The game uses a first-person viewpoint. Each level requires the player to explore interconnected rooms, collect weapons and ammunition, find colored keys, activate doors, defeat enemies, and reach the exit. Secrets and optional areas reward careful map exploration.

Progression is divided into episodes and increasingly difficult stages. The marine can carry several weapons and must manage health, armor, ammunition, and enemy positioning. The 32X version is primarily a single-player campaign and does not reproduce every episode or feature found in the computer original.

Conserve powerful ammunition for large groups and dangerous enemies, while using the shotgun or chaingun for routine targets. Keep moving rather than fighting from a stationary position, especially in open rooms where projectiles are easy to track.

Search side rooms for armor, health, weapons, and secrets, but learn the safest route through each level before committing to a difficult fight. Colored keys are essential, so revisit unexplored branches when a locked door blocks progress.