Duke Nukem Forever Finally Arrives

Duke Nukem Forever is not your average video game. It's been in development for more than a decade-and-a-half, worked on in piecemeal fashion by a number of different developers before finally getting the golden treatment from Gearbox, the company behind Brothers in Arms and Borderlands.

But is the latest Duke Nukem offering any good? No, say critics.

Original Duke Nukem 3D Released in 1996

The original Duke Nukem 3D was released in 1996.

At the time, it was one of the most fun to play first-person shooter games on the market. But its main bragging point was its gameplay, which revolved around the tough-talking and brash main character, Duke.

Unlike first-personal shooter rivals such as Quake or Doom, Duke Nukem 3D didn't take itself too seriously, often poking fun at the first person shooter genre as well as sci-fi movies sharing the same broad themes.

"It's time to kick ass and chew bubblegum. And I'm all out gum," was one of the most famous Duke Nukem phrases in the game.

Latest Duke Nukem Disappointing

Unfortunately, it seems that the developers just weren't able to capture the spirit of the original game.

"[Duke Nukem Forever is] barely playable, not funny, and rampantly offensive," said Ars Technica reviewer Ben Kuchera. "From a business and gaming history perspective, the fact that the title exists at all is fascinating; for everyone else asked to spend $60 on it, it's merely sad." (Source: foxnews.com)

Duke Nukem Falls Short of Modern Day Games

The problems with Duke go far beyond its offensive nature. Critics suggest that the game just doesn't keep up with modern-day shooters like Call of Duty or Battlefield: Bad Company.

"The first thing you need to know about Duke Nukem Forever is that it is a technical mess, and this makes everything the game does badly that much worse," said Wired magazine's Chris Kohler. "Strip away the ridiculous sex-and-poop jokes and you're left with a lot of bland, action-game cliches."

Currently, GameRankings.com, which tracks all online reviews for a game, reports a 53 per cent average rating for the new Duke. (Source: gamerankings.com) IGN.com ranks Duke Nukem Forever with a 5.5 "Mediocre" score, with 68% users giving it the thumbs up.