Let me tell you about a game my brother and I play occasionally. Inspired by a spoof advert we both saw in an old Viz magazine called "Jeremy Beadles landfill DVD's" one of us will try our best to find the worst possible, sub b-movie rubbish we can, which we then give to the other. The receiver then has to watch the film, whilst the giver has the satisfaction of knowing that they have effectively stolen two hours of their life.
Only it doesn't usually pan out that way. Instead what will happen is we'll both end up watching the film, and while we might laugh at it ironically, we are nonetheless laughing.
Prior to playing DNF I'd read plenty of reviews rubbishing the game, not least of which was PC Gamer UK's, a magazine I have bought religiously since the mid nineties. So I had an idea of what to expect, however as child who had bunked off school to play my way through the Duke Nukem Killaton Collection in 1996, I had to give it a try.
One of the repeated criticisms I have read of the game is that it's a relic of a bygone age, but the question I have is, is that necessarily a bad thing?
Look at the movie industry. The past few years have seen a resurgence of action films, with franchises like Rocky, Rambo and Die Hard all making a comeback. And the thing about those films is that most people who watched them came away happy. Is that down to the quality of the film, or the fact audiences knew exactly what they were getting long before they set foot in the theatre? A franchises history gives it context, and to my mind not enough thought has been given to the context within which DNF was designed.
Yes, held up to the sharp criticism of a 2011 eye the game falls short on some fronts. Only being able to carry two weapons (although this is being extended to four in an upcoming patch.) Boss battles that are straight out of 1997, and some pretty disturbing scenarios where the player can kill imprisoned women to put them out of their misery. But nobody ever thought DNF was going to be the next half life. We're talking about a series which has always had a B-movie plotline with a protagonist straight out of the eighties. Gearbox software knew this, and it's obvious that this bled into the design of the game. When a game tells you that "drinking beer makes you stronger" you need to know that it realises its own ludicrousness and has its tongue firmly in its cheek, otherwise you are going to misunderstand the games intention. Jesus Christ, there's even a dream sequence where you have to find a strippers dildo.
I'm genuinely surprised at the critical backlash toward DNF. Given its context, it is an above average shooter. Yes it is a bit linear sometimes, and yes the quicktime events are stupid (as they are in all games) but go into it with the knowledge that you are going to be playing a story-lite, action heavy shooter, and not the next Mass Effect, and you'll have a good time. I'm perplexed that in a world full of shooters that aren't great but are playable, why DNF has been the focus of such derision. Can it honestly be said that we wanted Duke to suddenly contemplate his actions, or have a female sidekick? No. We wanted balls out, action heavy, kicking ass and chewing bubblegum. And that's what we got. Forget what you've heard, buy it, and enjoy it for what it is.
If you like my reviews, please check out my blog - http://bulletfacepunch.blogspot.com/
Only it doesn't usually pan out that way. Instead what will happen is we'll both end up watching the film, and while we might laugh at it ironically, we are nonetheless laughing.
Prior to playing DNF I'd read plenty of reviews rubbishing the game, not least of which was PC Gamer UK's, a magazine I have bought religiously since the mid nineties. So I had an idea of what to expect, however as child who had bunked off school to play my way through the Duke Nukem Killaton Collection in 1996, I had to give it a try.
One of the repeated criticisms I have read of the game is that it's a relic of a bygone age, but the question I have is, is that necessarily a bad thing?
Look at the movie industry. The past few years have seen a resurgence of action films, with franchises like Rocky, Rambo and Die Hard all making a comeback. And the thing about those films is that most people who watched them came away happy. Is that down to the quality of the film, or the fact audiences knew exactly what they were getting long before they set foot in the theatre? A franchises history gives it context, and to my mind not enough thought has been given to the context within which DNF was designed.
Yes, held up to the sharp criticism of a 2011 eye the game falls short on some fronts. Only being able to carry two weapons (although this is being extended to four in an upcoming patch.) Boss battles that are straight out of 1997, and some pretty disturbing scenarios where the player can kill imprisoned women to put them out of their misery. But nobody ever thought DNF was going to be the next half life. We're talking about a series which has always had a B-movie plotline with a protagonist straight out of the eighties. Gearbox software knew this, and it's obvious that this bled into the design of the game. When a game tells you that "drinking beer makes you stronger" you need to know that it realises its own ludicrousness and has its tongue firmly in its cheek, otherwise you are going to misunderstand the games intention. Jesus Christ, there's even a dream sequence where you have to find a strippers dildo.
I'm genuinely surprised at the critical backlash toward DNF. Given its context, it is an above average shooter. Yes it is a bit linear sometimes, and yes the quicktime events are stupid (as they are in all games) but go into it with the knowledge that you are going to be playing a story-lite, action heavy shooter, and not the next Mass Effect, and you'll have a good time. I'm perplexed that in a world full of shooters that aren't great but are playable, why DNF has been the focus of such derision. Can it honestly be said that we wanted Duke to suddenly contemplate his actions, or have a female sidekick? No. We wanted balls out, action heavy, kicking ass and chewing bubblegum. And that's what we got. Forget what you've heard, buy it, and enjoy it for what it is.
If you like my reviews, please check out my blog - http://bulletfacepunch.blogspot.com/
