how unreasonable is it to complete the game on ultra nightmare? And is it fair to critique this difficulty?

[Cosmic Pair O Docks]

I find this game to have perhaps the best gameplay loop of any game when its on the lower difficulties. However, I find on Nightmare and to a small extent Ultra Violence to be unreasonable in their difficulty. Is it fair to say that the nightmare and ultra nightmare difficulties make the game worse? Not because they're just there, but because enemy aggression and behavior makes the demons a massively bigger threat due to the increased attack rate and theres only so much you can do per second. Personally i'm in favor of keeping the enemies aggression capped out at ultra violence, but keeping the damage you take the same.I've seen playthroughs on ultra nightmare so I know it's possible but is that a reasonable level of skill to ask of players?

[Viddaz]

You have 80+ hours in the game. Pace yourself, you'll make it! Most people complete their first UN run at around 100+ hours. Yes, nightmare is challenging when you're not used to it and adding a permadeath component to that just adds another layer of difficulty (in the form of stress :D). Practice by learning the rooms and of course work on your movement and quick switching - you'll make it ;) And let us know when you do! It's such a well earned accomplishment and one you should share.

[UNBREAKABLE]

A core pillar of the game is the fact it is designed to be mastered. Through that lens you understand that most deaths are caused by user error and you improve with every run. Eventually you reach a point where ultra nightmare doesn't seem too unreasonable because you have amassed enough knowledge to keep yourself alive. Like a rouge like game, almost.

It also helps that the player receives a huge power boost after clearing Doom Hunter base. You have most of the tools including the flaming meathook and Ballista, plus upgrades. At that point killing demons isn't an issue, you simply just need to try not to make game sense mistakes or save yourself quickly when you do.

[Sar]

It’s not half as hard as it seems.

[Steel]

It helps a lot to take it slow and practice each level on a Nightmare save over and over before doing it on your UN file.
A single segment, start to finish UN run is very demanding as far as video game challenges go, but you don't have to do that, you can learn it piece by piece and take it slow.

[Zapmaster]

Ultra Nightmare is for people who really love this game, want to put in the time to master it and challenge them selves with something difficult. So no, it's not designed to be fair or fun for the average Doom Eternal player. When id released stats for this game about a year after release, less then 1% of player base finished UN. And some of those people cheated without a doubt for the gold skin as well.

That said, I finished UN for the main campaign and the DLC's . But this is also likely my favourite game of last 20 years, as you can tell by my hours. And once you master the gameplay loop of this game, the official campaign content (especially the main campaign) are actually fairly easy, so to answer your original question. No, the game would be far too easy for many people with 200+ hours if they capped the speed of demons at UV. And it would in fact be less fun.

[Cosmic Pair O Docks]

Originally posted by Viddaz:

You have 80+ hours in the game. Pace yourself, you'll make it! Most people complete their first UN run at around 100+ hours. Yes, nightmare is challenging when you're not used to it and adding a permadeath component to that just adds another layer of difficulty (in the form of stress :D). Practice by learning the rooms and of course work on your movement and quick switching - you'll make it ;) And let us know when you do! It's such a well earned accomplishment and one you should share.

I might be one of those players who needs 300-400 hours to finish on UN...

[Viddaz]

Originally posted by Cosmic Pair O Docks:

Originally posted by Viddaz:

You have 80+ hours in the game. Pace yourself, you'll make it! Most people complete their first UN run at around 100+ hours. Yes, nightmare is challenging when you're not used to it and adding a permadeath component to that just adds another layer of difficulty (in the form of stress :D). Practice by learning the rooms and of course work on your movement and quick switching - you'll make it ;) And let us know when you do! It's such a well earned accomplishment and one you should share.

I might be one of those players who needs 300-400 hours to finish on UN...

Another reason for you to keep playing the game and getting better at it ;) I sometimes wish I didn't UN all of the game's content so that I could still have something to "grind for",

[Grampire]

As others said, UN just sort of "happens" naturally if you play enough. It comes with confidence and understanding of the games mechanics.

Don't force it and don't feel like it's something you "have" to do - you can still be great at Doom Eternal without it. And if it takes you longer to get there - who cares. Everyone moves at their own pace!

[o_dey]

Originally posted by Cosmic Pair O Docks:

I might be one of those players who needs 300-400 hours to finish on UN...

My first ~200-300 hours in the game were mainly characterized by spectacularly mediocre gameplay (to be fair, some of that time was the result of my dumb aʂʂ thinking you'd have to beat the master levels on every difficulty to get the rewards, and so I did, going from lowest to highest 😬).

I've only attempted campaign UN after being able to do some Master Level UN, and that was still rather mediocre gameplay, full of shield cheese and desperate BFG's, but it worked out. One doesn't even have to be overly good at the game to beat UN, just needs some practice and the will to do it while actually having fun doing it.

[Dante]

Originally posted by Viddaz:

Originally posted by Cosmic Pair O Docks:

I might be one of those players who needs 300-400 hours to finish on UN...

Another reason for you to keep playing the game and getting better at it ;) I sometimes wish I didn't UN all of the game's content so that I could still have something to "grind for",

Fear not, soon youll be murdering hells spawn in the dark ages

[Steel]

Originally posted by Cosmic Pair O Docks:

Originally posted by Viddaz:

You have 80+ hours in the game. Pace yourself, you'll make it! Most people complete their first UN run at around 100+ hours. Yes, nightmare is challenging when you're not used to it and adding a permadeath component to that just adds another layer of difficulty (in the form of stress :D). Practice by learning the rooms and of course work on your movement and quick switching - you'll make it ;) And let us know when you do! It's such a well earned accomplishment and one you should share.

I might be one of those players who needs 300-400 hours to finish on UN...

That's me. But that's because I play for like 50 hours, start getting very good at the game, but then drop it and play something else. Then like a year later I come back and repeat, but I have to re-learn and de-rust so I never get anywhere.

[Grampire]

Originally posted by Steel:

Originally posted by Cosmic Pair O Docks:

I might be one of those players who needs 300-400 hours to finish on UN...

That's me. But that's because I play for like 50 hours, start getting very good at the game, but then drop it and play something else. Then like a year later I come back and repeat, but I have to re-learn and de-rust so I never get anywhere.

I feel that.

I fired up Eternal for the first time in a few months. Let's just say it was eye opening how rusty I was!

[Dead Pixel]

You think the main campaign has an unreasonable difficulty on Nightmare/Ultra-Nightmare?
Oh boy, wait until you play the Master Levels. While they are entirely doable (you just need to keep practicing and 'git gud'), they can get pretty ridiculous at times.

[Grampire]

Originally posted by Dead Pixel:

You think the main campaign has an unreasonable difficulty on Nightmare/Ultra-Nightmare?
Oh boy, wait until you play the Master Levels. While they are entirely doable (you just need to keep practicing and 'git gud'), they can get pretty ridiculous at times.

IMO DLC are easier to do than campaign.

Campaign requires 6-8 hours of you not making a lethal mistake. Each DLC takes like 2-4.

[Cosmic Pair O Docks]

Originally posted by Dead Pixel:

You think the main campaign has an unreasonable difficulty on Nightmare/Ultra-Nightmare?
Oh boy, wait until you play the Master Levels. While they are entirely doable (you just need to keep practicing and 'git gud'), they can get pretty ridiculous at times.

I did super gore nest master level on ultra violence. The double marauder section in the acid is definitely ridiculous.
Right now I'm playing with a few mods that buff the slayer, but I'll eventually go back to beating UN on vanilla.