An ode to Doom’s Big Freaking Gun

Recently I’ve been feeling nostalgic. After hopping into Mighty Doom, the new mobile take on the classic shooter franchise that I found to be pretty fun, I’ve been asking myself a simple question: Is there a first-person shooter more epic than Doom?

For us console users, the first-person shooter genre took off with GoldenEye 007, but if you were lucky enough to have a PC, Doom picked up where Wolfenstein 3D left off. It was the first time I learned about computer system requirements, and even though I didn't have a PC back then, I would go over to my buddy’s house just to sneak in some time with Doom.

And what a totally grotesque and epic bloodbath that time was was! Blood splatter was everywhere, and the growls of the demons only heightened the excitement of playing. But the real star of the game was the weapons. I could carry a full arsenal of guns, including shotguns and rifles, and when guns got boring, I could chainsaw enemies and punch demons in the face. Best of all, unlike most games at the time, the bodies didn't disappear after I killed my foes; the deeper I got into a level, the more the evidence of my rampage against evil piled up.

If there’s one weapon that will always set Doom apart from the pack, though, it’s the BFG. Officially known as the “Bio Force Gun” according to the 2005 Doom movie, true fans know it by a much more memorable name: the “Big Fucking Gun.” It’s called that for a good reason too!

With that oversized bad boy, I could clear an entire room without a scratch. It was my all-in-one boss-slayer, room-emptier, and answer to my prayers. Watching the enemies annihilated on screen made me want to jump out of my chair and shout DOOM!

The BFG has certainly evolved over the years. The original BFG was digitized from a RoarGun, manufactured by createtoy but as the frachise progressed so did this beloved boomstick.

Doom 64 has a revamped version of the BFG that makes a computerized whirring sound increasing in pitch until it's shot out. When the plasma cell hits an enemy or wall, it creates a cone shaped damage field. But, there are other places we see the BFG. The BFG appears in Quake II as the BFG 10K and there are plenty of homages to the gun in other media like in Duke Nukem: Zero Hour  and the appearance of the BMF Thunderstrike. There’s even a B.F. Sword in League of Legends with a description “when big is just not quite big enough.”

If you’re a 90’s kid, like I am you might remember the popular show ReBoot. Well, the character Bob, in that show had a BFG! Okay, maybe it was a Big Fancy Guitar, but clearly someone in the writing room was a fan of Doom.   

With the release of Mighty Doom just a few weeks ago (which, of course, also contains the BFG), it's clear that this game and this gun will always stay in our hearts! So take some time to appreciate that bad mama jama and consider how much a great gun can contribute to a great game.

💬 What's your favorite video game weapon of all time? Let me know, and maybe I'll feature it in my next post!