Doom II, also called Doom II: Hell on Earth, is a 1994 first-person shooter game created and released by id Software for MS-DOS. It was released for Mac OS the next year. Unlike the original Doom, which was first available through shareware and mail order, Doom II was the first Doom game sold in stores.
Doom II includes larger game levels, new enemies, a new weapon called the Super Shotgun, and a new power-up. An expansion pack called Master Levels for Doom II, which adds 21 new levels, was released on December 26, 1995. Another expansion, No Rest for the Living, which includes nine extra levels, was created for the Xbox Live Arcade version of the game. This expansion is also included in Doom 3: BFG Edition, Doom Classic Complete, and as a free add-on for the 2019 Unity engine version of Doom II. It was also included in the 2024 KEX Engine version of the game.
Doom II received positive reviews for improving the original Doom. It has sold more than 1.8 million copies and earned over $74 million in revenue in the United States. It is considered one of the greatest video games.
Doom II was released on the Game Boy Advance in 2002, Tapwave Zodiac in 2004, Xbox Live Arcade in 2010, and Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in 2019. The release of Doom II's source code allowed the game to be ported to platforms like iOS and other mobile devices. Doom II was also included in the PlayStation and Sega Saturn versions of the game in 1995 and 1997.
Gameplay
Doom II was not much different from the original game. There were no big changes in technology, graphics, or how the game was played. Instead, the developers used better computer hardware that had become available since the original game was released. This allowed them to create larger and more detailed levels using the same game engine. The game still involves the player exploring large, nonlinear levels filled with demons that can be defeated using various weapons found throughout the game. To complete a level, players must find an exit, such as a switch or a teleporter, to move to the next area. Like the original game, Doom II's levels can be completed in a simple way. However, because the levels are nonlinear, players can explore paths not usually taken and often find rewards like extra health or stronger weapons. The larger and more complex maps, along with more monsters, meant that Doom II required slightly better computer equipment than the original.
Unlike the first Doom, which had three connected episodes, Doom II includes 32 levels (two of which are secret levels that can be reached from level 15). The story is shown through short breaks between levels, rather than through a map that displayed the player's progress as in the original game. This style was also used in the bonus fourth episode of the original Doom, included in The Ultimate Doom, a later version of the original game. This change means players do not lose their collected items after finishing a level.
Doom II doubled the number of monster types that were not bosses and used bosses from the original game as regular enemies. It also introduced a new weapon, the Super Shotgun (a very strong double-barreled shotgun), and a new power-up called the Megasphere.
Multiplayer features in Doom II were improved compared to the original game. It supported more dial-up modems out of the box, allowing two players to connect over the internet to play together or in deathmatch-style combat. Local area network (LAN) support was also added and later improved with updates. These features were eventually added to the original Doom as well. Multiplayer games were played using dial-up or LAN connections through setup programs like setup.exe, online services such as DWANGO, or popular programs like Kali and Kahn (using SPX) on Windows 95. Today, many third-party versions of the Doom engine, such as Odamex, Zandronum, and ZDaemon, allow players to enjoy Doom II multiplayer across different operating systems. The Xbox Live Arcade version of Doom II also supports online multiplayer through Xbox Live.
Plot
After the events in Doom, the player controls the character known as Doomguy. Following his victory over the Spider Mastermind, the marine discovers a portal to Earth created by demons. Upon returning to Earth, the marine finds that demons have invaded the planet, killing billions of people.
The surviving humans have created a plan to build large spaceships to transport the remaining people into space. However, Earth’s only ground spaceport has been captured by demons, who have placed a barrier that stops the spaceships from leaving. The marine fights through large groups of demons and successfully turns off the barrier, allowing the survivors to escape. Once all humans have left Earth, the marine is the only person remaining on the planet.
As the marine sits to wait for death, he realizes he has saved humanity. He then receives a message from the survivors in space, who have discovered that the demons’ base is located in the center of the marine’s hometown. The marine fights through the city to reach the base but finds no way to stop the invasion from that location. He decides to enter the portal to try stopping the invasion from the other side, traveling to Hell.
After battling through large groups of demons in Hell, the marine reaches the largest demon he has ever faced, known as the Icon of Sin (Baphomet). He defeats the Icon of Sin by shooting rockets into its exposed brain. This action causes destruction in Hell, and the portal to Earth is sealed. The marine considers what will happen to evil people after death now that Hell is destroyed and reflects that rebuilding the world might be more enjoyable than saving it as he begins his journey back to Earth.
Development
Most of the game levels were created by Sandy Petersen, with American McGee contributing significantly to the design.
The final level, called "Icon of Sin," includes an easter egg. Two artists placed a hidden image of John Romero's head on a wall. To reveal it, players must damage the icon with rocket attacks three times. While working on the level's sound effects, John Romero discovered this hidden joke. After learning about it, he recorded his voice saying, "To win the game, you must kill me, John Romero." He used sound effects to change the recording and reversed it to create the "demonic chant" heard by the head. The image used for the sprite was taken from a 1994 photo in a Businessweek article.
One idea from Sandy Petersen that was not included in the final game was replacing the Fists weapon with a hand axe.
The cost of advertising for the game ranged from $3 million to $5 million.
Releases
Doom II was released for DOS on October 10, 1994 (one of the days of the Doomsday rule and exactly ten months after the original) in North America and Europe. GT Interactive handled the distribution.
In 1995, a version for Mac OS by Lion Entertainment Inc. and a version for the PlayStation were released. A version for the Atari Jaguar was announced early in the year but was not released. A version for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer was also announced but was not completed. In 1997, a version for the Sega Saturn was released.
A version for the Game Boy Advance was released in 2002, for the Tapwave Zodiac in 2004, for Xbox Live Arcade in 2010, and for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in 2019. These platforms received an improved version in 2024 alongside the original Doom.
The release of the Doom source code helped create ports on many other platforms, including iOS and other cellphone systems.
In August 2024, Bethesda announced a complete edition called Doom + Doom II at QuakeCon. This edition includes TNT: Evilution, The Plutonia Experiment, Master Levels for Doom II, No Rest for the Living, Sigil (by John Romero), a new deathmatch map pack with 26 maps, and a new episode titled Legacy of Rust. Legacy of Rust was developed by id Software, Nightdive Studios, and MachineGames. The bundle also includes in-game mod support for both titles, the 2016 "IDKFA" arranged soundtrack for Doom, and a new "IDKFA" arranged soundtrack for Doom II, both by Andrew Hulshult.
On April 10, 2025, Sigil II was officially added to the Doom + Doom II edition.
Expansions
Master Levels for Doom II is an official expansion pack for Doom II, released on December 26, 1995, by id Software. The CD includes 20 WAD files created by authors hired by id Software. A bonus called Maximum Doom, which contains over 3,000 levels made by fans, is also included. In 2023, Romero described how, in 1995, some stores sold disks with Doom WADs taken from the internet. Although these levels were free online, many players had slow internet connections and bought the disks, which sold quickly. Recognizing this, id Software decided to officially create a similar disk by hiring mappers to design levels, along with a large collection of shareware. This effort was part of Romero’s plan to increase id Software’s income while the team waited for the Quake engine to be developed. Ed Dawson, a reviewer for PC PowerPlay, praised the quality of the levels but noted that the commercial levels were all medium in size and that the price was high for mostly shareware content.
No Rest for the Living is an expansion pack created for the Xbox 360 version of Doom II on Xbox Live Arcade. It was developed by Nerve Software, with guidance from id Software, and released on May 26, 2010. It includes eight regular levels and one secret level. It was also included in the 2012 Doom II release from Doom 3: BFG Edition, as part of Doom Classic Complete for the PlayStation Network, and later released as a free add-on for the 2019 Unity engine version of Doom II. No detailed story information is provided, but the expansion appears to take place after the main story of Doom II. Brandon James, president of Nerve Software, stated the expansion was designed for the Ultra-Violence difficulty, includes "many secrets to find," and is intended for players seeking a more challenging experience.
Legacy of Rust was developed by id Software, Nightdive Studios, and MachineGames. Released on August 8, 2024, Legacy of Rust is the first official episode since Doom II to introduce new enemies and weapons. The episode is split into two chapters, "The Vulcan Abyss" and "Counterfeit Eden," which together include 16 maps.
Reception
The reception of Doom II was positive, with reviewers saying it improved everything that made the original Doom successful. In 1995, Dragon magazine, issue #216, featured a review by David "Zeb" Cook in the "Eye of the Monitor" column. He wrote, "If you want exciting but not thoughtful violence, you will get your money's worth. However, it is not a game you need to keep on your hard drive forever. If you want more Doom, this is a good choice."
Writer and game designer Chris Crawford used the level "Barrels O' Fun" to explain a point about death in video games. He chose this level as an example because it is "one of the most complex and sophisticated challenges in one of the very best games of the 1990s."
Next Generation magazine reviewed the PC version of the game, giving it three stars out of five. It noted, "Now that the first-person interface has become the design of choice for the entire industry, id will need to find new innovations, or it will quickly find itself playing catch-up in its own game niche."
Doom II won the Origins Award for Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Computer Game of 1994.
According to David Kushner in Masters of Doom, id Software shipped 600,000 copies of Doom II to stores before its launch. This initial shipment sold out within one month, even though it was expected to last three months. Pre-orders for the game were so high that it was hard to buy from stores. The game products were displayed on pallets instead of shelves. Doom II was the United States' highest-selling software product of 1994 and sold more than 1.2 million copies within a year. It ranked 10th in 1996, with 322,671 units sold and $12.6 million earned in the United States that year alone. According to PC Data, which tracked sales in the United States, Doom II sold 1.81 million units and earned $74.7 million in revenue in the United States. This led PC Data to declare it the country's third-best-selling computer game for the period between January 1993 and April 1998. Its total revenue in the United States reached $80 million, while revenue in Europe reached $20 million. Of this, Kushner wrote that "30 percent […] came from Germany—a country that had banned the game from its shelves."
In Australia, the game sold 10,000 copies in the first two days of its release.
Legacy
In 2022, John Romero made a new level called "One Humanity" for a game to help raise money for the Ukrainian Red Cross and the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. By March 2022, the new level had collected more than $29,000.