The Shrine

The reviews are mixed and some have not been very kind. However, many mentioned that it feels much more like an old FPS in the likes of Doom, Quake, and Duke Nukem 3D.... which means it is exactly what the fans want! I feel like this game is made for the people and not the industry. A time when simple fun single player was the main focus and CGI cut scenes and multiplayer were second thoughts. I'm excited for fats paced action, cheesy one liners, over the top weapons, and secret stripper room areas.

Call of Duty this will not be. Its the difference between a summer flick and an epic blockbuster. Maybe it shouldnt be $50 then, but i happily paid my 10% off pre-order.

The only concern i have is the two weapon limit... not very Duke like. Hopefully it plays out well enough, i shall see.

EDIT:: Also, i hear the comp version is above and beyond the consoles. Hardly no load times and better smoother graphics, which is a big complaint on the 360 version. The multiplayer is simply 8 person deathmatches, but with the jetpack and goofy weapons it supposedly makes for some epic lol moments and creatively weird deaths. Which, again, is exactly like it used to be in 1996 against friends playing a dialup version of multiplayer DN3D.

I'm back in town on Thurs, can't pick it up 'til then

It leaked to torrent sites, it's ass from what I've heard.

Eric wrote:It leaked to torrent sites, it's ass from what I've heard.

Reviews have been far less than favourable, that's for sure. But I coulda told you that months ago. I'm gonna play this one for myself and see.

It's fucking terrible. I got it for review and got to the hive level already pretty disgusted, shut it off and told my editor that I'm not finishing it and not writing a review because I would not be allowed to use the necessary language to describe my hatred for this game. Just watch the Giantbomb Quick Look

Yikes. I thought it was going to be middling at best but good lord. It's a fun franchise but big budget shooting it is not. We have higher expectations now and a full priced Duke Nukem shooter probably can never reach them.

ive only played a few hours. In my childish way, i like it. The graphics are pretty terrible, which is a shame, but the gameplay is smooth and perfectly fine. Personally, i think Duke is hilarious. You need to explain why you think it is to awful.

PS, you get an achievement for finding the stall with poo in the toilet and picking it up, lol. I think i threw it at someone afterwards leaving a nice Mr Hanky style poo mark.

Chris wrote:It's fucking terrible. I got it for review and got to the hive level already pretty disgusted, shut it off and told my editor that I'm not finishing it and not writing a review because I would not be allowed to use the necessary language to describe my hatred for this game. Just watch the Giantbomb Quick Look

I could not disagree more...I enjoyed every minute of that game. Ridiculous, over-the-top humor mixed with a constant barrage of pulp culture references. It's a first person shooter that has solid mechanics and I experienced zero glitches. I would like to hear something specific that you found so offensive.

Let's get out of here Chris. There is no taste on this board.

Haha, there is taste, it's just different from yours (which appears to be incredibly refined).

You are feeding on the tears of the internet, and some part of you feels superior for hating something that everyone wanted so desperately to love. Believe me, I totally understand how satisfying it feels to completely crush a highly-anticipated game in a review. But let's not kid ourselves, that is exactly what is going on with this game's critics.

If you like Duke Nukem, you will like this game. It absolutely does not deserve all of the crap it's getting.

Alec wrote:It absolutely does not deserve all of the crap it's getting.

I see what you did there.

We're getting some new voices of reason on this board, i like it.

I vote that Alec replaces bovine on a full time basis.

Alec wrote:But let's not kid ourselves, that is exactly what is going on with this game's critics.

I see no reason to assume that. I find it more likely the game is not good.

If I play it, I'll tell you if it's good or not. I have never played a Duke Nukem game before so I couldn't care less about it's nostalgia. haha

The fact that people are rating this game on par with Simpsons Skateboarding is proof enough.

A review is one thing, but the venom surrounding this game is unreasonable. The game is not bad, and it's truly not a matter of opinion. These reviews aren't about opinions. I can certainly see how someone would say that the game is mediocre (for the record, I think it's a genuinely good game), but to say that it's *bad*? That's when you know it's just someone wanting to hate the game.

Not to mention that video-game journalism the (the blogging sort) is kind of a joke.

Also, if you absolutely can't stand the loading times, play it on PC. They're virtually non-existent.

Watching the Giant Bomb quick look...I can immediately tell these guys don't get it! Everything Duke does/says is tongue in cheek, yet these reviewers are wanting him to be more tongue in cheek. At one point they say, "Filing your own taxes is for pussies." Making a joke about Duke saying, "Power armor is for pussies." It's funny because it's ridiculous. The game's writers aren't being serious with that line, obviously during an alien invasion a normal soldier would gladly grab some power armor if offered. I can't believe people are taking that as a harsh dig at Halo. It was a mother flipping joke!

I haven't played DNF, but something is reminding me of Serious Sam. IF DNF, had a lower price point, I think reviews would have changed.

http://xbox.ign.com/articles/376/376303p1.html wrote: Serious Sam isn't to be confused with a thinking man's FPS like Medal of Honor or Halo. Instead, Sam is more of a reaction shooter like Doom. Your goal is to run around and kill everything in sight. There are very few puzzle elements (and even those are very minimal), because this game isn't about outsmarting your enemies, it's about blowing them to bits. Enemy AI is very simple as well. They attack. There's no hiding, no running away, just charging in and trying to widdle away at Sam's health. And your goal as Sam is to do exactly the same to them. There's no crawling on your belly or hiding behind walls. Instead, you run around shooting anything and everything that moves, squeals, or looks ugly enough to be dangerous. The result is a non-stop, always fun, action title that will please fans of the mindless shooter genre. If you want Ghost Recon please wander off to another area of the site. If you want a guy with a Bruce Campbell attitude, an arsenal of weapons, and plenty of bloodlust, then read on.

Alec wrote:The game is not bad, and it's truly not a matter of opinion.

Uhhh, yes it is. :p

Seriously, tons of games get bad reviews all the time, if you only notice it with particular games, or for this game in particular then maybe you like it for more for reasons others just flat-out don't.

I could say "you just don't get it" about all criticism. It's a non-statement. It's quite possible they do get it, and they don't like it.

And, as Eric points out, saying it's not a matter of opinion is absurd.

Eric and Kupek - There are certainly areas of game reviews that are not matters of opinion, but are measurables that games either surpass or fail to achieve.

Is the game glitchy?
Is the game difficult compared to other titles in the genre?
Is the game long or short?
Is there any point to playing through the game more than once?
Is the game linear or open?
Do the controls work?
How long are the load times?
Is there multiplayer?
Is there co-op?


All of these questions are answered in reviews but, are in no way matters of opinion. This is the same in video games as it is in any other form of entertainment (eg TV shows, Movies, Music). You can always appreciate something for being very well made and still think its terrible. I can appreciate the fact that the Godfather is a beautifully filmed, brilliantly acted movie. But if Evil Dead 2 comes on TV at the same time I'm watching Evil Dead 2 100% of the time. That is where your taste comes into play.

It really depends whether or not you're going to insist that it be "up to par" with the newest FPSs. For those willing to overlook the lack of all the bells and whistles we see nowadays, be OK with the HD PS2 graphics, not expect 7000 different guns, and not insist on tons of cutscenes, they may like it. This game was never, ever going to be like that, it was always going to be playing off of your nostalgia.


That's why I expected mostly bad reviews and was never, ever going to base my opinion of the game on what others said. I'm just gonna play it and see for myself, screw the critics on this one. By the nature of their jobs they're going to almost have no choice but to give it a bad review.

Zeus wrote:It really depends whether or not you're going to insist that it be "up to par" with the newest FPSs. For those willing to overlook the lack of all the bells and whistles we see nowadays, be OK with the HD PS2 graphics, not expect 7000 different guns, and not insist on tons of cutscenes, they may like it. This game was never, ever going to be like that, it was always going to be playing off of your nostalgia.

The problem I have is with games like Battlefield 2 getting 8.9 ratings, when DICE constantly produces glitchy title after glitchy title. At what point does falling through multiplayer maps into nothingness outweigh beautiful graphics and explosions?

These bots are really talkative.

When did N4G find this place?

Zach, you're moving the goalposts. By simply saying "not bad" you're implying a judgement of the game as a whole, not specific objective criteria.

bovine wrote:These bots are really talkative.

Ha!

Mully wrote:I haven't played DNF, but something is reminding me of Serious Sam. IF DNF, had a lower price point, I think reviews would have changed.

This is exactly where I was going with my point about it not being worth a full priced game. Silly humor and old school gameplay are certainly still in demand but as a fully priced new release it's a bit of an insult when held to standards of storytelling and mechanics that are held today.

Also DICE games can be patched. Middling games are basically going to remain so. Also I do not recall Battlefield 2 being all that glitchy on release. Bad Company 2 had some crappy moments, though. You can review a game positively for all criteria you mentioned and it comes down to taste, sure, but taking opinion into account also blinds us of what is in fact something not all that great for everyone else, including old fans of the Duke. Promoting what is in fact lazy developing is something that I perceive as foolish - if the recommendation is to game on the PC to avoid long load times then that's something that obviously should not be the case. Boss battles that amount to holding down the mouse button and then waiting a few seconds for the gun to cool may remind us of games we played but nowadays is in fact a lazy boss encounter. I can't see how this game is worth full price at all.

Kupek wrote:Zach, you're moving the goalposts. By simply saying "not bad" you're implying a judgement of the game as a whole, not specific objective criteria.

Swing and a miss big guy. I never said "not bad" in any of my posts. Try to keep up.

Shrinweck wrote:Also DICE games can be patched.

True but, they release games that should still be in Beta testing.

Chris - You still haven't given a single example of something wrong with the game.

Citizen Zach wrote:Swing and a miss big guy. I never said "not bad" in any of my posts. Try to keep up.

Sorry, there are two new people in this thread, and this forum generally gets less than one new person a year. However, what I said was in direct response to Alec, who did say it was objectively "not bad." Which then makes your response a non-sequitur.

And let's reserve the condescension until you've know me at least a year. Zeus may frustrate me immensely sometimes, but he's earned it.

Yes, I can finally say noobs.

Mully wrote:noobs

ok cuddles. The gameplay is dull and repetative, the jokes are stale and unfunny, the multiplayer is utter shit, THE FUCKING HIVE LEVEL, the terrible platforming and vehicle sessions, the utterly atrocious look, the load times on both console versions even when installed, the terrible writing, the fact that Gearbox merely shat out the game so they could get the rights. I have more hope that a duke game after this one would be good. But this was a bad game. It was a terrible game, it was a dull game filled with groan inducing one-liners that aren't funny, and it's everything Duke 3d wasn't.

Willing to purchase and play an unfinished buggy game before I'm going to get excited about playing a tidily finished pile of fecal matter.

Seriously? Its not funny to punch an alien in the balls like a speed bag? Cant say thats "stale and unfunny". Good lord im a 30 year old accounting professional and this game makes me laugh at every turn. I like dark and serious as much as anyone, but its Duke, man. Duke!

I mean it's great that you're amused by it, but that's just not for everyone.

It's like buying a Mortal Kombat game for the violence & gore, it's so 1993. :p

Holy shit, are we being virally marketed at?!

I am suspicious regarding our two new posters, but the fact that they are irritating Chris, Kupek and Bovine in the same thread amuses me.

That being said, I still have not picked up my Duke pre-order. I'm thinking taking the $5 hit would be a better investment than paying for the game.

They're legit. Their IP addresses match Sine, Shellie, Louis and Mully, so I imagine they're coworkers.

lol, are we really so cut off from the internet that we meet the outsiders with suspicion. ;p

Yes, our community has been so tight knit for so long that what else are we supposed to suspect?... god we suck.

Duke Nuken would say, "Daaaamn, we're a bunch of asssssholes..... tits."

Kupek wrote:They're legit. Their IP addresses match Sine, Shellie, Louis and Mully, so I imagine they're coworkers.

They are And awfully rude ones to not introduce themselves

Keep sending us all your argumentative friends :P

Have they yet figured out that we're actually a cult to Dionysus?

I put my sentences together in a single paragraph for a reason. You will lose the context if you take them apart, which seems awfully convenient for everyone else's arguments.

I stand by my original assertion: "You are feeding on the tears of the internet, and some part of you feels superior for hating something that everyone wanted so desperately to love."

Chris wrote:blah blah

I checked your Steam, your PSN and your XBL tags and none of them have DNF on them. Classy.

Alec wrote:I put my sentences together in a single paragraph for a reason. You will lose the context if you take them apart, which seems awfully convenient for everyone else's arguments.

I stand by my original assertion: "You are feeding on the tears of the internet, and some part of you feels superior for hating something that everyone wanted so desperately to love."

I play loads of games and have been driven mad by some of the choices made by people on this board to spend their time with middling JRPGs, MMO, or no new games at all. To then settle on picking up Duke Nukem Forever just blows away my mind grapes. Infamous 2 is a high quality title. Dirt 3 just came out and is a lovely little racer. Magic 2012 is a nice little reboot for the Magic:TG series of card games (sine and shelley, check that shit out).

I don't think the internet is crying over a subpar first person shooter that is attempting to be held together by an overbearing misogynistic personality. There are significantly better experiences to be had elsewhere and it is bizarre to me that someone would settle on this game instead of obviously better games.

Yo dawg, dead space 2. Blotus, I saw you playing that game and you don't play games at all anymore.... Let alone post on here.

bovine wrote:I play loads of games and have been driven mad by some of the choices made by people on this board to spend their time with middling JRPGs, MMO, or no new games at all. To then settle on picking up Duke Nukem Forever just blows away my mind grapes. Infamous 2 is a high quality title. Dirt 3 just came out and is a lovely little racer. Magic 2012 is a nice little reboot for the Magic:TG series of card games (sine and shelley, check that shit out).

I don't think the internet is crying over a subpar first person shooter that is attempting to be held together by an overbearing misogynistic personality. There are significantly better experiences to be had elsewhere and it is bizarre to me that someone would settle on this game instead of obviously better games.

The "crying internet" thing was a figure of speech.

As far as "settling" goes, I think that the people who are familiar with DNF in general don't need to pick and choose what games they play because they don't have enough time to play them all. I think the same goes for anyone participating in this thread. It's not really a matter of "settling."

Also, Magic 2012 isn't really a reboot, but a sequel to Duels of the Planeswalkers. If you like 2012, be sure to check out the original. They are identical in gameplay.

Alec wrote:As far as "settling" goes, I think that the people who are familiar with DNF in general don't need to pick and choose what games they play because they don't have enough time to play them all. I think the same goes for anyone participating in this thread. It's not really a matter of "settling."

I think if you had less time to play games, you would be much more discriminating based on quality.

Also, as for the classification of Magic 2012 as a sequel and not a reboot, it got me thinking about sports games. There is narrative being thrown at you in the loading screens of the game, but it is so poorly executed as to render it basically invisible. It basically follows a sports game mentality of changing the players and adding some new mechanics. Although I will substitute Magic 2012's lack of any real progress in the mechanics, as it is a card game, with its addition of new modes of play and decreasing the offensive load times. The changing up of decks could be the adding of new teams and the changes to existing decks is a change in roster. This is basically a new year of a sports game, so is Madden 2011 a sequel to madden 2010? I dunno. I like to think of sequels as carrying on a narrative, and since one is not present in these cases I am not sure if they are a sequel or a reboot. Butseriouslycommon, why you gotta try to correct me on this semantic point?

bovine wrote:I think if you had less time to play games, you would be much more discriminating based on quality.

That's my point, though. The readership of this forum\those familiar with DNF enough to debate it on said forum probably DO have the time. They don't need to discriminate. And if they do, then they should stop debating games and start playing games.

And I corrected you because, obviously, I am calling your nerd-cred into question for not already knowing about Duels of the Planeswalkers. =)

I liked Tom Chick's review:

http://www.honestgamers.com/reviews/9449.html

Watch out, new forum members! It's negative!

Alec wrote:The readership of this forum\those familiar with DNF enough to debate it on said forum probably DO have the time. They don't need to discriminate.

You are seriously mistaken. We have, what, three fathers here? And most people - myself included - have demanding full-time jobs. And personally, I made a decision a while back that I'd rather learn how to actually kick ass rather than do it through an avatar. Gaming stopped being my main hobby a long time ago - but I still enjoy the limited amount I do. I'm not going to waste time on marginal games.

Yeah and then there's differing tastes. My Witcher 2 thread basically immediately died while there were like eight LA Noir threads (as a joke) and none of them really went any where even though people seemed to love it. Marginal game aside, we don't really get talkative about shooters very often. I can't speak for everyone else but I hardly play them other than the odd MW2 or COD:BO, Borderlands, Crysis 2 games that are critically acclaimed or at least mind shut-off multiplayer stuff.

And as an aside - I can't really even imagine Kupek playing a flat first person shooter game along the lines of DNF. Taste and opinions aside it is a game about simply shooting things and crude humor - things we don't really tend to go gaga over here. What I find unfortunate is Gearbox did Borderlands, as well, which a ton of us actually did love. I spent dozens of hours playing that game with a few people here and that game did simple shooting and crude humor really quite well.