Zero Punctuation: Duke Nukem Forever (for real this time)
- Thread starter Yahtzee Croshaw
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You basically summed up my feelings for the game, Yahtzee: It tried to do too much, which is annoying as Gearbox STARTED FROM SCRATCH when they took up the DNF project after 3d Realms collapsed into oblivion.
And really, that's what annoyed me: It tried to do too much. It tried to be a humorous and fun throwback to those classic 90s FPSs we all know and love(DOOM, Quake, Sin, ect.) while at the same time tried to take the series forward into the future. It succeeded in being the former(if only because of the humor, over the top weapons, and machismo exuded by Duke) and utterly failed at being the latter(The controls weren't tight, though at the same time gameplay was still pretty fun. That stupid little "two weapons at a time" mechanic, for instance, was what pissed me off the MOST about this game. It also had the feel of a campy 90s FPS that used modern gameplay in the form of its action sequences).
What Gearbox should have done was make Duke Nukem Forever an affectionate throwback to the classic 90s FPS: 9 guns at once, over the top action, and a humorous plot that those of us who were waiting would appreciate. If they wanted to take the franchise into the future(one thing I would like is some, like you said Yahtzee, character development and maturation by Duke) then they should have saved it for the sequel, instead of trying to jam in modernization with the throwback.
As a result, we got a rather rushed, somewhat messy game that could've used a good few more months of polish and development before being released.
Still, I look forward to the future of the Duke franchise and can't wait to see what Gearbox has in mind for this series. There was some definite promise in DNF, and I'd like to see if they can utilize it properly.
And really, that's what annoyed me: It tried to do too much. It tried to be a humorous and fun throwback to those classic 90s FPSs we all know and love(DOOM, Quake, Sin, ect.) while at the same time tried to take the series forward into the future. It succeeded in being the former(if only because of the humor, over the top weapons, and machismo exuded by Duke) and utterly failed at being the latter(The controls weren't tight, though at the same time gameplay was still pretty fun. That stupid little "two weapons at a time" mechanic, for instance, was what pissed me off the MOST about this game. It also had the feel of a campy 90s FPS that used modern gameplay in the form of its action sequences).
What Gearbox should have done was make Duke Nukem Forever an affectionate throwback to the classic 90s FPS: 9 guns at once, over the top action, and a humorous plot that those of us who were waiting would appreciate. If they wanted to take the franchise into the future(one thing I would like is some, like you said Yahtzee, character development and maturation by Duke) then they should have saved it for the sequel, instead of trying to jam in modernization with the throwback.
As a result, we got a rather rushed, somewhat messy game that could've used a good few more months of polish and development before being released.
Still, I look forward to the future of the Duke franchise and can't wait to see what Gearbox has in mind for this series. There was some definite promise in DNF, and I'd like to see if they can utilize it properly.
I'd have loved to see that sort of story, too, because under the right writing hands, that sort of concept could be executed well AND campily.DataSnake said:
Personally, I hope Gearbox watches Yahtzee's mock-review and maybe makes use of that storyline for a sequel. I would LOVE to see Duke get some nice character development, myself...
Say what you want. I'm still going to play this game. I'll buy it when it's cheap. I played other games thatcould be worser than this. I played Sonic Unleashed on the PS3 and I hated it so much, I got rid of it a month later after my save file got corrupted due to a glitch. Heck, I played games that reviewers hated, but doesn't stop me from loving it.EtherealBeaver said:
Ï agree, the game really lacks humor and takes itself very seriously. It should've been an over the top carnival ride of sillyness. The way it is now is just...average shooter from the the beginning of the decade with some tired old jokes. And ugly graphics.
Ï agree, the game really lacks humor and takes itself very seriously. It should've been an over the top carnival ride of sillyness. The way it is now is just...average shooter from the the beginning of the decade with some tired old jokes. And ugly graphics.
I think there are enough angry, scathing reviews out there already. He probably realized that. This is like what a true Duke fan would come up with, not angry, but genuine melancholy.
Yahtzee seems to have genuinely wanted this game to be decent and NOT have the modern FPS plagues like two-weapon limits, regen health, and cover based shooting.
He loves Painkiller because it was an over-the-top old school shooter. Same with Serious Sam. Seems, like many people, he wanted a classic FPS nostalgia-trip that wasn't a game-changer, but still fun in the old-school sense.
But Duke Nukem Forever ended up being another modern FPS with a poorly-made faux veneer of nostalgia.
Yahtzee seems to have genuinely wanted this game to be decent and NOT have the modern FPS plagues like two-weapon limits, regen health, and cover based shooting.
He loves Painkiller because it was an over-the-top old school shooter. Same with Serious Sam. Seems, like many people, he wanted a classic FPS nostalgia-trip that wasn't a game-changer, but still fun in the old-school sense.
But Duke Nukem Forever ended up being another modern FPS with a poorly-made faux veneer of nostalgia.
I'm used to seeing Yahtzee snarkily tearing games apart and calling games (games I like in a lot of cases) utter shit. Not used to seeing him so crushed.
I'm not sure if this was funny or depressing. Good review either way.
I'm not sure if this was funny or depressing. Good review either way.
And Yahtzee makes no mention of Duke trying to be Halo so hard it burns in his gritty vagina like a case of the alien clap. I'm... surprised. I mean hell, "Halo knockoff" implies a terrible experience to begin with, for Yahtzee to make no mention of DNF being a BAD Halo knockoff...
It's not even worth it for free, let alone really really cheap. I got to play it for free, and just stopped. It was the least fun game I've played in a good while.cjbos81 said:
No... just no. I have an i7 920 and gtx280 (not brand new but still decent), and the game took FOREVER to load. Then, the game looked like shit afterward. What exactly was it loading? Shit?Hacre said:
As for FPS issues, I don't think I had any, but I couldn't be sure.
First.
Oh, just missed it.
I think I prefer the fake Duke Nukem Forever review thinking about it. I unfortunately didn't find this one too amusing, its almost as if Ben has been superceded by the torrents of abuse formed from the festering pool of expectations and hope.
Oh, just missed it.
I think I prefer the fake Duke Nukem Forever review thinking about it. I unfortunately didn't find this one too amusing, its almost as if Ben has been superceded by the torrents of abuse formed from the festering pool of expectations and hope.
Could be worse
I mean it has been 14 years, obviously they have taken the 2007 idea of the game and polished up what was left by the old developers. Simple said the current developers couldn't help that the basic game was how to say old.
But hey for all duke fans he is back.. the game itself is hardly special but at least the duke finally has returned.
So I can support all the 7 out of 10 reviews..even those lower.. those higher then an 8 though seriously? How blinded can you be it is not the worst game it is well what you expect.
I mean it has been 14 years, obviously they have taken the 2007 idea of the game and polished up what was left by the old developers. Simple said the current developers couldn't help that the basic game was how to say old.
But hey for all duke fans he is back.. the game itself is hardly special but at least the duke finally has returned.
So I can support all the 7 out of 10 reviews..even those lower.. those higher then an 8 though seriously? How blinded can you be it is not the worst game it is well what you expect.