LF- A fair Duke Nukem Forever reveiw.

[Laurie Barnes]

I'm not saying that game reviewers aren't good at their jobs, I am just a little perplexed as to why 99% of pro reviewers give Duke Nukem forever a bad score, while most of the people I know who played it thoroughly enjoyed it.

Don't get me wrong it is hardly a perfect game, but I love it just as much as I loved the 2.5D original. I have a long list of criticism but only one point actually prevents me from enjoying the game. It actually surpassed my expectations, in that I expected some piece of corny shit that smelled so badly it would be invisible behind a wall of tears. Don't get me wrong it is still corny shit, but somehow it makes it work. In spite of everything the only thing that persistently gets on my nerves is the load times.

I play on the max difficulty because games like devil may cry, and specifically ninja gaiden and it's frilly pink bows have made me paranoid of attempting anything that could be considered easy. As such I die a lot, and this is not my problem, I actually like only being able to survive one or two hits, it forces me to play better, and adds a little bit of COD feel to the game, it only pisses me off when I have to wait an hour and a half to load the damn checkpoint I died thirty seconds away from.

What does everyone else think of the game, and if you'd rather not comment on that, what do you think of how much hate the game is getting?
(Personally I think people are just writing it off because it is Duke Nukem, and it makes them feel smart and or special to shit all over something because it's not an intellectual masterpiece.)

(Edit) OK in response to the first guy to say this and the next several hundred unoriginal fools copying his post. When I say "Fair", I mean something that is more in line with what I am getting from other gamers. The gap between what I have been reading in reviews and hearing from my friends is quite broad and I was trying to figure out why. Also I might add before I get any COD hate that the game only functions like that on the toughest difficulty, otherwise you feel like a tank.

 

[Xyphon]

and adds a little bit of COD feel to the game

Hoo boy. I suggest you grab an inflatable raft and prepare for the flood of "THAT'S EXACTLY WHY WE DON'T LIKE IT!!1!" posts that are on their way.

I'm personally enjoying it so far. Not the best game out there but it's pretty decent.

 

[Thaluikhain]

When you say "fair" you seem to mean "saying a game I like is good". Not the same thing at all. People can complain about the gameplay, story and overall theme without having to be ivory tower types who don't understand "real" gamers.

 

[CM156_v1legacy]

I'm not saying that game reviewers aren't good at their jobs, I am just a little perplexed as to why 99% of pro reviewers give Duke Nukem forever a bad score, while most of the people I know who played it thoroughly enjoyed it.

Citation needed.
No, really. Don't throw around numbers unless you can back it up.'

On metacrticic,
7 critics out of 21 gave the game a negative review for the PC. Thats 33.33%
18 critics out of 44 gave the game a negative review for the Xbox. Thats 40.9091%
8 critics out of 25 gave the game a negative review for the PS3. That's 32%
Plese, do your research before hand. And don't just use "99%" as some go-to stat.

OT: This is not so much directed at you, but when I hear people in this context call for "fair" reviews, they tend to mean "reviews I agree with".

I doubt I will be playing it at all. People are justified in their hate, I think. They wanted a clasic shooter with things such as health packs and carying a ton of weapons. What they got was bad. And I hear the game's treatment of women is also bad, so I doubt I will be plaing it for that reason alone.

 

[Zhukov]

Ha!

By "fair review" you mean "a review that agrees with me that the game is awesome".

Mate, get over it. If someone says, "I did not enjoy this game", you can't exactly turn around and say, "Yes you did! You fucking loved every second of it!"

Incidentally, I did not enjoy this game... because it was a piece of crap.

 

[Zeema]

Ha!

By "fair review" you mean "a review that agrees with me that the game is awesome".

Mate, get over it. If someone says, "I did not enjoy this game", you can't exactly turn around and say, "Yes you did! You fucking loved every second of it!"

Incidentally, I did not enjoy this game... because it was a piece of crap.

This is Correct

from what you wrote its just like your saying

'STOP HATING STUFF I LIKE

 

[Imbechile]

Personally I think people are just writing it off because it is Duke Nukem, and it makes them feel smart and or special to shit all over something because it's not an intellectual masterpiece

I don't. I want something silly and immature. So no, I don't hate the game because it can't rival Planescape Torment in terms of story. I hate because it's a shit game. Everything in the game screams of mediocrity.

If you want something similar play Bulletstorm because it's infinetly better, or heck, play Duke 3D because it's also a superior game compared to DNF.

 

[Jordi]

I haven't played the game, but I also got the feeling that a lot of game reviewers aren't always giving this and other games a fair chance. Most reviewers I read tend to rate a game based on their enjoyment of it, which is fine, but only if they can get into the premise of the game. You shouldn't have someone who hates race games review a race game, you shouldn't have a console gamer who needs tutorials all the time review The Witcher 2, and you shouldn't have someone who is proud about having outgrown his appreciation for childish humor review Duke Nukem.

This game was intended for fans of the Duke (at least that's how I see it). The most important thing is that he is in it. If you don't like him, then this game is not for you, and I don't think that your opinion is worth very much in a review. I'm sure that DNF has many flaws in terms of graphics and gameplay, and it's right if it gets called out on it. But I want to hear from a Duke fan whether the presence of the Duke still makes for a good game in spite of the flaws.

 

[mjc0961]

When you say "fair" you seem to mean "saying a game I like is good". Not the same thing at all. People can complain about the gameplay, story and overall theme without having to be ivory tower types who don't understand "real" gamers.

Yep, this pretty much sums it up. The only valid complaint I heard about any of the DNF review scores was a video on YouTube where a guy not only talked about Duke Nukem Forever's scores (he thought they were too low in comparison to what the reviews had said), but also thought that most reviewers don't know how to hand out scores properly in general. And then pulled out a review of Witcher 2 from a magazine where the author claimed he found many faults with the game, and then at the end gave it a 9.5 which made absolutely no sense given the actual things said in the review. And that I can agree with. Not this "waaah they gave a game I like a low score, they are unfair!" stuff that so many people who liked Duke Nukem Forever are pulling now.

Spoiler: Extra ranting about DNF fans inside if you care

That or the "You just don't understand what this game is!" nonsense. If people disliked it because of the gameplay, they don't understand that the gameplay is supposed to be like old shooter gameplay (even though it isn't) or that it's supposed to be like modern shooter gameplay (even though it isn't; it's a mixture of both so stop claiming its one or the other). If you disliked it because of the sense of humor it has, you just don't understand that Duke is supposed to be like that.
For fucks sake, enough excuses. If people didn't like Duke Nukem Forever, they didn't like it. Stop trying to convert everyone.

Of course, my solution to the score problem is to just stop using scores altogether. They don't tell you anything you didn't already learn by reading the review, and they just seem to be something for people to complain about. Because really, how often do you hear complaints about a poorly written review, and how often do you hear complaints solely about the score? In my experience, it's usually the latter. So fuck scores, I say.

 

[Laurie Barnes]

You know what

I haven't played the game, but I also got the feeling that a lot of game reviewers aren't always giving this and other games a fair chance. Most reviewers I read tend to rate a game based on their enjoyment of it, which is fine, but only if they can get into the premise of the game. You shouldn't have someone who hates race games review a race game, you shouldn't have a console gamer who needs tutorials all the time review The Witcher 2, and you shouldn't have someone who is proud about having outgrown his appreciation for childish humor review Duke Nukem.

This game was intended for fans of the Duke (at least that's how I see it). The most important thing is that he is in it. If you don't like him, then this game is not for you, and I don't think that your opinion is worth very much in a review. I'm sure that DNF has many flaws in terms of graphics and gameplay, and it's right if it gets called out on it. But I want to hear from a Duke fan whether the presence of the Duke still makes for a good game in spite of the flaws.

You know what? I like the point you have made right there, how people who would not have been fans of the original can't possibly be fans of the sequel. So I guess in part when I ask for a fair review I am in part asking for a person who was a Duke3D fan to compare DNF to it. As it is I notice most reviewers are trying to compare it to COD, or Bulletstorm, which might not be a bad thing, but it still seems like comparing apples and oranges.

 

[chadachada123]

Regarding your first sentence, Laurie, I need only bring up The Hangover 2.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_hangover_2/

"Critics" gave it a 35%, while the audience gives it 94%. That is a monster gap, and, in this case, seems to be that reviewers don't understand comedy. This may or may not be the case for Duke Nukem Forever and the people that you converse about video games with.

When darkness, horror, or gross humor is involved, don't trust critics. Don't trust your friends either.

 

[Anaklusmos]

This game was intended for fans of the Duke (at least that's how I see it). The most important thing is that he is in it. If you don't like him, then this game is not for you, and I don't think that your opinion is worth very much in a review. I'm sure that DNF has many flaws in terms of graphics and gameplay, and it's right if it gets called out on it. But I want to hear from a Duke fan whether the presence of the Duke still makes for a good game in spite of the flaws.

Ever heard of Totalbiscuit? British game reviewer, he does a series could WTF is...? where he does a First Impression of the game, and due to the fact it was Duke Nukem a franchise he loved he played the first hour recorded it and uploaded it, then continued playing the game for another five hours something he has never done, ever, and then did a sum-up of his thoughts of the game after an extended period of time. If you want to check it out.

First Hour of Gameplay

Spoiler

Sum-up

Spoiler

Also

Spoiler

The game has a level themed around rape... my mate has the game and wasn't sure whether he was supposed to laugh or be sick. I mean... who does that?

Oh yeah, I guess I should say what I think. I never played Duke Nukem 3D or Duke Nukem Forever, but from what I can understand people were expecting Duke, fast adrenaline pumping action, where you could soak up damage and repair yourself with a first aid kit, where you could carry enough weapons to give yourself a hernia, where there was trashy humor and not stupid realistic drama. While DNF does the comedy part right, you can only carry two guns and you have regenerating health. I mean Yahtzee said why he liked Duke best in his Battlefield Bad Company 2 review.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/1546-Battlefield-Bad-Company-2

You only have to watch the first minute or so.

EDIT: Also, I want to add on, the people I have talked to about this game who have it defend it... very aggressively, not like they would a normal game they like, but to the point where they start insulting you for having a differing opinion, which seems a bit like Post-Purchase Rationalization

EDIT: Got my terms mixed up.

 

[Jesus Phish]

Most of the people I know who played this game and enjoyed it, were very very heavily invested in wanting the game to be great and a success. They had rose coloured goggles on. Sadly, as time went on, the goggles, they do nothing.

They've all now pretty much traded in the game for credit value while the going is still good.

 

[Laurie Barnes]

This game was intended for fans of the Duke (at least that's how I see it). The most important thing is that he is in it. If you don't like him, then this game is not for you, and I don't think that your opinion is worth very much in a review. I'm sure that DNF has many flaws in terms of graphics and gameplay, and it's right if it gets called out on it. But I want to hear from a Duke fan whether the presence of the Duke still makes for a good game in spite of the flaws.

Ever heard of Totalbiscuit? British game reviewer, he does a series could WTF is...? where he does a First Impression of the game, and due to the fact it was Duke Nukem a franchise he loved he played the first hour recorded it and uploaded it, then continued playing the game for another five hours something he has never done, ever, and then did a sum-up of his thoughts of the game after an extended period of time. If you want to check it out.

First Hour of Gameplay

Spoiler

Sum-up

Spoiler

Also

Spoiler

The game has a level themed around rape... my mate has the game and wasn't sure whether he was supposed to laugh or be sick. I mean... who does that?

Oh yeah, I guess I should say what I think. I never played Duke Nukem 3D or Duke Nukem Forever, but from what I can understand people were expecting Duke, fast adrenaline pumping action, where you could soak up damage and repair yourself with a first aid kit, where you could carry enough weapons to give yourself a hernia, where there was trashy humor and not stupid realistic drama. While DNF does the comedy part right, you can only carry two guns and you have regenerating health. I mean Yahtzee said why he liked Duke best in his Battlefield Bad Company 2 review.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/1546-Battlefield-Bad-Company-2

You only have to watch the first minute or so.

EDIT: Also, I want to add on, the people I have talked to about this game who have it defend it... very aggressively, not like they would a normal game they like, but to the point where they start insulting you for having a differing opinion, which seems a bit like Post-Purchase Rationalization

EDIT: Got my terms mixed up.

Trust me, I am well aware of the regenerating health and the weapon cap, and in addition to the load times are my chief criticisms of the game. The humor however gets a perfect score, just because of how little of a shit they seemed to give about being serious. Duke quotes include, "Power armor is for pussies", "Look at my ass, DO IT NOW!", and my personal fave, "America!! FUCK YEAH!"
It is amazing how forgiving I become when you toss in a few of those gems every now and then. Duke is a perfect vacation from the average "Why So serious" protagonist these days.

Most of the people I know who played this game and enjoyed it, were very very heavily invested in wanting the game to be great and a success. They had rose coloured goggles on. Sadly, as time went on, the goggles, they do nothing.

They've all now pretty much traded in the game for credit value while the going is still good.

That reason right there my friend is why I rented the game instead.

 

[Nieroshai]

What I'd like to know from OP if he reads this, would you recommend buying it full price based on your experience, or should I wait? I'd like to own it, but the reviews honestly baffle me. How can a community universally condemn a game? Oh wait, they also did this to FF13. Okay Duke, here I come!

 

[Rusty pumpkin]

I haven't played any Duke Nukem games, ever, including this new one, but after watching the first hour of gameplay, I can tell it's linear as hell, and tries to hide this with flow breaking puzzles and pie-in-the-face adult humor.

 

[sagejosh]

thats odd because i dont know any one who likes duke nukem forever.... my friend who is entertained by mediocre games dosnt even like it which is saying something. there is a difference from likeing a game that isnt for every one like saints row or settlers 7 but it just seems liek duke nukem isnt for anyone (or atleast thats what im getting)

 

[mduncan50]

You're not looking for a fair review, you're looking for one that shares your opinion, which is not the same. My suggestion would be to write one, then read it.

 

[Dr. Feelgood]

I'm not saying that game reviewers aren't good at their jobs, I am just a little perplexed as to why 99% of pro reviewers give Duke Nukem forever a bad score, while most of the people I know who played it thoroughly enjoyed it.

OT: This is not so much directed at you, but when I hear people in this context call for "fair" reviews, they tend to mean "reviews I agree with".

Yeah, that happens a lot. But I think by "fair" he means that he's not being paid to hate the game. I personally think the game is mediocre at best, but passable. If it weren't for the nostalgia factor, I'd hate it's guts.

 

[mduncan50]

I'm not saying that game reviewers aren't good at their jobs, I am just a little perplexed as to why 99% of pro reviewers give Duke Nukem forever a bad score, while most of the people I know who played it thoroughly enjoyed it.

OT: This is not so much directed at you, but when I hear people in this context call for "fair" reviews, they tend to mean "reviews I agree with".

Yeah, that happens a lot. But I think by "fair" he means that he's not being paid to hate the game. I personally think the game is mediocre at best, but passable. If it weren't for the nostalgia factor, I'd hate it's guts.

Somehow doubt that Russ Pitts, among many others, were paid to hate this game. Yahtzee, I could see, but he though it was the best game ever....last year. You need to remember that these reviewers are playing hundreds of games a year, so they may judge more harshly due to the fact that they get to play so many better games, and when something's been done to death, they've had to do it more times than most people. Plus you yourself say it's passable, but if not for the nostalgia factor, you'd hate it's guts. That tells me that it is in fact a terrible game, but it reminds you of games you used to like when you were younger. But still terrible.