Doom's other forgotten RPG finally comes to PC after 13 years

Doom 2 RPG - which yes, unbelievable as it may sound, is the second Doom RPG - has been ported to PC by fans 13 years after it launched.

Originally released for Java phones on November 23, 2009, then ported to iPhones on February 1, 2012, Doom 2 RPG seemed destined for the same obscure fate that awaits most mobile games. Apple no longer supports iOS apps, and emulation of the platform is in its infancy, so most old mobile games simply disappear with little protest from the gaming community - after all, most players see them as cheaply-made timewasters, right?

But Doom 2 RPG along with its predecessors, Doom RPG and Wolfenstein RPG, are special. Developed by the legendary Doom programmer John Carmack and his then spouse, Katherine Anna Kang, these were full-on turn-based spin-offs of the classic shooter series. Built in the style of old-school dungeon crawlers (Legend of Grimrock is a solid semi-modern example of the format), there's nothing else quite like them. id Software fans were very much missing something as long as these games remained unplayable.

GEC is very excited to have released Doom 2 RPG for PC today May the 7th 2023. In the "Read Me" file you will find more information about this port we have made. We really hope you enjoy this and long live #Doom . Thank you very much and see you next time☺️May 8, 2023

Last year, a group of fan developers going under the name GEC.inc released a port of the original Doom RPG to PC, and now they've done the same for Doom 2 RPG, reverse engineering the original code to get the game running on modern PCs. You can find the download and installation instructions over on Doomworld, but bear in mind that you will need to source your own copy of the original game in order to get the assets this port needs to run.

Take a look at the video above if you want a quick idea of what Doom 2 RPG is all about. In my mind, it's all worth it just for the image of Doomguy in a polo shirt and blue jeans.

The best FPS games? The best RPGs? Doom 2 RPG should teach us that we don't have to choose one or the other.

Dustin Bailey joined the GamesRadar team as a Staff Writer in May 2022, and is currently based in Missouri. He's been covering games (with occasional dalliances in the worlds of anime and pro wrestling) since 2015, first as a freelancer, then as a news writer at PCGamesN for nearly five years. His love for games was sparked somewhere between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Knights of the Old Republic, and these days you can usually find him splitting his entertainment time between retro gaming, the latest big action-adventure title, or a long haul in American Truck Simulator.