Time Hasn’t Change Him – Duke Nukem 3D World Tour Review [PC-Steam]
Some things never change, and that’s not necessarily good – Duke Nukem 3D World Tour Review
It’s been twenty years since Duke Nukem 3D released. I played it on the N64 with my friends and family. It was our first introduction to FPS multiplayer, aside from maybe Goldeneye. But I can say this was the game that got me into FPS games. You could play co-op through the campaign, and then shoot each other with shrink rays and then stomp each other out. It had pixelated naked women, cursing, and gratuitous amounts of violence. It was everything a pre-pubescent kid didn’t know he wanted. And thank’s to gearbox, it is back.
We live in a time where everything is getting rebooted or reimagined and there is always a group who wants it left alone and unchanged. I tend to not agree with that group and Duke Nukem 3D World Tour is going to be my example. Things change, and they change for a reason. Somethings are classic and should remain that way, only sought after for it’s place and importance to history and never be brought to light again. Duke Nukem is sadly one of those things. This is not to take away from the greatness that Duke Nukem 3D was, but to point out what it is now. Duke is now kind of like Billy Madison on his first day back in high school.
Duke Nukem 3D is about a BAMF who saves the world from an alien invasion. He kicks ass and chews bubblegum, and he ran out of gum awhile go. Fast paced alien murdering hero with at the peak of male chauvanism. The story was never deep, basically, it’s the “MURICA” version of Halo.
Gameplay is typical FPS, but before it was cleaned up to the fine-tuned precision machine it is now. Duke was around right as wasd was becoming a thing, so it wasn’t perfected yet. The game still has strafe buttons on top of turning buttons. Keep in mind, it was also designed for consoles with only one thumb stick. The controls have not been updated in any way and it’s the touch equivalent of watching a VHS on a 1080p television without upconversion.
The mechanics have also not been updated. The character models look incredibly pixelated and are all 2D pixel renditions that still don’t constantly match your POV. So there’s a split microsecond where if you get to the side of an enemy, you see the flat line of the object before a 2D pixel rendition of the angle you see the enemy is displayed. Understandable that a 64-bit graphics system could not render 3D models, but the same quirks and shortcomings could have been taken out for a 20 year later version.
Duke Nukem 3D World Tour is exactly how it was 20 years ago. Pixel for pixel, it has not changed a bit. What was once on the leading edge of technology and innovation, is now seems like a pre-pre-pre-alpha. Duke Nukem was a hero of our past, who would have faired better if he stayed there, as society has changed and no longer appreciates him. He’s kind of like that uncle who seemed really cool, but now that you’re old enough to understand what your parents are saying, you realize he’s kind of a loser. My Duke Nukem 3D World Tour Review gets a 6/10, or a D. It’s not a failure, but it also doesn’t really pass. As long as it’s packaged with something else, it’ll carry its weight.
Duke Nukem 3D World Tour
- Story - 6.8/106.8/10
- Gameplay - 5.4/105.4/10
- Mechanics - 5.7/105.7/10
The Verdict
Duke Nukem 3D World Tour is exactly how it was 20 years ago. Pixel for pixel, it has not changed a bit. What was once on the leading edge of technology and innovation, is now seems like a pre-pre-pre-alpha. Duke Nukem was a hero of our past, who would have faired better if he stayed there, as society has changed and no longer appreciates him. He’s kind of like that uncle who seemed really cool, but now that you’re old enough to understand what your parents are saying, you realize he’s kind of a loser. It’s not a failure, but it also doesn’t really pass. As long as it’s packaged with something else, it’ll carry its weight.