Duke Nukem Forever: barely playable, not funny, rampantly offensive (2

Fundamentally broken
Duke's original weapons remain, and they're fun to use, but the new sniper rifle and alien energy weapon are rather boring. There was no way to expand on the innovative ideas from the first game, even a little? Yes, you can find and use turrets now, but everything feels dumbed down; objects that you need to interact with simply glow.

When you hold down the left trigger, you don't bring up iron sights; the entire screen just zooms in a bit. There's no animation of lifting the gun, although at least with one weapon, you do get a scope. It all feels like something out of a game from 15 years ago.

Feces

Even worse is the fact that the game uses regenerating health called "Ego," which encourages you to take a few shots at the enemy, run for cover until your health returns, and then attack again. The full-on, guns blazing attitude of the first game (and even more recent titles such as Serious Sam) is completely absent. Duke Nukem Forever turns into a straight stop-and-pop experience, which is not what Duke should ever be. Not only that, but there is no cover system in place, so you find yourself scuttling for the nearest corner or pillar to hide behind.

Duke, the biggest, baddest-ass warrior that Earth has to offer, also turns out to have his limits: he can carry only two weapons at a time, Halo-style. No matter what you're shooting, you'll wish for something else; the game gives you little feedback about whether you've actually hit your target. The boring, glitchy shooting is utterly forgettable.
No reason to play this

Multiple developers have worked on this game for over a decade, so I don't know who to blame for the unplayable, glitchy, ugly, offensive mess it has become. No humor can make up for the game's rampant hatred of women, and the terrible writing and one-liners can't even be compensated for by good gameplay. The game's jokes about other titles are laughable when you see how putrid Duke is upon release.

Scribble in this kid's book for a health boost!

Sure, it may still sell millions of copies due to the name alone, but it will disappoint buyers and make anyone with half a brain feel uncomfortable. I have no clue how a game so all-encompassingly ugly can suffer from so many framerate issues, but Duke finds a way. From a business and gaming history perspective, the fact that the title exists at all is fascinating; for everyone else asked to spend $60 on it, it's merely sad.

I'm a fan of humor that's willing to push the boundaries, but nothing is being sent up, mocked, or lampooned here. There's just no reason for what you see and hear. This is an ugly game that exists to celebrate ugliness. The people involved should be ashamed.

The Good

• The game doesn't last very long

The Bad

• Everything else

The Ugly

• I have to install and play this piece of garbage on the PC to see how that version holds up, and make sure there's nothing to be salvaged from the multiplayer

Verdict: Skip

source