Duke Nukem Forever

An extinct approach to first-person shooters, like a game locked into a time capsule that has been relased now (which is almost what happened). There are indeed many better shooters out there, but very few as charming, although the game might disappoint some who are just looking for a FPS by today's standards.

I don't think anyone who had realistic expectations about Duke Nukem Forever will be disappointed with what we've finally gotten. It's not brilliant, but it is a good solid old school shooter, which feels like its predecessor. I just hope this isn't the last we've heard from the Duke, and that we won't have to wait so long next time.

DNF was damned if it did, damned if it didn't. I'm just glad to have finally played it. And upon completing the campaign, and laughing at the ending, I loaded it back up and started again; on Easy this time to avoid the long reloading. That alone speaks volumes. It feels like a long time ago since I enjoyed a FPS campaign like this.

There are lots of things Duke does right however, like ridiculous levels of interactivity, variety in level design and for entertaining me personally all the way through.

Duke Nukem Forever has a creepy engine, is linear, and somehow dull. Still, it's one of the most politically incorrect games of this generation, and the acid disrespect of Duke is worth the cost.

After 12 years, the one and only badass videogame hero is back. Its gameplay and visuals aren't exactly groundbreaking, but in any case Duke Nukem Forever proves to be an outrageously fun rollercoaster of fast paced action and intense emotions!

Duke Nukem Forever has many imperfections, like worthless AI and poor-looking graphics. The question is, though, whether that really matters with this game. We did enjoy Duke Nukem Forever from beginning to end and weren't bothered by those imperfections. The one-liners are, once again, the stuff of legend, and Forever does constantly introduce the player to refreshing gameplay elements. All and all it's a real Duke Nukem game. And as an ode to the biggest legend of the game-industry is exactly how we judged it.

Duke Nukem Forever is far from perfect and certainly has its flaws. But it also has its moments, quite a few of them actually, and reminds us of happier times where shooters weren't as pompous and self-important.

How can Duke be such a dick, have such an inconsistently crappy game and we still enjoy it? [Sept 2011, p.84]

Is Duke Nukem Forever as awful as some folks are saying? No. But is it a project that's been worth waiting for over the last decade? Also no. It's disappointing that Gearbox couldn't quite make the whole experience a worthwhile effort for someone like Duke, while, by the same token, it sticks to its retro guns fittingly in some parts, enough to make the game worth a rental.

At best, Duke Nukem Forever is a solid but flawed game that most people would enjoy only as a new iteration in the 3D Realms veteran series. Despite some old promises, this game has a lot of trouble living up to those high expectations set forth by the saga's past triumphs.

Missing the coop multiplayer badly, suffering from long loading times, small episodic levels and an old graphics engine fans will buy the game for sure, but I hope, Duke will make a real comeback in the next part of the series.

I'm glad Gearbox stepped up and finished this game, but after hearing about it for 12 years, I have no desire to relive any of it again. I'm now satisfied in my knowledge of what Duke Nukem Forever is and ready to never talk about it again. Welcome back, Duke. I hope your next game (which is teased after the credits) goes off without a hitch.

With its incredibly obsolete graphics and technical aspects, combined with inappropriate modern elements, Duke Nukem cannot be called a good game. It is however a fun game, that offers the Nukem-trademark humour together with much variation in surroundings and gameplay.

If you can get passed the muddy graphics, dated character design, difficult first person platforming and throwaway multiplayer there is an enjoyable single player campaign to be had.

Duke, it's great to see you back again, I never thought I'd see the day. My memories mean you've earned a few runarounds online, and completing the campaign, but it is more nostalgia driven than being pulled through a compelling, polished experience.

Duke is a competent shooter, however, it didn't grow with the times.

The game feels like it was released ten years ago and someone just now found it lying on the shelf. Still, I love Duke. I had a blast with the game, and I think fans of the series will, too.

This genuinely engaging experience is soured not so much by the ropier aspects of the visuals, nor even the fact that the frame-rate plunges into the toilet from time to time, but by the writing, which plays a clear second fiddle to the mishmash of different mechanics.

Duke Nukem Forever is not just a game, it's a relic from the past. Not a great one, unfortunately. With a campaign that mixes some good moments with a lot of boring ones, Duke's return isn't the game everyone wanted it to be. It's a passable shooter, with some decent level design, nothing more.

An ugly, buggy shooter that veers back and forth between enjoyably average and outright boring, with occasional surges of greatness along the way.

Buried deep into Duke Nukem Forever there is nice game to be found. Problem is that developers have put their best efforts to hide it from the surface. Despite all of this, when Duke can be him at his full, he can still deliver some good shots of plain fun. Too bad it doesn't happen that often.

Like reuniting with a close friend after many years apart and then discovering how they've gone nowhere with their life, Duke's return is a sad engagement that makes you wish you had left the past where it belongs.

The potential for a fun but simple shooter is here, but even with Gearbox at the helm Duke Nukem Forever is clearly a hastily-cobbled sum of unfinished parts. It could have been epic if it was released 3 to 4 years ago, but nowadays there are new rivals for the throne.

An interesting game that's too-often a dog-egg to actually play. Sorry Duke, take fourteen years and try again...

After 13 years, Duke Forever is ultimately and thoroughly mediocre, with heavy bouts of boredom and frustration mixed in. And yet, for anyone with an appreciation for videogame history, we absolutely recommend giving it a playthrough.

DNF isn't a revitalization of the early days of the first-person shooter genre or a middle-finger to the increasingly complex and sophisticated nature of videogame entertainment. It's a muddled, hypocritical exercise in irritation with solid shooting mechanics and decent encounter design.

It's an embarrassing, abhorrent heir resting on its laurels with plenty of ugly humor, bubblegum pastiche, and very little in the way of ass-kicking prowess.

It's just a mess. It pains me to say it, but it's absolutely true.

The PC version is definitely preferred over the console versions with better graphics, shorter load times, and a $10 savings off the retail price. Play with a controller and you'll be playing the 360 version that all Xbox owners wish they could be playing.

Duke Nukem Forever aspires to take gamers back to a different period in the gaming continuum. What it will really do is inspire you to take it back to the store for a full and complete refund.

This game is neither a classic nor a complete failure. What ultimately makes it worth playing is the variety. The different parts don't all work quite as well as they should, but there's always something fresh around the next corner.

Aliens are here, kidnapping and impregnating women, and it's Duke's job to blow them away. The more intriguing aspect of Duke Nukem Forever is how the character's apparent mythos appears to be the engine of the entire experience. He's worshipped as a living god in the game, with his own burger joint, strip club, museum and stadium. His mission is about rescuing babes and kicking ass, which is well within his strike zone, but did it need to leak into every capillary of the experience? It's as if Gearbox was relying a little too much on the "Dukeness" to cover up any weaknesses. Who care if the game looks dated? It's Duke! Let's have him mess with Halo because he's Duke!

Should you spend $60 on it? No. To spend that much money on a game, whether it's a notable franchise or not, it needs to convey the "must have, must play, must keep, must replay" feel, which this bad boy doesn't have. Duke Nukem Forever is a solid rental. Maybe even a purchase once it drops to $30 or $20. Whatever suits you best.

And that, as insane as it sounds, is the crux of the matter: Duke Nukem Forever feels like it was rushed out the door. So many of the design decisions are poor, so much of the maps are unbalanced (going from uneventful to extremely difficult in a flash), and the graphics are so shoddy, that an experienced gamer can come to no other conclusion.

Duke's return is bittersweet, serving as a great example of how much the industry has progressed. We still love him, but he deserves better.

It's easy to see that Duke Nuke Forever has been in developement just about... forever. The gameplay and graphics just feels dated and the overall feel is more of Xbox Live Arcade game rather than a fully priced title.