Dr. Rudy 2

Before you first stepped into Dr. Rudy's office, you didn't know that three patients would be waiting for you and that you'd take a hundred years from their lives. Such is the logic of a game that moves between precision and daily responsibility so dryly that you won't realize it's a doctor simulator.

Dr. Rudy 2 is simple and very specific: you work in a clinic, patients come to you with various problems — flu, a sprained ankle, toothache — and you must diagnose and treat them. The game lets you choose between different treatment options, you wait for results and move on. There's no drama here, no special effects, no emotion. Everything unfolds in text, lists, and numbers.

Playing is rather tedious. You click buttons, read diagnoses, apply medications. There's no tension, nothing that would make you want to start the game again. It works mechanically, but it lacks a heartbeat — something to keep you at the screen. Patients react based on how you treat them, but their stories are dull and predictable.

In the nineties, such an educational game was interesting as a novelty — trying out the role of a doctor, learning about diseases. Today you no longer find that appeal. It lacks graphics that would bring the situation to life, it lacks personality and ideas. It's a medical simulator without a soul.

You can play it in a browser if you're interested in how educational entertainment looked in DOS. It's not a waste, but if you have a moment and curiosity about how gaming was educational, it's there. Don't expect long-term enjoyment, though.