Duke Nukem Forever

 PC
User Score
5.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1276 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 488 out of 1276
  2. Mixed: 358 out of 1276
  3. Negative: 430 out of 1276
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  1. RedxLeader
    Jun 18, 2011
    6
    Having just beaten the game, I can honestly say that Duke Nukem Forever is not as terrible as many people are claiming it is. For everyone that is absolutely sh&^%ng themselves over what a disappointing game this is for the wait, I have to say I'm a little baffled. It's really no better or worse than these other "Triple A" titles getting churned out in less than a year coming out the gateHaving just beaten the game, I can honestly say that Duke Nukem Forever is not as terrible as many people are claiming it is. For everyone that is absolutely sh&^%ng themselves over what a disappointing game this is for the wait, I have to say I'm a little baffled. It's really no better or worse than these other "Triple A" titles getting churned out in less than a year coming out the gate lately. In an industry filled with disappointing redundant sequel after disappointing lack of improvement sequel, it's kind of nice to have this blast from the past finally get released.

    In my time playing the game I encountered only one glitch, which by my count is frankly surprising. Considering what a train wreck this game must have been to work on once 3DRealms was out of the picture I expected to encounter a lot more hiccups than I did. The graphics look and feel a lot like they do in Prey. Dated by today's standards, but still passable. The real tragedy here was the lack of consistency in development and if, god forbid, Gearbox had had more time to work on it this could have been an even better game.

    There are certainly glimmers of the game that could have been sprinkled throughout the experience, and to be honest that's not such a bad thing. I'm glad some of the old Duke charm actually made it into the final product instead of none at all. Hopefully when work starts on the sequel they can focus their efforts on improving the gameplay instead of having to clean up a mess first.    … Expand
  2. cowmilk9
    Jun 15, 2011
    6
    Many people take this game out of perspective. It is not meant to be a groundbreaking AAA title, but rather mostly just fan-service. DN3D was a very well-known game back in the 90's for it's over-the-top violence, sophomoric humor, excessive nudity, and constant one-liners from the Duke himself and Duke Nukem Forever only tries to be the same. But that is also one of its downfalls.

    This    Many people take this game out of perspective. It is not meant to be a groundbreaking AAA title, but rather mostly just fan-service. DN3D was a very well-known game back in the 90's for it's over-the-top violence, sophomoric humor, excessive nudity, and constant one-liners from the Duke himself and Duke Nukem Forever only tries to be the same. But that is also one of its downfalls.

    This game doesn't strive to be more. It tries to be very much like its predecessor but while doing so, takes away from the game's creativity. Consumers these days are starving for something new and intuitive in a world of constant, mono-tone FPS's. It looked promising enough with the bringing back of the childish humor (although some people don't like that type of humor) and 90's-type gameplay, and its super interactivity, but it's ultimate downfall was trying to catch up to modern times by excluding some key assets that made DN3D so fun. For example, you can only carry 2 weapons at a time; something that most fans gawk at. Then they make the "Mighty Foot" execution-only. It's the little things like that that put not only newcomers off, but fans as well and for a Duke Nukem game, that's not something you want to do.

    The gameplay is good for a little burst of fun here and there, but it ultimately suffers from trying to combine 90's style with the modern era. It isn't horrible, but the mechanics just aren't solidified. Some of the bosses, however, are actually pretty fun.

    The graphics, while they may not be up to par with many of today's top titles, aren't too bad although they could have at least had a bigger color palette. Everything does seem relatively low-poly and the character models are nothing to brag about. Overall, the graphics are acceptable, but not very likeable.

    The very hyped up "interactivity" that they promised turned out to be less than they made it out to be. Sure you can microwave a rat, play some pinball, or even knock a punching bag, but most of that stuff is very obvious. There are no real "secret" things that you can do (as far as I've seen). Most of the time, there will be something in the room that you look at and think "I can probably play with this" but nothing is really shocking. Not to mention that they spoiled all of the "surprising" interactive things (like the turd) in order for more marketing. I've seen games with way more interactivity than this game. They just told us empty promises.

    The levels are very linear with TONS of Half-Life rip-off "physics" puzzles that seem more like scripted events rather than real physics.

    Sound design is OK. Not too much variety and they all seem very monotonous. Duke's grunt from every jump is very unnecessary.

    Overall, fans of Duke might enjoy this game for the nostalgia factor, but that's really all this game is is fan service. It's almost like Gearbox just got the rights for it, and then said, "Alright, this game has been in development hell for years so let's just get this done and get it out there. Fans will love it regardless." The game suffers from trying to catch up with modern times while still trying to be the same. The graphics are OK, the gameplay is fun at times, the puzzles are a joke, and the famed "interactivity" is nothing really to be excited about. The game is alright. It isn't a horrible game. Just don't expect it to win any awards any time soon.    … Expand
  3. mrxdave
    Jun 16, 2011
    6
    This game was certainly mediocre. You can disregard the reviews that say this game is horrible - it is not. You can also disregard the reviews that say this game is perfect in every way - it definitely is not. There are mildly amusing parts, some good shooting action.....and some puzzles that were ok (most were just tedious). In short, a simply OK game.
  4. WildFire15
    Jun 14, 2011
    7
    If you're sick to death of Call of Duty clones and want something that doesn't take itself even vaguely seriously, you can't go wrong with Duke Nukem Forever. Whatever you do, don't go in expecting this game, with an infamous development story, to be the second coming or anything.
  5. Carnifex
    Jun 14, 2011
    6
    Duke Nukem Forever is a nice change of pace from the current FPS heavyweights. It has a similar kind of charm as a throwback action movie. A mix of campy humour, sex, and a ton of violence. Alot of effort was made to bring back the old Duke feel and I think the development team(s) did a good job. Probably one of DNF's biggest strengths. Level design was interesting at times and dull atDuke Nukem Forever is a nice change of pace from the current FPS heavyweights. It has a similar kind of charm as a throwback action movie. A mix of campy humour, sex, and a ton of violence. Alot of effort was made to bring back the old Duke feel and I think the development team(s) did a good job. Probably one of DNF's biggest strengths. Level design was interesting at times and dull at others, about what you'd expect from all but the very best FPS's. Gameplay is comprised of not just killing hoards of aliens but also puzzles, vehicles, and mini games (reminds me of Deus Ex). The graphics are on par with Halo 3, polished but dated by todays standards. All in all I had fun kicking @$$ with the Duke after all these years.… Expand
  6. JaydenPickens
    May 22, 2019
    6
    It's actually not that bad. It's also not a fully oldschool FPS as they want you to believe. While the game starts promising, has that stupid humour that's fine, big weapons, it all falls flat, when you notice the two major flaws. First is that there is regenerating health. I hate that feature, it's the reason, why I don't like newschool fps games. The second point is that you can onlyIt's actually not that bad. It's also not a fully oldschool FPS as they want you to believe. While the game starts promising, has that stupid humour that's fine, big weapons, it all falls flat, when you notice the two major flaws. First is that there is regenerating health. I hate that feature, it's the reason, why I don't like newschool fps games. The second point is that you can only carry 2 weapons (but that's actually changed to 4 with the dlc and patches, but IT'S STILL NOT ENOUGH). if I wanted to walk with two weapons, I'd play Halo, not Duke Nukem. This is not an oldschool shooter... it just has some oldschool elements from time to time. It's not bad, but it's not great either. I'm giving this 6/10, because it was enjoyable. Pickens out.… Expand
  7. yiNXs
    Jul 3, 2011
    6
    I've been waiting for this game since the day they announced it, but I wasn't expecting something groundbreaking anymore. I knew 3Drealms had no chance competing with the other softwarehouses and their inability to finish the game made that very clear. I didn't care though. Duke nukem is a game for simple action and fun, let other developers worry about stuff like superior graphics,I've been waiting for this game since the day they announced it, but I wasn't expecting something groundbreaking anymore. I knew 3Drealms had no chance competing with the other softwarehouses and their inability to finish the game made that very clear. I didn't care though. Duke nukem is a game for simple action and fun, let other developers worry about stuff like superior graphics, realism and storylines.

    Still, even with my simple (not to be mistaken with low) expectations, the game didn't really deliver. Don't get me wrong, there were fun parts and even a few original elements, but it just felt thrown together. Even though I know it was actually thrown together in the end, still, after 12 years I expected at least some things to be really polished, but nothing was. Even the music and voice acting was bad, and those things could have been perfected ages ago. The only thing that stood out was the huge amount of pop-reference and sex jokes they've managed to put in the game. It's almost impossible not to find at least one or two jokes that are a little funny.

    I could fill a page with con's, but I'll just mention the biggest one. Some levels were very boring. I liked the driving/racing element and also the "mini" levels, but they were repetitive, not really challenging and just didn't seem to end. Some "live cutscenes" had the same effect. There were some really nice levels with challenging fights that weren't half as complex as those boring parts, so it would've been nice if they just added a few more of those. What I really liked was that the puzzles were slightly more challenging than those of most modern shooters.

    I'm giving it a 6 because in the end it was entertaining, even though I never got to use a jetpack in single player :(    … Expand
  8. MustisTheCat
    Aug 30, 2011
    7
    First of all, this game is not nearly as bad as people say it is. I dove into the abyss of what I thought was going to be a dissapointment but no. I thought it would be a terrible game. I was wrong. The music is average, the levels are average, the graphics is 2008. Many things lack seriously in detail, especially the women models. The bossfights are cool. Not that I love anything aboutFirst of all, this game is not nearly as bad as people say it is. I dove into the abyss of what I thought was going to be a dissapointment but no. I thought it would be a terrible game. I was wrong. The music is average, the levels are average, the graphics is 2008. Many things lack seriously in detail, especially the women models. The bossfights are cool. Not that I love anything about them, but they are fun and not too easy or hard. Every one of them is different and none is bad, well maybe the thing underwater. Classic boss fights. The weapons are cool, well balanced, have nice animations and fun to dispatch enemies. The enemies are well varied, have good AI and get dismembered nicely. I did not like some of the levels, very boring, sometimes tedious and annoying. Often I did not know where to go or what to do. The levels where you play a small Dookie are interesting (esp. the kitchen fights). There are multiple spots where you stand in a field and surpress waves of incoming foes - that is poorly made. The interaction with facilities are ok, though I didn`t find the games too engaging. You also get killed many times because the game has weird scripting. With all that said, I had some fun, I could not get bored to the extent I`d quit playing. Overall the game is easy and simple to play. A standard FPS I`d say.
    Worth the money when you get a 30% discount.    … Expand
  9. Shotz
    Aug 14, 2011
    7
    The wait wasn't worth the product. Not that the game was bad, but its worst issue was its title. It just didn't live up to the Duke Nukem name. On its own, its a competent shooter along the lines of Bulletstorm. Little humor thrown in, between some fun guns. The overpowering guns of the past seem to be gone as more artificial limitations are placed (i.e. you can only hold 2 weapons atThe wait wasn't worth the product. Not that the game was bad, but its worst issue was its title. It just didn't live up to the Duke Nukem name. On its own, its a competent shooter along the lines of Bulletstorm. Little humor thrown in, between some fun guns. The overpowering guns of the past seem to be gone as more artificial limitations are placed (i.e. you can only hold 2 weapons at a time, presumably to keep it simple for the console releases). Dukes one-liners seem to be misused, but there are some fun ones in there. The open worlds were replaced by linear corridors. And the fun was replaced by trying to explain itself. Rewrite the game with a name other than Duke and it would get better reviews. Put the Duke in, and it just cant live up to its own artificial expectations.… Expand
  10. Deeperlook
    Feb 12, 2013
    6
    Was the 15+ years of wait worth it?...hell to the no! DNF should of came out 10 years ago and should be playing duke nukem 6 by now, but thanks to the fat lazy of george, joe, and scott, we will all die knowing that will never happen. but i digress. see thou as the game is glitchy, inferior graphics, poor taste in humor, and a small hint of promoting Misogyny, it still sticks the middleWas the 15+ years of wait worth it?...hell to the no! DNF should of came out 10 years ago and should be playing duke nukem 6 by now, but thanks to the fat lazy of george, joe, and scott, we will all die knowing that will never happen. but i digress. see thou as the game is glitchy, inferior graphics, poor taste in humor, and a small hint of promoting Misogyny, it still sticks the middle finger at todays shooters. DNF paces it self good, a good hand full of mini games, so it's not all bad really.… Expand
  11. TromboneR
    Nov 20, 2011
    6
    This game gets too much hate. You still have to think of the FPS's getting pumped out each year and getting 9.0+ from critics, even though they are the same thing. This game may be repetitive and not revolutionary in any way, but it least it tries to stray away from the generic shooting experience in today's games.
  12. duckypwns
    Dec 11, 2011
    7
    This game just isn't as bad as people want it to be. Face it. It's actually pretty fun. People just had too high of expectations considering how long it took for the game to come out. Thus, their judgement for the game's quality was already distorted in advance. The guns in this game are all varied, interesting, and useful in differing situations. People don't understand what the point ofThis game just isn't as bad as people want it to be. Face it. It's actually pretty fun. People just had too high of expectations considering how long it took for the game to come out. Thus, their judgement for the game's quality was already distorted in advance. The guns in this game are all varied, interesting, and useful in differing situations. People don't understand what the point of a single player FPS is. When you're killing the pig cops, aliens, etc. the game is by no means trying to say that that substitutes for hardcore competitive multiplayer or something... The point is that you're going to be fighting a lot of enemies, and Duke is better than each one of them individually. The challenge comes in where you have to fight a lot of them. The regenerating health, 2 weapon limit, etc. aren't necessarily bad things. I think people just looked at it and said, "uh oh, that's in Call of Duty, obviously it must be a bad thing!" which is funny because most people don't even know why they dislike Call of Duty and only do it because they're told to. But I digress. Anyway, if you take this game for what it is, and know why you're playing it as opposed to other FPS games, it's actually pretty solid. The reason I'm giving it a 7/10 is because I'm just not really that in to FPS. It doesn't have much lasting appeal for me. I don't see myself replaying this one very many times in the future. If you are in to FPS and you judge the game taking it for what it is though, and not just blindly hating it because everyone else does, you will probably like it even more than I did.… Expand
  13. slick2500
    Jun 19, 2011
    6
    I blame 3D Realms for wasting 12 years not making this game, and I blame Gearbox for rushing to finish the game because that's what they did. Even though 3D Realms wasted so much time doing nothing, Gearbox could have at least taken some time to make the game better than they did. Its not a bad game, I liked it way better than Modern Warfare 2, but it could have been better on so manyI blame 3D Realms for wasting 12 years not making this game, and I blame Gearbox for rushing to finish the game because that's what they did. Even though 3D Realms wasted so much time doing nothing, Gearbox could have at least taken some time to make the game better than they did. Its not a bad game, I liked it way better than Modern Warfare 2, but it could have been better on so many levels. That is why this game is getting such horrible reviews, everyone was expecting so much more from a game that was in some sort of development for 14 years. This game has one thing that most other games do not you can interact with almost everything, pool tables, tvs, phones, games, slot machines light switches the list goes on these are some things I would like to see in other games instead of just running from point a to point b killing everything in site on your way through the game. I would give this game a 10 but I don't think that would be fair to The Duke because 3d Realms and Gearbox have failed us all.… Expand
  14. DrGhettoblaster
    Jun 24, 2011
    6
    Ok, the game is NOT as bad as people/critics make it out to be. I've got a GeForce GTX465 and the game looks pretty good overall. Don't expect to be blown away or anything. For a modern day duke nukem game, I'd say this deserves no lower than a 6.
  15. Holly18
    Nov 13, 2011
    7
    Graphics: 5.5 - 8.5

    Sound: 7

    Gameplay: 7

    Presentation: 7.5

    Lasting appeal: 7

    OVERALL: 7
    OK game but not great. Fun to play if you are a Duke fan
  16. Swimming_MANGO
    Jan 2, 2012
    7
    I don't understand why Duke Nukem Forever is being attacked the way it is. People don't understand what the game went through to be released, as it was trapped in "development hell" for a great deal of time. During the time between 1996-2011 at its release the game went through numerous developers, with the resulting developers being a collaboration of 3D Realms, Triptych Games, GearboxI don't understand why Duke Nukem Forever is being attacked the way it is. People don't understand what the game went through to be released, as it was trapped in "development hell" for a great deal of time. During the time between 1996-2011 at its release the game went through numerous developers, with the resulting developers being a collaboration of 3D Realms, Triptych Games, Gearbox Software and Piranha Games. Why so many? I'll tell you why: The development began with 3D Realms with the announce of the game in April of 1997. By 2009, after years of statements saying the game would be released when it was ready, 3D Realms was substantially downsized due to financial issues, and as was the development team for DNF. After a lawsuit was filed by the games publishing rights holder, Take-Two Interactive, and a large amount of political issues struck, it was announced that 14 years after the games announce, Gearbox Software took development, and would be released in 2011. During the development the project was scraped, and redone several times from the arrival of the Unreal Engine, the transferring to different teams, and nearly any development being done during the fiasco of the lawsuits. Pressure on Gearbox is what made the game what it became, as they were practically given an empty plate to work with, and had a brief period of time to create one of the most highly anticipated, and classic video game characters in the next generation of games. Now with the history lesson over I can move on to the review. Duke Nukem Forever is by no means a bad game as it is being rated. Essentially the game was created to give new breath to the extremely old franchise, and bring back the classic game play of old school shooters. The game was not made to be new and revolutionary once it was given to Gearbox Software, contrary to 3D Realms' claims. The game play of the game is nearly identical to a classic "run 'n gun" style, with basic puzzles and platforming to break up the constant action. As well as this there are sequences during the game that truly showcase the personality, and feel of Duke Nukem, being the beginning of the game, and during a level at a strip club. As for critics of the graphics, they clearly were not playing the game the way it was meant to be played. The game was created to run on the PC, and that is the only way to experience The Duke properly. On a decent gaming PC I found the graphics to be on par with most others, and did not experience any lacking of texture detail unlike the ported Xbox 360 version, which I also played to compare. In terms of graphics, they were better then I expected, and I expected nothing less then amazing. Every character model, while evolved much from their original design (to be expected being 15 years since the last FPS Duke Nukem), bring nostalgia of the good old days of The King. The sounds of the game are good, nothing amazing, but the voice of Duke Nukem is where this game shines. As with the way everyone expects a Duke Nukem game to be, there is a non-stop barrage of wise-cracking, very adult, one-liners that make Duke the character he is. Truly the best part of the game, and one of the most memorable parts of the game.
    The multiplayer to the game is rather bland, and nothing too addictive, but if you love Duke Nukem, you'll enjoy the multiplayer. Duke Nukem Forever is by no means a bad game, but by no means is it a must buy at full price. Being a fan of the original Duke Nukem games I wish I could allow bias love for the character to impact my review, but to be honest, and truthful I can't. If your a Duke Nukem fan this game is far above a 6 for you, and you'll end up playing the game several times like me. If you are not familiar with The Duke and looking for a game to jump into the franchise (well either your of age, and you were living under a rock for 25 years, or your too young to know of Duke Nukem 3D and shouldn't be paying an M-rated game) DNF is not the best game to jump into the franchise, and warrants a worse rating then a 6. The crude, and rude humour of DNF is what gives the game it's feel so the sensitive individuals should not play this game either. Overall a prime example of Duke Nukem on the modern console. A great throwback to the old days alongside Doom, and Quake. As a huge Nukem fan I can't wait for the next one. Hail to the King, baby! Step on up, and get some!    … Expand
  17. sundog005
    Sep 25, 2012
    7
    Some bad trolling and snobbery on Metacritic, this game was ok it didn't deserve the thrashing it got, its not a great game ....but 54? Come on guys you're trolling now. It's streamlined to hell like most other console FPS shooters these days and i pretty much just moved forward and pressed fire the whole game to win it....But thats how most of these new shiny wrapper no content games areSome bad trolling and snobbery on Metacritic, this game was ok it didn't deserve the thrashing it got, its not a great game ....but 54? Come on guys you're trolling now. It's streamlined to hell like most other console FPS shooters these days and i pretty much just moved forward and pressed fire the whole game to win it....But thats how most of these new shiny wrapper no content games are now....why pick on Duke lol, the rest are just as bad. I can't play FPS games much anymore its like my brain starts to devolve back to a primal state they are so dumbed down and simple, atleast Duke has breasts to keep my attention...and well another complaint the game was too short, another casualty of the new age of bimbo games, the original had 3 chapters all larger than the whole single player campaign it its entirety.
    But like i said it deserves better than 54...thats just trololol. Same for Mass Effect3 it got destroyed by the fans for some minor faults...tbh i just think some people are NEVER satisfied or impartial.    … Expand
  18. Datacide
    Jul 16, 2012
    7
    So, no...it wasn't worth the wait. It has a very old school vibe to it all, but you know what? It was a hell of a lot of fun. There are some broken bits here and there, some levels look really nice and some not so great, but the sense of fun and solid game play add up to a lot of fun. I finished it on Hard and played with NVIDIA 3D and I had a great time. There is some really niceSo, no...it wasn't worth the wait. It has a very old school vibe to it all, but you know what? It was a hell of a lot of fun. There are some broken bits here and there, some levels look really nice and some not so great, but the sense of fun and solid game play add up to a lot of fun. I finished it on Hard and played with NVIDIA 3D and I had a great time. There is some really nice puzzle aspects and platform aspects that are missing from most modern shooters that harken back to an age where games tried to kick your ass and didn't hold your hand.
    The games biggest fault is a lack of consistency to the quality which is likely the result of so many hands in the development. I picked it up on the cheap, so that certainly factors in to the expectations, but I think people who previously enjoyed Duke games will enjoy Duke Nuken Forever and new players will certainly have a fun time. Props to everyone involved that got this to market. I look forward to more adventure with Duke as long as I don't have to wait more than another decade.    … Expand
  19. King-Martinou
    Jul 13, 2011
    7
    Got this is the Steam "Summer Camp" sale for 50% off. I only played the campaign and it was too funny. I never played a Duke game before but this guy is crude, sexist and a binge drinker! Serious this game will make your stomach hurt! I wouldn't say it is worth full price but if it is a sale then it is.
  20. keefbaker
    Nov 7, 2011
    7
    Yes, yes, it's a mess. Yes, yes, it's so misogynistic that anyone over the age of about 17 will feel a bit wrong playing it but it's the duke... I mean, isn't that the point? One of the most fun things about this game is guessing which bit was made when.... oh this bit feels early, I reckon 1999. This bit? Physics puzzle just like Half Life 2.. This bit.. New. It's very much like goingYes, yes, it's a mess. Yes, yes, it's so misogynistic that anyone over the age of about 17 will feel a bit wrong playing it but it's the duke... I mean, isn't that the point? One of the most fun things about this game is guessing which bit was made when.... oh this bit feels early, I reckon 1999. This bit? Physics puzzle just like Half Life 2.. This bit.. New. It's very much like going through a history lesson of the last 12 years of gaming. More fun than a lot of people make out.… Expand
  21. murut87
    Jun 17, 2011
    6
    The game that made without nothing special,it just like remake version of Duke Nukem 3D.
    A disappointed game ever made,even PREY game did make it without sacrificed more than 12 years.
    The pop-up graphics are annoying for me,and the animation is poor.....but whatever,still gameplay is still good enough for someone who like Old-Skool games. The story is boring with full of sex and **** I    The game that made without nothing special,it just like remake version of Duke Nukem 3D.
    A disappointed game ever made,even PREY game did make it without sacrificed more than 12 years.
    The pop-up graphics are annoying for me,and the animation is poor.....but whatever,still gameplay is still good enough for someone who like Old-Skool games.
    The story is boring with full of sex and ****
    I don`t know why ppl are so excited to play this game....i don`t get it.    … Expand
  22. NJLVFX87
    Jun 22, 2011
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I grew up with the very first duke nukem games along with other fond childhood memories such as Sonic the Hedgehog on the master system. Duke Nukem will still be one of the best gaming icons along side some of the best. But while we all want things to be amazing everytime we all have to have a moment where we think, "Why couldnt they just leave it alone". It happened with Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) and Sonic Unleash. Now it has partially happened with Duke Nukem Forever.

    Plot wise i wouldnt expect anything too complex, Duke's a hero worshiped by the world, suddenly the aliens come back pretending to make peace but then it all goes wrong and carnage takes over. Much like duke nukem 3d all the women are kidnapped, stripped and impregnated with aliens.This leaves duke pissed and has to go out and do what he does best, kick ass and chew bubble gum...and he's all out of gum. While this game may have more plot than previous incarnations it still feels almost cloned or too similar to DN3D.

    The voice actor for Duke Nukem himself embodies the character well, while most will find duke a sexist, narcassistic, violent gum chewer he still has some fairly funny one liners and is at his best when shrunk down to size. This new outing Duke Nukem Forever got me interested when i watched the trailers. Obviously the graphics are a little dated but then again when Sonic the Hedgehog 4 came out many complained about the look on HD consoles. Again the same problem paluges DNF. Some of the enemies, items and scenes are pretty good looking but once you reach a certain point or distance you start to notice some of graphics begin to suffer such as some of the aliens look pixelated when very close. Nearly every creature is just a HD remake of the Duke Nukem 3D enemies, from the Pig Cops and Octo-Creatures to the Warlord and kidnapped women.

    Gameplay wise the overall controls are similar to the previous games in the series. Some new additions have been made to series during its 15 year development (sadly most of the innovations made have now been done by other games), here are a few examples: 1, More interactivity with objects, nearly everything is interactive or destructable. From writing on a whiteboard with a marker pen to photocopying your arse on a photocopier, the developers have made nearly anthing possible even playing pool or air hockey was something new and nice to see.

    2: The ego bar that is introduced works like a shield, this can be improved by doing very egotistical things like flirting with yourself in a mirror, lifting weights, looking at a porn mag, even having a piss in a urinal improves your ego meter.

    While the game has tried to introduce new concepts and interactivity within a game enviroment, most of these ideas have now been implemented by other games developers already before DNF.

    While the last installment in the series brought upon itself alot of criticism this game will no doubt still have this reputation long after people have forgotten it. Like its predecessor the game makes use of alot of Female characters. Mostly strippers or kidnapped victims of the aliens which have been stripped and impregnated. This game though has made it more disturbing by having any women who are being used to birth aliens literally bulging before exploding in a shower of gore. On top of that each victim now cries out for help which makes it more unnerving. Duke does have the option of killing them but NO rewards are given for this but No penalties either. This may put off anyone new to the franchise and even some of the more die hard fans.

    One new addition to this FPS is the driving sections, they handle similar to grand theft auto but with a nittro boost that can be used to jump huge ravines, etc. This has been a welcome addition but like the rest of the game it is lacking some refinement.

    One of the major complaints i have is the lack of animation on Duke Nukem himself when you see him in a mirror. All other characters and Ai's have very fluid and natural movements but duke moves like a first year animation students first attempt at a walk cycle for a character. Some more care and attention on the movements would be good.

    Overall I feel that after 15 years of waiting this title has been both a nostalgia trip and a little disappointing all together. Graphics wise it is a few year behind most modetn titles and could be improved significantly. Plot is just a bit thin but with DN its never about plot. Some of the interactive items and games were well made but could be refined a little more. The lack of detail in some of the levels made the game feel rushed even after 15 years of development it still looked half finished.

    To me personally this has been an average game in the series, possibly the weakest of the franchise. It tried to come in with a bang but it turned out to be a wimper. Its not going to be game of the year but it will still be one to try out but i wouldnt recommend keeping it.    … Expand
  23. raghav123
    Aug 26, 2011
    5
    I Wanted to like this game.. I wanted to,, so Bad. But it has been a letdown. Reason why,while it isn't a modern game by any stretch, be it looks, gameplay or any other aspect, what it does is that it does try to be modern, which it shouldn't have. it should have stayed closer to its roots.
  24. Migz
    Jul 23, 2012
    6
    Duke Nukem Forever's (DNF) single-player campaign was a lot of fun because of the colorful and interesting environments and Duke's crass, over-the-top, sex humor. Composite score of 6.375/10 (turn off Depth of Field, and I upgrade to 7.375/10). [This review contains information pertaining to the DLC "The Doctor Who Cloned Me" as well. In general, it felt much more polished andDuke Nukem Forever's (DNF) single-player campaign was a lot of fun because of the colorful and interesting environments and Duke's crass, over-the-top, sex humor. Composite score of 6.375/10 (turn off Depth of Field, and I upgrade to 7.375/10). [This review contains information pertaining to the DLC "The Doctor Who Cloned Me" as well. In general, it felt much more polished and consistent within itself. If you do buy the game, I highly recommend this DLC. You can skip the multiplayer DLC though.] **Entertainment value: 7/10** I went into DNF thinking it was a shooter satire or self-parody rather than a serious attempt at a modern shooter, and that worked really well. Is that what 3D Realms planned back in 1998 when they began this project? I'm not sure, but it's how it feels now. Duke's rude humor and the silly environments carry the game. The humor is very, very adult. Lots of sexual jokes and imagery. It's definitely not a game you'd want your mother to watch you playing. Also, some of the jokes are from the 1990s (Bill Clinton) while others are more contemporary (Leroy Jenkins). So, it's a strange mixture, but as a 35 yr-old, I laughed a lot while I played. The combat, however, was often pretty easy to complete on the Hard Difficulty. If you want serious, cutting-edge combat requiring advanced tactics, this is not the game for you. (More on that in Design and Gameplay below) **Graphics: 4/10** using in-game options only (8/10 if you turn off Depth of Field). Under Video Settings, the post-processing option turns on tone mapping, bloom, ambient occlusion, and depth of field (DoF). DoF is a blurring effect which is supposed to blur areas of the screen which should be out of focus such as objects deep in the background. However, Depth of Field is broken in DNF. When you have post-processing on, virtually everything is out of focus. It makes playing the game unbearable. But, if you turn post-processing off, you lose the other three effects which all make the game look nice. Thankfully, the 3rd party software, Flawless WS v1.0.12, can turn DoF off and leave the other effects on. This makes the game look like it should... really good. There's no advanced anti-aliasing (AA) methods (such as MSAA) within the game, so you're left with either no AA or two lesser AA methods (FSAA or FXAA). I used FXAA (Nvidia's shader AA method), and it was decent, but I definitely wished I could have MSAA x8 many times. In DNF specifically, the graphics seemed to be a jumble of textures and styles from 1998-2010. Sometimes, they didn't feel coherent. Some elements looked excellent (tentacles using bump-mapping). Most looked good. Nothing looked bad. I really think if early players and reviewers had been able to play on PC without DoF on, the graphics comments would have been much more positive. In the "Doctor" DLC, the graphical appearance is coherent, and I think it looks nearly excellent. It's as though the developers took the best graphics style of the base game and followed that level of work throughout the DLC. **Sound: 8/10** I didn't score a 10 here, because there was nothing ground-breaking. But, the game had very solid sound and music. I played using analog connections to my 5.1 speaker set, so I can't talk about the digital out sound the game can use. My experience was very positive. I noticed no bad sound artifacts or cut-outs. The surround worked as expected. The sounds of items and vehicles felt like they matched the objects they were supposed to emanate from. The music used a lot of the themes from the older games. **Design and Gameplay: 7/10** DNF felt like a jumble of disparate ideas forced into a story with the ultimate goal being finally getting the game out of the door rather than creating a solid story. While in development from 1998 to 2010, the developers had many great ideas for gags and events for the single-player campaign and often made playable versions of these events. I believe when the game finally got the green light, the latest developers created a story and mushed together versions of the best gags into the campaign. This made many elements feel like they didn't fit well... they were fun individually but are not organic to each other. The "Doctor" DLC felt very coherent, and it seemed like it was written first and built after. The play design is from the circle-strafe era of shooters, so no firing from cover like in current shooters. There were many mini-games and puzzles which had nothing to do with the story, but they added some fun flavor. The games included pinball, air hockey, pool, video poker, and video slots. **Game Length 7/10** I believe a $60 game incorporating a multiplayer side should provide at least 20 hours of single-player content. For DNF, expect about a 14 hr campaign if you do all of the mini-games. Maybe 12 hours without. The "Doctor" DLC took me about 4 hrs to complete. Fairly solid.… Expand
  25. Deadatthescene
    Jun 14, 2011
    7
    Hype can sometimes be really bad. In this case, the hype of DNF lead to bad reviews, misunderstandings, and complete dismissal of what I feel to be a satisfactory Duke Nukem experience. If you were born in 1998, and picked up this game on the Xbox. You'll probably think it's the worst game in the world. Hell, most adults who played Duke Nukem 3D probably think this is the worst game ever.Hype can sometimes be really bad. In this case, the hype of DNF lead to bad reviews, misunderstandings, and complete dismissal of what I feel to be a satisfactory Duke Nukem experience. If you were born in 1998, and picked up this game on the Xbox. You'll probably think it's the worst game in the world. Hell, most adults who played Duke Nukem 3D probably think this is the worst game ever. But you really have to look at it from a certain perspective.

    I know what you're saying. "There's no other way to look at it. It's a **** game." I disagree. Have you seen the screenshots the game in 1999? In 2004? They've worked very hard to keep up to date. Unfortunately because of publishers, deals, developers leaving, this game got kicked around for TOO long. If this was my company, I would have just let it go. I doubt the 12 years working on this game was worth it, given that the teams weren't working 12 years straight. Afterall, they went through multiple developers, builds, etc.

    Now about the game. I don't think it looks bad at all. I think it holds up well. I think it holds up against most games after 2007-ish. You guys remember games like UT99, Serious Sam? DNF blows those graphics out of the water, so I don't understand all the reviews saying "Ugh, this looks like shareware from 2000." Um. No. It does not. The environments are NOT amazing, they're not even that memorable and cool. But it feels like a Duke Nukem game. The FEELING is right, the mood is right. I quite enjoyed it start to finish.

    Vulgarity, racism, adult themes? If this game offends you, don't play it. You obviously don't remember much of the same content was in Duke Nukem 3D. And that was a pretty mature title for it's time. This game is not for everyone. It's not even for your average gamer. It's for fans of Duke Nukem who can just giggle and say "Oh, that Duke and his corny f*cking one liners." Yeah, there are plenty allusions and pop culture references. We get it. Hah-hah. Not everyone will laugh. It might have made me a smile and laugh a bit.

    The story is pretty poor. If this was a story about Duke getting his chicks back and taking revenge, that would've made more sense. But there was a mismatch of all sorts of things including the president and the dam and what the hell is going on I'm just killing aliens? Yeah, I guess that's fine. They came to attack earth again... But hell. Even for a Duke game, I think most people would've appreciated a bigger story.

    The gameplay mechanics are also not so bad. Just because it's 2011 doesn't mean eveeerryyy freaaaaking gaaaame in the wooooorld needs iron sights. I had fun without it. This game has a feeling of old school FPS with a little bit of new school (regenerative health, I was okay with it but would've liked to see classic pick-ups and a point system). Simple puzzles get it interesting, couple of vehicles to drive. Hey, they mixed it up. They even *tried* to do some Call of Duty esque scenes and cinematic, but it mostly fell flat.

    The music is extremely amateur and was obviously thrown together last minute. The sampled drums and sampled guitars are unmodified (I know exactly what library all of the sounds come from) and it's disappointing that they wouldn't take the Duke Nukem theme serious. I wanted something big, badass, up to date rock in your face. It was an absolute downer.

    Most of the audio assets were also old. They lacked punch and were tacky. It worked. But it was definitely not up to par by todays standards.

    Overall, I am giving the game a 7. Why? Because it gave me a satisfactory Duke Nukem experience, I can't deny that I enjoyed it. I'm not going to give it a low-ball score because I was expecting more. Because I feel "cheated" No, I was NOT expecting this to blow me away. I was just expecting to kick some alien ass. If you were a Duke fan and you feel like you need to play it. Just play it. Don't take other people's word for it. Not even mine. You'll never know what you think of it until you actually play it. Even if it's for a bit of nostalgia and even if you just want closure. Just play it.    … Expand
  26. MathewRD
    Jun 14, 2011
    7
    Games like Call of Duty can easily appeal to anyone. Duke Nukem, however, cannot. It has a very limited fanbase and makes itself that way with its inappropriate humor and its lack of effort in the development of it all. This is not to say I disliked it. I actually, enjoyed it for the most part. The story isn't deep, the gameplay is simple, and the humor is still there from the originalGames like Call of Duty can easily appeal to anyone. Duke Nukem, however, cannot. It has a very limited fanbase and makes itself that way with its inappropriate humor and its lack of effort in the development of it all. This is not to say I disliked it. I actually, enjoyed it for the most part. The story isn't deep, the gameplay is simple, and the humor is still there from the original duke nukem games.

    The thing that really brings this game down is the lack of development put into it. All items have the same grab animation (You swing your arm and effortlessly pick stuff up), interactive objects are hardly interactive (Pick up a donut, and you just swallow it whole).

    But beyond the occasional having-your-bullets-not-registering, the game isn't bad. It has it's flaws, and we really shouldn't see flaws like this in 2011, but it still feels like the Duke Nukem we've come to know and love.    … Expand
  27. MrPresident
    Jun 17, 2011
    7
    It is the very definition of an OK game. I would probably say it's a 6.0-6.5 game (rather than a 7) but since I can't give it a 6.5 then I suppose it's fair to nudge it up a little. Just don't believe the hype because it's neither fantastic nor terrible. It's been popular to hate this game for almost 10 years now so ignore the so-called 'professional reviewers' that are just jumping onIt is the very definition of an OK game. I would probably say it's a 6.0-6.5 game (rather than a 7) but since I can't give it a 6.5 then I suppose it's fair to nudge it up a little. Just don't believe the hype because it's neither fantastic nor terrible. It's been popular to hate this game for almost 10 years now so ignore the so-called 'professional reviewers' that are just jumping on the bandwagon. I don't want to sound like I'm defending this game too much because I only wanted to point out the dishonesty of the popular media. Maybe you'll like it and maybe you won't but it is in no way deserving of the hate that it gets. If all games were held to the same standard as DNF then anything from Bioshock to Halo would be getting 4s and 5s.

    Just wait for price drops before buying. It may not be worth 60$ but it is worth 20-30$ for those interested in the hell it went through getting here. Chances are that you'll enjoy at least some parts of it.    … Expand
  28. bollegru
    Jun 17, 2011
    7
    Despite the not so great graphics and the somewhat fragmented gameplay, I still enjoy DNF on the PC. It is unpretentious fun. Not particularly impressive, but fun.
  29. Strykerraven
    Jun 15, 2011
    6
    Good game, can improve in a few area. Feels like a Duke Nukem game so that part is definitely there. I see a lot of reviewers here are reviewing simply out of distaste at some content within the game. Stop thinking that Duke Nukem is meant to be your hero or idol. DNF is a great game with puzzles and plenty of action! The graphics are nice as well as the sound! Everyone will always findGood game, can improve in a few area. Feels like a Duke Nukem game so that part is definitely there. I see a lot of reviewers here are reviewing simply out of distaste at some content within the game. Stop thinking that Duke Nukem is meant to be your hero or idol. DNF is a great game with puzzles and plenty of action! The graphics are nice as well as the sound! Everyone will always find things to nitpick . But if your into Action/FPS while playing a **** character, Duke Nukem is for you. Video games are NOT created to set a good example, but for entertainment purposes.… Expand
  30. NotSureIfWant
    Jun 15, 2011
    7
    The intentionally non-politically correct humor and brashness of DNF is it's best feature, however as fun as it is to watch Duke, playing Duke is tedious. With all the cool things you do in the game, most of the stuff is oddly unsatisfying to accomplish. Get used to your weapon emptying out when you need it the most. If you're a fan of Duke, DNF will give you your Balls of Steel fix butThe intentionally non-politically correct humor and brashness of DNF is it's best feature, however as fun as it is to watch Duke, playing Duke is tedious. With all the cool things you do in the game, most of the stuff is oddly unsatisfying to accomplish. Get used to your weapon emptying out when you need it the most. If you're a fan of Duke, DNF will give you your Balls of Steel fix but for everyone else, wait for the price to drop or don't bother.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

14
#14 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011
29
#29 Most Shared PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
54

Mixed or average reviews - based on 48 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 48
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 48
  3. Negative: 17 out of 48
  1. GamingXP
    Sep 12, 2011
    55
    Duke Nukem Forever would be quite decent if one felt entirely certain it's intended purely as a self-parody. As is, it doesn't do the expectations, the buyer or the Duke justice – oh, had he rather remained a vaporware legend!
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  2. PC Gamer UK
    Aug 6, 2011
    29
    Petty, nasty and anachronistic. Duke is only relevant as a warning from the past. Avoid these mistakes, developers. [Aug 2011, p.76]
  3. FiringSquad
    Aug 1, 2011
    72
    Bottom line: Duke Nukem Forever was not worth the 15-year wait, nor is it worth paying the full $50. However, I cannot deny that I thought it was both fun and funny, which at the end of the day is what this franchise is all about.
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