Posted February 28, 2009
Despite being visually aged, Duke Nukem 3D has stood the test of time by being undeniably a blast to play. Full of satisfyingly large amounts of firepower, sexual innuendo and cheesy one liners, this game does not fail to deliver.
However, without the humor, Duke Nukem 3D would just be your average shooter. The level design is very well done considering the limitations of the Build Engine, although it is quite linear. At some times it can be a little frustrating, having you running back and forth to get your hands on the access card you need to progress through the level. However, more often than not, the only thing you have to worry about is the large amount of aliens and mutated police you have to deal with.
Luckily, Duke has a rather varied selection of weapons to fill those aliens with lead. Or shrink them. Or blow them up like a balloon until they burst. The weapons are a joy to use, and there is nothing more satisfying than chuckling as you engage the Duke's Mighty Foot on a shrunken pig-cop. Apart from, maybe, watching an alien get pulverized by a closing door.
Technically, Duke Nukem 3D was quite impressive in its time. By today's standards, the graphics and sound are quite dated, but it doesn't fail to deliver Duke's witty remarks or the games memorable music. Duke Nukem 3D also features full 3D movement by means of a jetpack, or when swimming underwater. Today, depending on how you want the game to look, you may want to play a source port to improve gameplay for modern computers. I personally recommend JFDuke3D to keep the original sprite-based graphics intact while generally improving the appearance and improving functions such as mouse aiming. Others may wish to opt for the High Resolution Pack which makes the game look and play more like a modern shooter.
Duke Nukem 3D is a game that obviously doesn't take itself too seriously. Compared to most of today's shooters, Duke Nukem 3D plays like a joke, but to most people this is a good thing. It's a refreshing change from most games today, and whether you enjoyed playeing it all those years ago or are yet to experience it, it's an absolute steal and I heartily recommend picking this one up!
Hail to the king, baby!
However, without the humor, Duke Nukem 3D would just be your average shooter. The level design is very well done considering the limitations of the Build Engine, although it is quite linear. At some times it can be a little frustrating, having you running back and forth to get your hands on the access card you need to progress through the level. However, more often than not, the only thing you have to worry about is the large amount of aliens and mutated police you have to deal with.
Luckily, Duke has a rather varied selection of weapons to fill those aliens with lead. Or shrink them. Or blow them up like a balloon until they burst. The weapons are a joy to use, and there is nothing more satisfying than chuckling as you engage the Duke's Mighty Foot on a shrunken pig-cop. Apart from, maybe, watching an alien get pulverized by a closing door.
Technically, Duke Nukem 3D was quite impressive in its time. By today's standards, the graphics and sound are quite dated, but it doesn't fail to deliver Duke's witty remarks or the games memorable music. Duke Nukem 3D also features full 3D movement by means of a jetpack, or when swimming underwater. Today, depending on how you want the game to look, you may want to play a source port to improve gameplay for modern computers. I personally recommend JFDuke3D to keep the original sprite-based graphics intact while generally improving the appearance and improving functions such as mouse aiming. Others may wish to opt for the High Resolution Pack which makes the game look and play more like a modern shooter.
Duke Nukem 3D is a game that obviously doesn't take itself too seriously. Compared to most of today's shooters, Duke Nukem 3D plays like a joke, but to most people this is a good thing. It's a refreshing change from most games today, and whether you enjoyed playeing it all those years ago or are yet to experience it, it's an absolute steal and I heartily recommend picking this one up!
Hail to the king, baby!