I know I’m about to put myself in the minority, but it must be said–I like Duke Nukem Forever.
So much, in fact, that I will go as far as to say that it is my favorite video game released so far in 2011.
Has there been any game released this year that has been anticipated more than Duke Nukem Forever? Well, maybe the anticipation is due mostly to the fifteen-year development cycle, but still.
Duke Nukem Forever was a commercial success, but negatively received. I can understand the former, but the latter?
I can overlook the problems with the game that most critics had issues with, mainly the bland graphics, sluggish controls, and barely existent storyline. Instead, there are three factors of Duke Nukem Forever that I thoroughly enjoyed:
Duke has character, and an attitude that is missing in most contemporary games
No one can dispute the fact that Duke Nukem is the king of entertaining one-liners. Duke’s larger-than-life ego dominates every aspect of the game (in fact, his health bar isn’t referred to as such; instead it is the “ego meter”). Duke is overconfident in himself, and he never misses the opportunity to let you, his enemies, or himself know about it.
The game is not afraid to take risks
Duke is not afraid to take shots at Microsoft heavy-hitters such as Halo (“Power armor is for pussies”) and Gears of War (“Duke one, Gears zero”). The game is full of scenes that you will not see anywhere else. How often do you play a game where your character is driving a monster truck, then looking at Internet pornography a minute later? While some of the explicit scenes of the game are in slightly bad taste (the Hive level, for instance), it nevertheless contributes to the over-the-top nature of the game.
It’s pure entertainment
Not every game needs to be about deciding which course of action is best for the fate of the universe. None of that exists in this game, obviously. Blowing things up mindlessly, and looking good while doing it, is where Duke Nukem Forever excels. Although it has issues, Duke Nukem Forever still stands out as one of this year’s most entertaining and unique games.