Duke Nukem Forever: Is it worth buying?
Posted: 15 Jun 2011, 05:16
No, I'm not asking. I've bitten the bullet and bought it, and I figure I may as well advise you guys on it.
The short answer is no... at least not at the current price point. The game plays like something from around 2006 or so, and doesn't warrant paying full price for something so outdated. Wait for the bargain bin, the eventual steam sale, or pick it up used in a year or so after the price falls.
Now for a longer explanation. Aside from the somewhat dated graphics that every review out there mentions, the game has other issues. The thing that stood out the most to me is that they spent way, way, WAAAAAAY too much time working on the interactive environment stuff. If I want to play a pinball game, air hockey, or pool, I will go somewhere with those actual items. If these things were fun diversions I might forgive them, but they don't even control all that well. I can't help but wonder if the game would have been better had they concentrated on the main game play instead of wasting their time with this stuff.
Next complaint: You can only carry two weapons at a time. I think this one was either the result of George Broussard copying every new idea from every FPS since 1998, or caused by a need to simplify the weapon system for console controls (It's kind of hard to switch to a specific weapon in a firefight without number keys). Duke has always been more than a little ridiculous, and having an armory of weapons available would certainly have fit the character. Hell, the shrinker/expander technology from Duke3D could have been used as an explanation as to how he can carry so much.
More to come as I get deeper into the game. In the meantime, there is an excellent article from a few years back on what went wrong with 3D Realms over at Wired. http://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/12/f ... e_nukem/3/
The short answer is no... at least not at the current price point. The game plays like something from around 2006 or so, and doesn't warrant paying full price for something so outdated. Wait for the bargain bin, the eventual steam sale, or pick it up used in a year or so after the price falls.
Now for a longer explanation. Aside from the somewhat dated graphics that every review out there mentions, the game has other issues. The thing that stood out the most to me is that they spent way, way, WAAAAAAY too much time working on the interactive environment stuff. If I want to play a pinball game, air hockey, or pool, I will go somewhere with those actual items. If these things were fun diversions I might forgive them, but they don't even control all that well. I can't help but wonder if the game would have been better had they concentrated on the main game play instead of wasting their time with this stuff.
Next complaint: You can only carry two weapons at a time. I think this one was either the result of George Broussard copying every new idea from every FPS since 1998, or caused by a need to simplify the weapon system for console controls (It's kind of hard to switch to a specific weapon in a firefight without number keys). Duke has always been more than a little ridiculous, and having an armory of weapons available would certainly have fit the character. Hell, the shrinker/expander technology from Duke3D could have been used as an explanation as to how he can carry so much.
More to come as I get deeper into the game. In the meantime, there is an excellent article from a few years back on what went wrong with 3D Realms over at Wired. http://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/12/f ... e_nukem/3/