Cacodemon (Doom 2016)

The Cacodemon is a flying psionic demon seen in Doom (2016). It first appears in the Kadingir Sanctum.

In-Game Description

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Cacodemons are monstrous psionic demons driven by the desire to feed. They display limited intelligence, but are so often sent into the fray as their natural size and abilities make them an intimidating weapon for the demon-horde.

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When a Cacodemon senses the presence of the living, it will hunt them relentlessly until it gets close enough to gnaw on them using an impressive set of mandibles. To aid the hunt, the Cacodemon has a psychoactive narcotic bile which it spews at range. On contact, this bile inhibits the perception of the target and compromises movement. The effects wear off after a few moments, which is often enough time for the lumbering beast to get within bite range.

Appearance

The Cacodemon's appearance is very similar to its appearance in the original Doom, their most notable features being its single green eye and gaping maw filled with sharp, yellow teeth that takes up the majority of their bodies. The top area of the Cacodemon is covered in red armor plates with spikes similar to the ones the Pinky possesses. Its fleshy underside is unarmored and displays a bulge, which is possibly an extension of the stomach to hold more food in it. The Cacodemon also has four stunted limbs that are now useless.

Combat Characteristics

At distances, the Cacodemon will fire powerful yet slow moving energy blasts. When close enough, the Cacodemon will bite the player, dealing incredible damage. The projectile it hurls can impair the vision of the player, allowing it to get close enough to bite the player.

Tactical Analysis

Firing at the Cacodemon from a distance is the best way to defeat it while also avoiding its powerful close range attack. Strafing around the Cacodemon's projectiles while using long range weapons like the Rocket Launcher or Gauss Cannon should dispatch it quickly enough. Shooting at the Cacodemon's weak spot, unarmored belly/underside, is the best way to kill it quicker. The player should, however, try to not lose sight of Cacodemons as they are capable of quietly ambushing the player.

Multiplayer

The Cacodemon is also a playable demon in Multiplayer, appearing in the second multiplayer pack, Hell Followed. Like in campaign, the Cacodemon can fire energy blasts known as bile that, whilst weaker than other multiplayer-demon projectiles, can impair a player's vision if hit. Its secondary attack is a tongue snare that can be utilized for close and long-range kills. It is tricky to master, but multiple tongue snares can be achieved in quick succession with practice.

Trivia

The shriveled arms and legs seen on the underside of the Cacodemon are a possible reference to the tentacle-like appendages seen with its Doom 3 counterpart, while its coloration matches its original Doom incarnation.
- The limbs could also mean that the Cacodemon once used to walk like the other demons, but evolved to live and float in the air - though whether evolution even exists as a concept in a magical universe such as Hell is unknown.
If a Cacodemon is killed with nothing but shots to the eye, it will fire randomly before exploding. This may be a reference to a glitch in the original Doom v1.1 ^{[citation needed]}, or more likely, it could simply be because it has become blind.