Summary
Many staples make aDoomgame, like demons, chainsaws, and first-person shooter action, but one of the most important is theBFG-9000and its variants seen across the franchise. As fun as it is to rip and tear through demons and undead using shotguns or even the Doom Slayer’s bare hands, the BFG remains an iconic video game weapon for many reasons.
It’s large, destroys every enemy in sight, and fills the player with adrenaline just by using it. It has appeared in every officialDoomgame, as well as a few other franchises by Id Software. While some versions of the BFG-9000 will always be an iconic part of the franchise, others have proven to be upgrades to the weapon, while others are not as well-known or fondly remembered. These arethe best versions of the BFG-9000across all of its appearances.
9Quake 3 Arena
Not Much Of An Upgrade From The 9000
Quakeis considered the sister series toDoom, featuring similar first-person shooter combat and weapons, including the BFG, andQuake 3 Arenais no different.This multiplayer-focused first-person shooterfeatures what is supposed to be an upgraded version of the weapon known as the BFG10K, also known as the BFG-10,000.
While it certainly does the job by decimating an enemy player in one or two hits, it doesn’t necessarily feel like the BFG. More rapid fire and with a small area of effect, the BFG fromQuake 3 Arenalooks and feels more like an upgraded Plasma Rifle, lacking that charge and massive shockwave that the original gun is known for in other games.
When id Software transitioned fromDoom 2toDoom 64, all the guns got a redesign. The pistol now resembles a Desert Eagle, and the Chaingun has a more sci-fi look. The BFG-9000 was given a more industrial appearance, resulting in a distinct design for the game, but one that isn’t as memorable as the original.
The BFG-9000 continues to fire green energy balls; however, the impact animations diminish the weapon’s perceived power and can feel somewhat disorienting. Despite this, it still obliterates hordes of enemies with a single shot, giving players the satisfying visual and tactile experience of multiple demons and undead exploding.
The originalDoomandDoom 2featured the exact same version of the BFG-9000, which was a massive cubical weapon that fans strove to unlock,much like the iconic chainsaw. WhileDoomdidn’t invent the first-person shooter genre, it revolutionized it with fun and addictive gameplay that made gamers relish ripping and tearing through legions of Hell’s invaders.
As the Doom Marine battles his way across Mars and through Hell, players can discover the original BFG-9000 in a secret area located in Episode 3, Mission 3. Despite its visual limitations,Doommakes the BFG a worthy pursuit, as its powerful blasts can effortlessly eliminate formidable enemies like the Cyberdemon and the Revenants.
Quake 2surprised fans by introducing the BFG-10,000, which features beams projected from the orb that eliminate enemies before the shockwave takes effect. This version of the BFG’s attacks would set a new standard for futureDoomand id Software shooter games. It represents the kind of damage that fans had envisioned while playing the originalDoom.
The inclusion of the BFG-10K inQuake 2andQuake 3is often used tosupport the theory thatQuakeandDoomgames take place in the same universe. Strangely enough, the BFG-10K inQuake 2hasa rectangular design reminiscent of the original BFG-9000 but with more futuristic elements, such as the blue lights and exhaust ports.
On the one hand,Doom 3and theBFG Editionremaster take theQuake 2idea of how its rounds destroy enemies with beams of energy before exploding, and used environmental shaking to make the iconic weapon feel more impactful. On the other hand, however, this BFG-9000 loses much of its identity by looking more like a generic sci-fi weapon seen in the likes ofHalo.
Most of the weapons inDoom 3were given flashy and futuristic designs, as it was a reboot thatnot only embraced the horror genrebut also mimicked how sci-fi games and movies looked at the time. On the downside,Doom 3’sBFG-9000 was critiqued for being a much smaller weapon when the iconic aspect is that the weapon is nearly the size of the Doom Marine himself.
On the post-apocalyptic Earth ofRage 2, gamers can enjoy many weapons as they fight bandits, mutants, and monstersin the open-world wasteland, and one of them happens to be the BFG-9000. It’s not the game’s equivalent to the famous weapon either; id Software recreated the BFG from the originalDoomwith modern visuals and fidelity.
The BFG-9000 can only be acquired by owners ofRage 2: Deluxe Edition, as it is another first-person shooter franchise developed by id Software. The animation for the weapon even reveals how the BFG-9000 was originally designed: as a shoulder-mounted weapon, a way to explain why the protagonist isn’t knocked off their feet by just firing it.
It is called the Ballistic Force Crossbow, and it’s more of a fantasy weapon inDoom: The Dark Ages, but it still fires green energy rounds that wipe out waves of enemies like a knife through butter. The BFC is the latest addition to the BFG family, which the Doom Slayer uses during his time with the Night Sentinels, fighting the forces of Hellas well as the Eldritch horrorsof the Cosmic Realm.
It is convenient that even without the UAC around, the Doom Slayer still manages to find an identical version of the famous weapon, but that’s part of the over-the-top charm ofDoomgames. It fits the sci-fi/fantasy and medieval punk style ofDoom: The Dark Ageswhile providing the fastest version of the gun yet, and it still takes out everything in sight.
According to theconvoluted timeline of the Doom Slayer lore, it has been a century since the first Hell invasion, so it makes sense thatDoom(2016)has a newly designed version of the BFG-9000. Now that the Slayer is an interdimensional warrior charged with divine and hellish energies, this BFG is also much bigger than other variations, and yet he can still wield it with ease.
It’s sleeker, and like inDoom 3, it fitsDoom (2016)‘smore futuristic take on the game’s world, but the plasma-based blasts are a fusion of classic and modernDoom. The big green orbs are back again, but the beams of energy that project from them to attack Hell’s forces are like green fire and lightning.
The Doom Slayer is fortunate to wield both the BFG-9000 and the BFG-10,000 inDoom Eternal, as one controls the other. The BFG-10,000, introduced as a planetary defense cannon on Phobos, is featured in thelongest campaign of theDoomseries. It is so powerful that the Doom Slayer can crack open the surface of Mars with a single blast.
It turns out that the BFG-10,000 is powered by a familiar weapon: the BFG-9000, which permanently becomes part of the Doom Slayer’s arsenal inDoom Eternal. Furthermore, id Software updated the weapon’s design to include the silver color of the original BFG, enhancing the feeling thatDoom Eternalis a celebration of the franchise.
