If you’re comfortable with fast action shooters, start on Hurt Me Plenty for a demanding campaign. If you’re new to the genre or want more room to learn the combat, choose I’m Too Young to Die. You can change difficulty as you play, so you don’t have to guess perfectly at the start.
How to choose your starting difficulty
Pick the setting that makes fights challenging but still enjoyable. DOOM Eternal’s PlayStation listing describes an alternative preset for reducing the overall challenge, while a PlayStation Blog guide recommends changing difficulty if combat becomes a roadblock to learning the game’s rhythms.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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DOOM Eternal: Standard Edition - PlayStation 4 | $27.49 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Doom: Eternal (PS4) | $24.92 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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DOOM: The Dark Ages – PlayStation 5 | Buy on Amazon | |
| 4 |
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Doom: Eternal (Xbox One) | $30.03 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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DOOM Eternal (ASIAN/English) | $17.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Your situation | Suggested starting point | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| You’re new to fast first-person shooters or mainly want to progress through the campaign. | I’m Too Young to Die | A lower-pressure starting point. Bethesda’s Update 6.66 Rev 2 notes also document reduced Cacodemon movement speed on this setting. |
| You regularly play action shooters and want meaningful pressure. | Hurt Me Plenty | A reasonable default for experienced shooter players, though a PlayStation Blog author warned that it can feel punishing early on. |
| You have finished a run or are already highly practiced and want a tougher standard campaign. | Ultra-Violence or Nightmare | Choose one if you want more challenge. The official sources cited here do not provide a complete, stat-by-stat comparison between these settings. |
| You want a high-risk replay and accept restarting the campaign after a death. | Ultra-Nightmare | Bethesda describes a full-game restart after death, Nightmare-aggressive enemies, no extra lives, and a Saving Throw rune that does not regenerate after use. |
| You want to practice with a finite number of lives. | Extra-Life mode | Bethesda’s Update 4 notes describe the run ending when all lives are gone; that description concerns the Super Gore Nest Master Level mode. |
Can you change difficulty after starting?
Yes. PlayStation Blog says you can toggle difficulty at any time. If a fight has stopped being a useful challenge and is instead blocking your progress, lower the setting; if you later want more pressure, adjust it again.
Hurt Me Plenty is sometimes called “Normal” in common gaming language, but that label is not an official Bethesda classification. In the March 19, 2020 PlayStation Blog guide “Doom Eternal: Essential Tips to Survive the First Few Hours,” the author cautioned that even Hurt Me Plenty “can brutally tenderize you early on.” Treat it as a useful warning for new players, not a promise that the setting will feel easy or difficult for everyone.
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#1 Best Overall
- Gain access to the latest demon-killing Tech with the DOOM Slayer's advanced praetor suit, including a shoulder-mounted flamethrower and the retractable wrist-mounted DOOM Blade
- Upgraded guns and mods, such as the Super shotgun's new distance-closing meat hook attachment, and abilities like the double Dash make you faster, stronger, and more versatile than ever
- You can't Kill demons when you're Dead, and you can't stay alive without resources. These tools are the key to your survival and becoming the ultimate demon-slayer
- A new class of (destructible) demon
- Battle mode is the new 2 versus 1 multiplayer experience built from the ground up at id software
What changes between the settings?
The sources cited here do not provide a complete numeric breakdown of enemy health, damage, aggression, or resource changes for each campaign preset. Avoid assuming that harder settings simply make enemies “bullet sponges,” or relying on unsourced damage multipliers.
One specific documented difference is Cacodemon movement speed: Bethesda’s Update 6.66 Rev 2 notes say it was reduced on I’m Too Young to Die and Hurt Me Plenty. That detail does not establish a full difficulty formula or quantify every other change.
Rank #2
- Experience the ultimate combination of speed and power with the next leap in push-forward, first-person combat
- As the DOOM Slayer, return to take your vengeance against the forces of Hell
- Set to an all-new pulse pounding soundtrack composed by Mick Gordon, fight across dimensions as you slay new and classic demons with powerful new weapons and abilities
How Ultra-Nightmare and Extra-Life mode differ
Ultra-Nightmare
Ultra-Nightmare is a high-stakes challenge variant, not just another step on a normal difficulty ladder. Bethesda’s April 17, 2020 Ultra-Nightmare guide says a death requires restarting the entire game. It also specifies Nightmare-aggressive enemies, no extra lives, and a Saving Throw rune that will not regenerate after use. Choose it only if you are willing to lose the run and begin again.
Extra-Life mode
Extra-Life mode adds a finite-life constraint: Bethesda’s Update 4 notes describe the run ending when you have exhausted all lives. The cited notes discuss this mode in the context of the Super Gore Nest Master Level, so do not treat that description as a complete guide to every campaign mode or preset.
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Best Value
- We're Not on Mars Anymore - Rip and tear across epic, never-before-seen worlds. Witness the tumbling skyscrapers of Hell on Earth; battle through an invasion of the mammoth BFG 10,000 on Phobos; and discover the ancient secrets of the DOOM universe. With idTech7, every environment is brought to life in unprecedented detail.
- All-new Invasion - As the Slayer, allow real players to invade your campaign as demons for a dramatic and unpredictable twist anytime you're playing the campaign. Or join the ranks of the damned yourself as you become a demon and invade a friend or other player's campaign. Invade others either by yourself or with another player, as part of a hunting party, to give the Slayer a true taste of Hell.
- Rip More, Tear More - Obliterate more demons than ever before, each with their own attacks and abilities. Fan-favorite classics such as the Pain Elemental, Archvile, and Arachnotron make their return, while a horde of totally-new demons join the roster including the DOOM Hunter and corrupted Marauders. DOOM Eternal's "destructible demons" system takes your power fantasy to new levels by ensuring that every trigger pull has never felt better
- Slayer 2.0 - Unleash the overwhelming power of the DOOM Slayer. With updated armor and an arsenal of new and improved equipment, including a shoulder-mounted cannon with flamethrower, extendable blade, and a new dash ability, you're faster and deadlier than ever. Destroy every demon in your path with an upgraded array of guns and mods, including the Super Shotgun's new Meat Hook attachment to pull yourself point blank with the faces of hell.
Rank #4
- Slayer Threat Level at Maximum - gain access to the latest demon-killing tech with the DOOM Slayer's advanced Praetor Suit, including a shoulder-mounted flamethrower and the retractable wrist-mounted DOOM Blade. Upgraded guns and mods, such as the Super Shotgun's new distance-closing Meat Hook attachment, and abilities like the Double Dash make you faster, stronger, and more versatile than ever
- Unholy Trinity - you can't kill demons when you're dead, and you can't stay alive without resources. Take what you need from your enemies: Glory kill for extra health, incinerate for armor, and chainsaw demons to stock up on ammo. These tools are the key to your survival and becoming the ultimate demon-slayer
- A New Class of (Destructible) Demon - obliterate more demons than ever before, each with unique attacks and abilities. Fan-favorite classics such as the Pain Elemental, Archvile, and Arachnotron make their return, while a horde of totally-new demons join the roster including the DOOM Hunter, Marauder, and the Gladiator. Rip apart your favorite demons to the core with DOOM Eternal's "destructible demons" system and take your power fantasy to new levels
Rank #3
- Developed by id Software, DOOM: The Dark Ages is the prequel to the critically acclaimed DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal that tells the epic cinematic origin story of the DOOM Slayer’s rage.
- In this third installment of the modern DOOM series, players will step into the blood-stained boots of the DOOM Slayer, in this never-before-seen dark and sinister medieval war against Hell.
- A dark fantasy/sci-fi single-player experience that delivers the searing combat and over-the-top visuals of the incomparable DOOM franchise, powered by the latest idTech engine. With a customizable difficulty system, it’s the perfect entry point whether you’re new to the franchise or a long time fan.
- As the super weapon of gods and kings, shred enemies with devastating favorites like the Super Shotgun while also wielding a variety of new bone-chewing weapons, including the versatile Shield Saw.
- Experience the origin story of the DOOM Slayer’s rage in this epic, cinematic, and action-packed story.
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