Duke Nukem Forever

 Xbox 360
Metascore
49

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 76 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 76
  2. Mixed: 39 out of 76
  3. Negative: 34 out of 76
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. Digital Chumps
    Jun 15, 2011
    78
    Duke Nukem fans, this game is for you. The campaign features nice balance and many of the same elements that have since come to define the DN experience. The presentation could be better, and the "loading checkpoints" is a chore to deal with and definitely interrupts the flow. Online, while simple, offers an incredibly fun experience that can be hard to put down.
  2. Videogameszone.de
    Jun 10, 2011
    77
    Duke Nukem Forever definitely is an awesome old-school experience. It has some flaws (especially in terms of graphics), but that's okay – at least for those who eagerly awaited the Duke's return for more than 14 years now. For all the others: The game probably isn't good enough to change your opinion, but at least you now know for sure.
  3. MondoXbox
    Jun 19, 2011
    75
    A two sided game. On one side we have a lacklustre technical production, absolutely not on par with modern standards, while on the other side we've got the classical Duke humour, capable of delivering some very funny moments. Duke Nukem Forever is like a refreshing dive in the past of gaming, something that someone will surely apreciate, while others will prefer more modern productions.

Awards & Rankings

18
#18 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2011
30
#30 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2011

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
4.5

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 492 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 120 out of 492
  2. Mixed: 131 out of 492
  3. Negative: 241 out of 492
  1. Shymmy
    Jun 14, 2011
    6
    First, let me start with the bad. The graphics are definitely not as good as they should be for a game made in 2011. The loading times betweenFirst, let me start with the bad. The graphics are definitely not as good as they should be for a game made in 2011. The loading times between scenes and deaths make you contemplate if it would be faster to restart the game itself. The controls are very rigid. This game is also very linear compared to the original classic. And finally, if your looking for a game with a deeply invovling plot with intriguing storyline, then you obviously don't know the Duke Nukem franchise and are too young to be playing this anyways.

    Now the good. It has all the Duke Nukem adult humor and lines. (Granted borrowed from Bruce Campbell) Pretty much all the classic weapons and enemies, plus a couple new ones. Multiplayer follows the traditional classic pre CoD formula of picking up new weapons with an XP system to unlock items and themed girls for your penthouse and accessories your player.

    My overall opinion: This game is just simply okay. It doesn't really bring anything new to the FPS genre or to the Duke Nukem franchise. A majority of the people will be buying this game simply for nostalgia, in which case this game does deliver. Also being able to buy a game with a more adult sense of humor is also nice. Multiplayer will keep you occupied for a little while as long as you are not too much of a Battlefield or CoD fanboy. I would say wait for this game to go down to the 20 dollars before buying it. Or just rent it.    … Full Review »
  2. SgtFlip
    Jun 14, 2011
    2
    "This'll be interesting." was my first thought when putting the disc into the drive of my Xbox. This proved to be very true, although not in"This'll be interesting." was my first thought when putting the disc into the drive of my Xbox. This proved to be very true, although not in the way I had expected it to be. Duke Nukem Forever is a game that captures very much the essence of Duke Nukem 3D, it is indeed the same Duke we're about to meet. You really don't need more than a few minutes into the intro to realize this. Paying homage to the original is however nothing you can build an entire game on, and being true to the earlier games is the only thing that is done properly within Duke Nukem Forever. Everything else pretty much sucks. Animations are poorly made and implemented with characters displaying snapping and odd movement patterns. You play in first person view yet there is a ton of bugs related to this. Notice especially how the player seems to hover about a feet above the floor and how it's possible to trigger strafing movement without triggering the strafing animation. Facial animations are so poorly implemented that they seem to have no correlation at all with the content of their audio files. The sound is poor as well, with no considerable variations implemented at all. This makes the game sound repetitive and uninteresting. Just try to jump a few times in a row and listen to the grunting Duke lets out as he lands and you'll understand what I mean. The whole game sounds pretty much like this, apart from the few areas that have for some reason been left totally without any ambience tracks making them feel even more out of place and breaking immersion totally. Considering the competing titles Duke Nukem Forever has nothing to show when it comes to visuals either, it simply looks worse than the titles it's supposed to outrun. I've always thought that the most important thing to pull off when doing a game is the gameplay and since this game doesn't even manage that it's not worth anyones time really. There are huge sections with non-existing gameplay and nothing for the player to do while waiting for some pointless movie (with sucky facials and poor sound) to finish. If you want something that feels like the old Duke Nukem 3D but is a bit new and has boobs that you haven't seen before just replay the old game with some downloaded porno in the background, it's pretty much the same thing. And whatever you do, don't buy this game first hand, there's bound to be a huge second hand market for it within short.… Full Review »
  3. brady4
    Jun 16, 2011
    1
    If this wasn't called Duke Nukem it would just be another mediocre first person shooter that would be put in the bargain bin a week afterIf this wasn't called Duke Nukem it would just be another mediocre first person shooter that would be put in the bargain bin a week after release, its really that poor.… Full Review »
See all user reviews »