Duke Nukem is one of gamings biggest icons. Bursting onto the scene in the early 90's, Duke had a large PC based fanbase and rocketed to stardom after Duke Nukem 3D, the third entry in the aging series. Back in 1997, straight after Duke 3D was released, 3D Realms decided it was time for Duke to rise once again however it would not be for 12 years in development hell that Duke Nukem Forever would actually see the light of day. After undergoing 3 console generations time and 4 different development studios (3D Realms, Triptych, Piranha & Gearbox) Duke's fourth main instalment was finally released. 2011 saw two games hit the table that would try to reclaim the FPS scene in a more run&gun, balls to the wall kind of game. However there was 1 major difference between Bulletstorm and Duke Nukem Forever and that was that age really does show.
Duke Nukem Forever kicks off 12 years after Duke 3D (which the games opening level tells us with typical Duke humour), Duke is on top of the world after having gained fame and wealth for deterring the aliens from Earth. However the aliens are back and before long try to invade again. Duke steps up to the task of kicking their asses again and in the usual duke fashion, with lots of guns, bullets and explosions.
The plot doesn’t have much going for it other than get the babes back that the aliens stole and are now...raping. Hang on, a Duke game has something as serious as rape in it? Oh yes but even that wasn’t left untouched by the immature humour that Duke is known for making it something that just rests by the wayside for the destruction to take centre stage.
The game plays like...well an FPS, seeing as Duke was one of the FPS founders its only right that they stick to what they formulated in the first place. The action is supposed to be fast and frantic but is instead slow and cumbersome as it tries to keep its nostalgic feel but opting for new gameplay mechanics such as regenerating health and levels littered with unquantifiable amounts of cover apart from where you bloody need it (yes I'm looking at you boss battles). This doesn’t make the game bad but it does make it feel older than it wants to be.
The game throws in some light puzzle sections, vehicle sections and platforming bits but nothing ever escapes the shooting for long. I mentioned the driving bits, now imagine a monster truck...got it? Right now imagine a monster truck with ADHD and tourettes and you have Forever's driving sections down to a T. The platforming bits are good and well designed (I fondly remember the mini Duke platforming section in Duke Burger kitchen being one of the games highlights) but due to the floaty movement mechanics some obstacles can be tough to clear without multiple attempts. The puzzles whilst providing little to no challenge at all seem out of place, I imagine Duke walking up to a puzzle, telling it to fuck off then just breaking down the locked door with his bare fists, It doesn’t feel like Duke to be standing there pissing around with shoddy physics mechanics trying to figure out puzzles that seem oddly Valve in design.
There are also very few weapons in Forever but that doesn't seem to matter as the only weapons you'll ever need to use are the pistol, shotgun, machine gun and rocket launcher which is fine seeing as you have the ability to use 4 weapon slots (it needs enabling in the options menu, silly design choice), you do have the ability to use a sniper and a few cool weapons like shrink & freeze rays though.
After 12 years, 3 console generations and at least 2 engine changes you would expect Duke Nukem to look pretty rough, and yes, yes it does. The game looks ok granted the rough time its had but textures often pop in and out by turning away from them and the skyboxes are nothing but 2D images that look slightly out of place in the 21st century. The models are pretty solid though and gun detailing is nice but don’t expect a good looking game if you pick it up even if it is running on the Unreal Engine. The game also suffers from major frame rate issues, smoke causes the game to drop from a smooth-ish 40 to 15-20 and mirrors are even worse. The sound of the guns are good and solid but the voice acting is below par and it seems like lip sync hadn't even been invented for this game, characters mouths will move even if there is no dialogue to be spoken and the movement is just a simple up and down movement. Also I don’t know if anybody else noticed it but the shotgun sounds oddly familiar...Halo anyone?
Duke Nukem Forever is mutton dressed as lamb, its a geriatric trying to get down with the kids. The game is by no means bad and is a great nostalgia trip but with all the problems it has that all games today have moved on from makes it a league below the current competition. Had Duke Nukem Forever been released 10 years ago it would have been a revolutionary game, a Half-Life 1 for the 21st century but due to its overly long development time and rush to get the game finished before it bankrupted another dev team make the game bareley average.
DNF is worth a look for a reasonable price such as what I bought it for but anything more than £10 and you'll be wasting your money, maybe Duke can pull it off next time round...as long as it inst another 12 years.
Duke Nukem Forever – 6/10
+Just Plain Simple Fun
-Offers Very little In Any Area
