Best Weapons In Gaming: DOOM Eternal’s Super Shotgun

Gaming is filled with a host of iconic weaponry, whether they’re huge tools of destruction or something that challenges you to rethink your environment. Well, we’re deciding to celebrate all of the best ones, and today it’s the turn of Doom Slayer’s personal boomstick of choice: DOOM Eternal’s Super Shotgun.

It was only going to be a matter of time since this series began to take a peek into Doomguy’s arsenal of toys. The DOOM franchise’s rough and ready protagonist possesses an all-time great armory, putting most other characters and franchises to shame, so it was inevitable that one of his amazing demon slaying weapons was going to find its way into the series at some point or another. The issue was narrowing down the impressive list of armaments and just talking about one.

The most obvious answer would be the BFG, Doomguy’s instant win button that turns an entire room of demons into paste in the blink of an eye. In terms of pure shock and awe, the BFG is about as satisfying as weapons come. DOOM Eternal’s Ballista is also worthy of mention, a weapon that rewards precision in such a chaotic game with terrifying power, but Doomguy’s weaponry peaked with one weapon and one weapon alone: DOOM Eternal’s Super Shotgun.

The Super Shotgun has been as much of a staple of Doomguy’s kit as ripping and tearing has, with the awesome double barrelled boomstick being available since DOOM 2. While it also featured in the often maligned DOOM 3, the Super Shotgun really got an upgrade in power and relevancy once DOOM (2016) rolled around. Introduced as a more powerful but slower alternative to the Combat Shotgun, the Super Shotgun is overkill personified.

Firing off both barrels simultaneously before requiring immediate reloading, the Super Shotgun is perhaps the slowest firing gun in all of DOOM, but what it lacks in rate of fire, it more than makes up for in sheer, megadeath-level stopping power. Getting up close and personal with one of these bad boys, sticking it in a demon’s gob and pulling the trigger was all you needed to turn most enemies into mush, or at least glowing red so you could finish the job with a Glory Kill. There’s nothing like getting work done with your own two hands, after all.

The Super Shotgun was even better in DOOM Eternal, in part due to the fact that each weapon had its own place. Unlike previous games, you couldn’t just coast by on one weapon. Ammo supplies were so limited that the core gameplay loop demanded that you cycle through weapons in order to survive, though that cycling meant that returning to old favourites like the Super Shotgun felt like coming home, albeit for a brief time. It was also the only weapon that saved me from getting mauled by every Marauder in the game.

God, Marauders were a pain to fight, but every kill felt like an earned victory.

However, the Super Shotgun’s real upgrade was the Meathook, a grappling hook alternate fire that allowed Doomguy to close the distance on his opponents. DOOM Eternal’s arenas had the feel of a playground anyway, with tonnes of options for traversal while murdering demons, but the Meathook allowed you to deal death in style. You could even upgrade it to set enemies on fire when you used it, while The Ancient Gods DLC campaigns incorporated the Meathook into the platforming challenges for added fun.

Whether via combat or platforming, the Super Shotgun felt like the foundation of DOOM Eternal’s game design, and it’s no secret that we here at Cultured Vultures are of the belief that DOOM Eternal is one of the best FPS games ever made. With that logic in place, it stands to reason that the Super Shotgun is one of the best weapons of all time.

READ MORE: Where Does DOOM Go Next After DOOM Eternal?