Delayed Reactions: Duke Nukem Forever: The Mild Pleasures Of Occasionally Betting On Duke
Why Bother?
So, having gotten this far, you might be wondering where the “Mild Pleasures” come into play. Simply put, when the game is throwing wave after wave of alien scum at you and not burdening you with ammo management, it can be a good time. It’s a game that desperately wants to please you, constantly throwing new things on your plate until you say, “I’m full.” Boss battles feel appropriately huge, the shotgun is still a brutally satisfying means of slaughter, and the multiplayer is satisfyingly old-school (note: I played this on the PC. MP is apparently a laggy mess on the consoles, so buyer beware). Taken in short doses, you can find a few dishes you enjoy at its buffet. You’ll just have to learn to swallow the rotten meat that sneaks into the feast.
End Of A Very, Very, Very, Very Long Road
So, here we are. DNF is finally out. I’m glad it’s out of the way, hopefully leading to the franchise carrying on with a bit more dignity. It’s taken the critical drubbing most people expected and will probably emerge with hefty sales totals under it’s belt. Though I simply can’t beat up on a teenager like this (my soft spot for all things 90′s won’t let me), Duke simply tries too hard to fit in with today’s cool kids, flubbing the lines to every Arcade Fire song he tries to sing, turning them all into jokes at the expense of women and homosexuals. But he shouldn’t be trying to sing Arcade Fire songs. He should be proudly belting out Symphony Of Destruction, coolness be damned. Here’s to hoping ‘The King’ remembers his roots a little clearer next time out. Some sensitivity training wouldn’t hurt either.
Ed. Note: This is a review of the PC version of Duke Nukem Forever. DNF is also available on Xbox 360 and PS3.
I’m 2 years younger than you (according to your intro to this piece) and remember playing Duke Nukem 3D on my dads computer, and loving it! I really didn’t follow the whole development process of Forever but I know it took Forever to come out. A few thoughts about your review.
From start to finish Forever pays homage to Duke Nukem 3D. From the carefully created environments in Duke’s mansion showing off his past exploits, to the stripper level where you’re required to collect a condom, dildo and popcorn (if I remember right). They all pay homage to the original.
And if you remember the Aliens in 3D did the same thing to earth’s women as they did in Forever, its just more graphic this time around.
Your whole review is one big bash fest. I feel bad that some people were not able to find a good time in Forever, turn off the over analytic part of their bran and just enjoy a fun game.
The game play is smooth and fun. Yeah there are only 2 weapons and ammo conservation is key, but that’s not a bad thing. Jokes are crude, but this is the Duke for God’s sake. I read all the bad reviews before I played the game, but I’m glad I didn’t take them to heart, really Duke Nukem Forever was one of my favorite gaming experiences of 2011 so far.
I had fun, and to me that’s what matters and what many reviewers overlook. Also the one reason we all love a good game, because we have fun playing it.
(wow, longest comment ever, lol)