2, don't kill the Screecher zombies. If you kill them, they buff every other demon in the arena. Aim carefully. Use the Precision Bolt to pick off targets around them.
- Manage the Hammer: Don't waste the Sentinel Hammer on fodder. Save it for when you have a stunned Stone Imp or a group of Cyber Mancubi.
- Respect the Armored Baron: You can't just spam rockets. Wait for the morning star to glow green, then blast it with the Plasma Rifle to shatter the armor.
Doom Eternal Ancient Gods represents the peak of the "Push-Forward Combat" philosophy. It’s demanding, it’s sometimes frustrating, but it’s never boring. It demands that you play on its terms. Whether you're trying to wrap up the story or just looking for the hardest combat arenas ever put in a mainstream FPS, this is where you find them. Just remember to keep moving. The moment you stop is the moment the hell-priests win.