Arch-Vile
The skeletal sorcerer that cheats death, turning every victory into a fresh nightmare.
In Final Doom, the Arch-Vile is present in the MS-DOS versions of both TNT: Evilution and The Plutonia Experiment, but was removed from the PlayStation version of Final Doom due to technical constraints. This skeletal, spell-casting demon is known for its ability to resurrect fallen enemies, making it a high-priority threat that can undo the player's progress in an instant.
Lore & Background
The Arch-Vile's role in Final Doom is consistent with its appearance in Doom II: it is a dangerous enemy that can resurrect other monsters. In The Plutonia Experiment, the Arch-Vile is particularly notable because that episode was designed by Dario and Milo Casali specifically to challenge players who had already beaten Doom II on the hardest difficulty. Dario Casali stated that he made levels harder if he could beat them too easily, so the Arch-Vile's resurrection ability is used extensively to create relentless, attrition-based combat. The PlayStation version of Final Doom removed the Arch-Vile entirely, along with the Spider Mastermind, due to technical constraints, which significantly reduced the difficulty of that port.
Reader's Guide
The Arch-Vile is a high-priority target in Final Doom because of its ability to resurrect fallen demons. In The Plutonia Experiment, which is widely considered more difficult than TNT: Evilution, the Arch-Vile appears frequently and can revive enemies like Imps, Hell Knights, and even Revenants, forcing the player to kill each enemy multiple times. The best strategy is to eliminate the Arch-Vile first, using cover to avoid its powerful ranged attack — a blast of green fire that deals heavy damage. The Arch-Vile is also vulnerable to the Super Shotgun and the BFG9000 at close range, but players must be careful not to get cornered. In the PlayStation version of Final Doom, the Arch-Vile was removed entirely, so players of that port do not need to worry about this enemy.
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