by Chris Chapman

Created on: September 29, 2008

The latest in a string of high-profile releases on Xbox Live Arcade, this re-imagining of PC Realms' controversial classic was launched amidst high expectations following the neverending delays which blight Duke Nukem Forever.
Fans will be pleased to know that the conversion is pretty thorough this is not like the N64 version, which was heavily censored. Even the graphics have been given a HD-generation sheen, and they still have a charm that it's hard not to appreciate (at the time of release its' use of 2D sprites to simulate a 3D plane and ability to look up and down was revolutionary) while the framerate, as you should expect, never slips.

Gameplay wise, the game also holds up very well, although naturally the aiming isn't quite as precise as it was with a keyboard and mouse it puts many FPS' today to shame. Blowing away nasty monsters is pretty good fun too, even if you take off the rose-tinted glasses for a moment that's pretty much all you have to do. However, a big (and ingenious) addition to the gameplay is the rewind' function, which, when you die, allows you to rewind the game and restart from any point you like. It's really quite a brilliant idea and it makes gaming much less frustrating, particularly on some of the harder difficulties.
The single-player experience is divided into short levels across four chapters that you could easily blitz through in an afternoon, although there are still numerous secret areas and a handful of secret levels for the completionists. 8-player online co-op is also a reasonable distraction, although the real longevity lies in the Dukematch online modes, which are utterly manic experiences and never anything less than a great laugh as you blow each other apart with preposterous weapons such as the "Shrinker" which (as you might guess) shrinks your target and allows you to squish them underfoot. A more embarrassing way to die there is not.
Which brings us nicely onto the real reason this game is so good: the humour. The game point blank refuses to take itself seriously, whether its' the Pig Cops, obsession with "babes" or Duke singing "Born to be Wild" in his hilarious deadpan tones, you'll find yourself constantly chuckling at the barrage of puerile humour and film references. It's what sets it apart from other FPS' and the real reason its' worth your 800 points.
Of course, if childlike humour firmly bolted down to the gutter isn't your thing, chances are there won't be much here that you haven't already seen and not cared

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>