Duke Nukem Forever (PC, Xbox360)
Developed By: Triptych Games
Published By: Gearbox Software
Date of Release: June 14, 2011
Price: $19.99
15 years. One and a half long decades. That is how long the world waited for a true sequel to Duke Nukem 3D. Stuck in the longest ever known development hell, switching engines multiple times, and winning a crapton of vaporware awards, Duke Nukem Forever seemed destined to never see the light of day. But see the light of day it did, thanks to the combined efforts of Triptych Games and Gearbox Software!
Triptych Games was founded when 3DRealms closed it's doors back in 2009, and they worked out of their own homes for no pay to make DNF what it is today. Then in 2010, Gearbox Software bought the franchise, hired on Triptych, and helped them polish their work, resulting in the badass beast we know today.
The Duke Nukem series has always been known for it's balls-out irreverent sense of humor, and DNF continues that fine tradition of debauchery with gusto. The traditional Duke charm is firmly imbedded in the game's design, managing to give fans a good laugh along the way and in the process completely offending those who don't get Duke's particularly awesome brand of humor.
The gameplay is a melting pot of what's best about classic FPS games, and the best of their contemporary counterparts. Gone are random medkits and stimpacks, now we have a regenerating EGO bar that represents Duke's Dukeness. Let it drop to nothing, and he might not be able to shrug off that next bullet. Dive behind cover and rest a moment and you'll be back in action in quick order. Or you can take the manly route and use an execution move on an enemy, this instantly refills Duke's ego bar.
The signature interaction introduced by Duke Nukem 3D is back in force, with pool tables, pinball machines, weight benches, arcade games, air hockey, and more ready to entertain those who want to take a break from the carnage and just mess around.
Most items give you a permanent EGO boost the first time you use them, to try and mess around with anything and everything. You can even recreate the infamous microwave scene from Maniac Mansion.
Dukes signature arsenal is back in former glory, and this is where the Xbox 360 version takes a bit of a sidestep from the PC counterpart, on PC they patched in the ability to carry four weapons at once, but on the console as of this writing you can still only carry two. Still, the game is amazingly balanced, with plenty of guns lying around to take your pick from. During boss fights you can usually find an ammo crate to keep the rockets flying, so don't be afraid to use your firepower.
Multiplayer returns big time in DNF, with Dukematch, Team Dukematch, Capture the Babe (capture the flag, but easier on the eyes) and Hail to The King. A diverse array of maps are included, based on locations seen in the campaign. My personal favorite is Duke Burger, which sees the players shrink down to action-figure size, and let loose in the kitchen of the iconic fast-food joint. Earning EXP in multiplayer earns you new items to decorate your personal penthouse, and completing challenges gives you new shirts and hats to customize your Duke.
Duke Nukem Forever may not be the greatest game of all time, but despite some long loading times on the Xbox 360 version it stands tall and proud in representation of the Duke franchise, and in my humble opinion it should be played by fans and newcomers to the series alike, as it finally brings closure to the most epically insane development saga in the history of gaming. Oh, and it kicks ass too!
Hail to the Icons Parody Pack (PC, Xbox360)
Developed By: Triptych Games
Published By: Gearbox Software
Date of Release: October 11, 2011
Price: $9.99, 800 MSP
What's this? Can't get enough DNF multiplayer? Well we've got what you need right here! Welcome to the Hail to The Icons Parody Pack! Serving up a healthy dose of four new maps and 3 new weapons, this pack gives you four new maps, new weapons, and new game modes!
On the maps front we have the Team Fortress 2 inspired 2forts1bridge, the Doom inspired Inferno, the self-explanatory Call of Duke, and the epic Sandpit, inspired by Halo's Blood Gulch. Among the new modes in this pack are Freeze Tag, where you shatter your foes for point combos, the babe-coveting Hot Potato mode, and a new version of Hail to The King.
Each of the new maps also presents players with an exclusive themed weapon. Inferno has the big badass DFG, 2forts1bridge has the minigun, Call of Duke has the potato spamming NOOB TOOB, and as for Sandpit? STICKY BOMBS! All in all the Hail to the Icons Parody Pack gives DNF multiplayer fans a whole lot of new asskicking opportunities.
The Doctor Who Cloned Me (PC, Xbox360)
Developed By: Triptych Games
Published By: Gearbox Software
Date of Release: December 13, 2011
Price: $9.99, 800 MSP
If you're coming to this page today, you have probably played everything else in the review so far, and you want to know if The Doctor Who Cloned Me is any good. Well, I'm here to tell you it's not good. It's F*CKING GOOD. It's the most epic Duke experience I have had since Duke3D. It makes the main campaign look like fanfiction.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Babes and Dukes... The Doctor Who Cloned Me is the REAL DEAL. With a bowl of nachos.
The Doctor Who Cloned Me picks up right where DNF left off, and doesn't let you sit still for even a moment. Great action, great puzzles, and awesome driving sequences await. This expansion gets everything right, from the attitude, the humor, to the pacing. Not only do you get an awesome new campaign to play through, you get 4 new multiplayer maps, and new weapons to boot! Start to finish it took me about 4 hours to play through, and I am getting ready to play through it again! I should note that on the Xbox360 version the load times seem to be a little bit shorter than the main campaign.
The four new multiplayer maps are a diverse bag of goodness, from the office building in Sky High, EDF Command, the rooftop of Duke's casino in Drop Zone, and the Breston Plant Nuclear Facility in Biohazard, multiplayer aficionados will be rolling in shell casings for a long time to come. When you get right down to it, The Doctor Who Cloned Me goes to show that the team at Triptych definitely haven't lost their touch. All you Duke fans out there should drop everything and buy this pack NOW.
