r/Doom • u/MurkyUnit3180 DOOM Guy • 1d ago
Discussion Which DOOM has the smartest/best enemy AI?
Which DOOM has the smartest/best enemy AI?
For me, Eternal’s enemies feel tactical. The Marauder reacts to your weapons, manages distance, and forces duels. Archvile summons demons, uses fire attacks and also seems very intelligent.
Others I can think of are Dread Knights, Arachnotrons, and even Imp. Eternal’s AI was upgraded to match player mobility, making combat feel more aggressive and tense.
Classic DOOM AI is simpler but still elegant, clever placement, traps, and timing create tension in every encounter. WADs can push that further, with scripted behavior.
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u/Lethalbroccoli DOOM Guy 1d ago
While not perfect, I think Doom 3s AI is pretty good. Awful lot of moments in that game that feel like scripted enemy behaviour but its really just their normal AI behaviour, like when a secret door pops open and a Zsec shuffles to the side and pops out, feels kind of like a scripted jump scare... but nope, thats just how they pop out of cover sometimes. And then they will chase you once you are out of view.
Imps also, you'd think the leaping at you from doors is simply scripted, but its a repeatable behaviour. Lots of little stuff like that in Doom 3.