Working Title 06.24.2011: Why the Bad Press

Posted by Dan Watson on 06.24.2011

Duke Nukem has gotten poor reviews and bad press after years of waiting! But why is the game getting so much flack? 411's Dan Watson takes a look in this week's Working Title!

Welcome to the #1 Column to think that this summer blows with all the rain and bullshit happening out there. I am not Jordan Williams; I am Dan Watson, filling in for a banged up Jordan Williams. I will be filling in for Jordan for a few weeks while Jordan rests up.

Working Gaming Update

Duke Nukem: Forever

I picked up Duke as more of a game to play around with and relieve stress by laughing at his immature jokes. I am still laugh as if I was twelve years old again when I hear Duke make some joke about how he can see his Dick from the top of a building, or when I throw shit against a wall (literally shit), or even when I realize that the first part of the game is just a video game and while Duke was playing, he was getting a blow job from two chicks called the Holson twins. This game has been a ton of fun and I am happy that I picked it up.

Border Lands

I've gone back to playing this game for a few weeks now and I have to say the DLC is pretty cool. I am a huge fan of some the humor in this game as well and enjoy just running around blowing shit up. I am hoping to continue playing this one for the greater part of the next month as I go through and max out the achievements.

Brink

Alright, so I am playing Brink. I wanted to give this game a second chance and am starting to regret it. The game isn't bad, per say, it is more just annoying and stressful. I have teamed up with Adam Larck to play this game and each time we play, I just get more and more pissed off. There is no balance in the game at all I feel like. When I am level ten, I feel like the enemies are level twenty. The AI on my team, well they just suck. I have seen on numerous occasions the AI just run back and forth in one area that the battle is nowhere near. I get that some people are afraid to die, but it is a game.

Working Title: Duke Nukem Forever and why is it getting all this bad press



There was a time, not too long ago, when video games were mostly platform games, fighters, and racing games. Then first person shooters came along. Many of the games were about aliens invading the planet, with a sole hero saving the world. These games were great and very controversial for their time.

Then in 1991 came the most controversial yet, Duke Nukem. Originally, the game was about a man who the CIA hired to take out an enemy who was planning on taking over the world with his army of robots. The sequel came out two years later and again the game was pretty basic. Then in 1996, Duke Nukem 3D was released. Duke was redesigned to be more of the Duke we know today. The game had strong language, sexual content, cultural stereotypes, and tons of blood and violence. This game was every teenage boy's dream game.

In 1997, it was announced that Duke Nukem: Forever was being developed. This game had become the joke of many and it seemed that it was never going to be released. There had been information thrown out about it every couple years, just reminding us that the game was not cancelled nor was there any plan to cancel it. In 2009, that story didn't change, even though the entire development team had been released.



This year, the game released and the jokes were supposed to have stopped; they didn't. Instead, the game was rated extremely poorly and the reviews became very harsh and almost personal. This was before I had even tried the game and only persuaded me more to go and check it out, to see if it deserved this attack. After playing it, I have to disagree with these attacks. This is a solid game. You have to take into context that the game isn't going to be Call of Duty or Halo; it is an old fashioned first person shooter. You play the game as if it was a parody and the game is not bad at all.

I am over half way done with the game and have to say, it is enjoyable. There is no reason this game should be receiving ratings in the two through four range. I would say the game is a solid six to seven, as long as you don't take the game seriously. I will be posting a review soon, if it hasn't been done already ( I am typing this up on Wednesday keep in mind). The visuals are very much what I remember from Duke Nukem 3D, the voice reminds you of all those good times when you would be playing and hoping that your mom doesn't walk in and see what you are playing, and the violence, well there is tons of that as well.

In Summary

If you don't like Duke Nukem, have a reason for it. Don't just jump on the bandwagon because everyone else is. The game is pretty awesome in my opinion and really that is the only one you should listen to. If you like tits, booze, and blowing shit up; this game is for you. If you don't, well then I am assuming you aren't enjoying life and I recommend you start trying some of what I listed above, probably in that order as well.