Playing Doom (2016) to the sound of electro-heavy metal riffs that were probably recorded with chainsaws as instruments isn’t a complete experience if the fear of death isn’t omnipresent. That’s why the Nightmare difficulty exists — it’s ramps up the challenge offered by this already adrenaline-laced gorefest.

Pulling off that clutch kill on the last demon in the room with 1 health point left is sure to leave your pulse pounding when you’re playing on Nightmare. To further drive the point of just how much harder it is, here’s a rundown of what you should expect:

Nightmare difficulty compared to other levels

  • I’m Too Young To Die
    • Less aggressive enemy AI. Pickups are worth more.
  • Hurt Me Plenty
  • - More skillful enemy AI that will occasionally dodge. Pickups are worth standard.
  • Ultra-Violence
    • Evasive enemies with stronger attacks. Pickups are worth less.
  • Nightmare
    • Enemies are more aggressive, even more evasive, and a lot stronger. Pickups are also worth less.
  • Ultra-Nightmare
    • Like Nightmare, but it’s game over if you die.

Things you need to know before starting Nightmare difficulty

  • Enemies deal roughly 90 percent more damage compared to the easiest difficulty level.
  • Enemy health levels appear the same so they’re never bullet sponges.
  • Enemies utilize more varied tactics in Nightmare difficulty and will flank or attack more often.
  • They’re also more accurate.

In order to combat this increased difficulty in Doom, here are some pro tips you’ll want to keep in mind if you want to survive the experience.

8 Prioritize killing Imps

You’ll probably be overwhelmed with the number of enemies spawning all at once since they also deal higher damage, but there’s one demon you should kill immediately and at all costs: the Imp. They’re deceptively deadly in Nightmare difficulty.

It’s usually their ranged energy attacks that can result in unwanted and shocking deaths, as those can kill you in as little as 1-2 hits. Imps are also fast and have a habit of repositioning often so they can flank you from behind, so deal with them ASAP.

7 Prioritize health and ammo upgrades

Enemies in Nightmare mode deal so much damage that health and armor upgrades don’t seem as effective as dodging. However, health upgrades are still worth it as they give you a small margin of error that can determine whether or not you’ll survive a hit.

So when choosing to allocate some upgrades, always go for health first. Afterward, you can dump all the upgrade currency in ammo so you don’t have to rely on glory kills or chainsaw kills as often. Armor upgrades come in last.

6 Upgrade the Shotgun with the Explosive Shot mod

Now for the weapon tactics. Depending on the shotgun (the regular one) is a sound plan. You’ll want to improve your relationship with it, nurture it by upgrading it with the Explosive Shot mod. Why? Because it’s a cheap area attack.

The Explosive Shot only consumes one round so you can chain it up many times. More than that, it allows you to rely less on aiming since the attack can deal high damage without much precision. It’s great for dispatching regular Imps or other demons that want to get too cuddly.

5 Upgrade the Gauss Cannon with Mobile Siege

For enemies that the Shotgun can’t turn to demon mincemeat fast enough, like Hellknights or Barons, then something beefier like the Gauss Cannon should suffice.

Even better is the Gauss Cannon with the Siege Mode modification. It’s like a discount single-target BFG for big demons. It’s a little fiddly to use though, so make sure to grab its Mobile Siege upgrade fast — staying still in Nightmare can be a death sentence.

4 Upgrade the Plasma Rifle with Stun Bomb

There are times when you’ll get surrounded or swarmed fast, especially with multiple small demons running amok. Again, the BFG is the most ideal solution for this pest problem (or the grenade). But for something a little faster and cheaper, then the Plasma Rifle will do.

To be more specific, the Stun Bomb modification is what makes it a recommended weapon. It’s great for getting things under control. It’s also good for handling Pinkies as you can run behind them after stunning them for that Super Shotgun blast to their hind cheeks.

3 Don’t rush into Glory Kills

In lower difficulties, you’re probably used to dropping whatever you’re doing if you see a glowing enemy to get that Glory Kill animation. In Nightmare difficulty, that’s a sure way to paint a bullseye on your back.

While it makes you invulnerable, it doesn’t stop enemy animations, meaning they’ll likely be ready to gang up on you the moment the animation stops. So unless it’s absolutely necessary for health pickups, then abstain from Glory Killing too often.

2 Change your key bindings for some weapons

Being able to quick-swap guns in the middle of a hectic hellscape tumble is an art. Art requires tools, such as a keyboard or a mouse with additional buttons on the side. If you’re a PC player, then consider changing the key bindings for some weapons that are too far away for your left-hand fingers.

Be it the BFG, Gauss Rifle, or the Rocket Launcher, putting these weapons in a more accessible key is a more efficient play. The radial menu can be clunky and disorienting at times, so key binding is the way to go. Of course, you’ll want to practice doing it first.

1 Memorize the rooms

Last but not least, you want to breathe in and absorb all the details of the killing field in front of you. Take note of platforms, crevices, and defensible spots before popping that Gore Nest and inviting the enemies in.

Additionally, you might want to blow up the barrels if you don’t have Environmental Resistance since any misfire into these barrels can kill you. All in all, being methodical and memorizing room layouts as deeply as possible before starting your fights makes the outcome more likely to skew in your favor.

NEXT: 15 Mods You Need To Try For DOOM (2016)