Being a big Duke Nukem fan while growing up, I have to say this was a major disappointment for me. And I'm far from the only one. While I don't consider it terrible, it isn't good either.
Here's the story: Twelve years after Duke Nukem 3D, our cool, wise-cracking, and hypermasculine, womanizing hero is living like a king in Las Vegas. Then, unsurprisingly, the alien scum return and it's up to Duke to once again kick ass and save the world.
Thanks to a very troubled development, the graphics and animation were outdated and looked average at best. All the levels looked bland and barren, and there's inadequate lighting everywhere. Some of the enemy models were decent, but the NPC models were as unimpressive as the graphics, looking like lifeless animatronics than anything. The performance was sluggish, the loading screens were irritatingly long, and the multiplayer was chock full of bugs and lagging that made it nigh unplayable.
For the most part, the gameplay was routine but acceptable for the franchise, consisting mostly of running around, killing aliens, rescuing civilians, spouting one-liners, etc. Nothing too new or interesting though.
But the developers were clearly trying to emulate Halo's successful formula by giving Duke access to vehicles, having regenerating health called EGO, and being able to only wield two weapons at a time, but the effort fell flat on its face and severely dulled the experience. Plus, there were annoying and difficult minigames that felt completely out of place. If they included more explorative and adventurous aspects from past games, such as "Time To Kill" this could have been avoided.
There's unwanted gross out humor everywhere, like pissing, excessive profanity, chugging beer, belching, and throwing crap. Ugh! Seriously? This could have been better if the developers tried to keep up with the times, but instead stuck with outdated and immature humor involving innuendo, swearing, and rampant chauvinism that really made Duke look like a sad, washed-up has-been who should have retired years ago. Yes, I know that's his character, but it just didn't belong in the 21st century, and it was so overdone, it made you cringe.
Some classic aspects from the franchise were excluded that might have brightened things up a little, such as secret areas and certain gadgets, such as the ever-trusty jet pack. The puzzle solving was also inferior to those in previous games, ranging from too easy or just head-bangingly difficult.
At least the armament was extensive and included classic weapons such as Dukes trusty gold-plated handgun, pipe bombs, freeze ray, and others. You'll fight classic enemies, such as Pig Cops and Octobrains, bringing a nice nostalgic feel to the game. And finally, Jon St. John is as entertaining as ever voicing the titular hero, so there's at least a few highlights.
In the end, this game was mediocre at best that would only be enjoyed by die-hard Duke Nukem fans or bored gamers stuck at home on a rainy day. Still, it probably would have been best if it stayed in development hell instead of becoming one of the biggest let-downs in video game history.
