Written by: Zach England

Written by: Zach England

Duke Nukem Forever has come out….and that right there might be a sign of the apocalypse. The last Duke Nukem came out in 1996 so after 12 long years the hype and jokes are over. Is this the game of the year? No. Is this the game that everyone hoped it would be? Probably not. What this game is is much more like a throw back to the 90′s then a new game. Over the top cursing, nudity, explosions, weapons basically everything. The story is out the window and odd. However, this to me is what makes the game entertaining. The graphics are sub par, at best, and seems more like a launch title than a 2011 game in its prime.

THE GAME HAS BEEN IN DEVELOPMENT FOR 12 YEARS! Of course it’s not going to be the game of the century considering it’s been passed from studio to studio since the beginning. It really is a wonder that the game even was finished and released.

That being said, it’s here and the king is back baby! This game represents everything that can be over the top: From tits on the wall to naked girls asking you for a bag of popcorn even including vibrators and condoms that help the story progress.  I kid you not, there are bosses with 3 giant breast’s and girls that are topless everywhere. Slapping the tits on the wall builds your Ego. Checking yourself out in a mirror builds Ego. Even lifting weights builds Ego. Ego is your shield and it increases the more you admire and enjoy yourself. There are many mini games within Duke Nukem Forever including air hockey, pool, and pinball etc which also increases ego and boost gamer score. There is a lot of interactive elements in this game!

The commentary from Jon St. John (Duke) is great. His voice suits the persona that is Duke. The writing is decent and made me laugh. For example the particular one that stood out the most was when I was trying to find hidden areas and tried to open a door. I heard Duke proclaim “Who locks these things?!?!”. That kind of humor is spread throughout the game. That being said the writing for Duke is solid but the story is sub par. The aliens are back as you are accused of attacking them first. They then retaliate by abducting all the beautiful babes on earth. You’re mission is to get them back and destroy the aliens. Pretty simple BUT the story isn’t what drives the game.

The urban environments are pretty average which includes strip clubs, hotels and alien hives. The game is all over the place. There are a few turret moments and a few driving levels. Mini Duke slows the game down and makes you feel like less of a bad ass. All the basics for a first person shooter are there. It doesn’t separate itself in anyway from the overwhelming flood of first person shooters currently and soon to be on the market. A game with/without solid controls can make or break it. Duke’s controls aren’t the worst, by any means, but there are moments where jumping felt delayed and aiming controls just weren’t right.

This is a game that wasn’t meant for everyone. It’s not going to win any awards but it does have some things going for it. Duke came back despite everything that has happened to the series. I wouldn’t buy the game at full price though. If you have to play it now, rent that bad boy!

Overal Rating: 6/10