Return of the "King"

[Sheep]

As for DNF, it does sound like it's being given unfairly poor reviews. It sounds like a thoroughly mediocre game, not an awful one. But it's hard to escape the hype surrounding it. It was never going to be the groundbreaking title 3D Realms promised for so many years. It's a victim of its own publicity, not to mention its interminable development cycle.

I think this pretty much hits the nail on the head. It's not terrible by any means.

DNF looks and plays like a pre-Halo, original Xbox game, only in HD. In a console world with COD, Halo, Portal, Gears of War, Bulletstorm, Battlefield, and Mass Effect, among others and not even taking into account more immersive PC FPS games, that's terrible and not nearly good enough in 2011. It'd be one thing if it was released at $20 or $30, but asking $60 for this game earns it all the bad reviews it's getting.

 

[CaptJimboJones]

The reception to DNF reminds me a lot of the reaction to the Chinese Democracy album by G&R - it could have been really groundbreaking if it had been released in the original timeframe, but by today's standards it's a bit dated and nothing that hasn't been done many, many times before.

 

[Cutter John]

Suspect it'll be in the bargain bin by this time next year.

Really though, it all boils down to this.

Games really are being dumbed down. Apart from Valve and a few indy companies, most publishers are only interested in churning out more of the same.

 

[Jadzia]

That picture is quite funny.

 

[Hoser]

I really don't think it's a conspiracy to make DNF look like suck, people I know who don't even read scores have played it and said it sucked. Heck, even Mr. Indie Game Notch posted on his blog that it was bad.....

 

[Cutter John]

Jeezus, I'm amazed Yatzee's head hasn't exploded from sarcasm overload. I know mine almost did.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/748-Duke-Nukem-Forever

 

[Showdown]

His real Duke Nukem review is finally out.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/vid...on/3581-Duke-Nukem-Forever-for-real-this-time

 

[Timby]

=
Games really are being dumbed down. Apart from Valve and a few indy companies, most publishers are only interested in churning out more of the same.

Linearity isn't necessarily a bad thing -- not every game, especially first-person shooters, needs to have an open world. Hell, Half-Life 2 and Portal hold your hand every step of the way.

And, really, Duke Nukem Forever isn't getting criticized for being linear. It's being criticized because it's fucking terrible.

 

[Owain Taggart]

=
Games really are being dumbed down. Apart from Valve and a few indy companies, most publishers are only interested in churning out more of the same.

Linearity isn't necessarily a bad thing -- not every game, especially first-person shooters, needs to have an open world. Hell, Half-Life 2 and Portal hold your hand every step of the way.

And, really, Duke Nukem Forever isn't getting criticized for being linear. It's being criticized because it's fucking terrible.

Yeah, exactly. I mean, even Duke3D was linear, if you can call going from level to level in order of story progression linear. I think what people mean is, they want more in terms of exploration like in Duke 3D. I don't think linearity is a bad thing at all. It's the fact that games have had less exploration to do than in the past. A good game can both be linear and have tons of exploration to do, like Uncharted 2 for instance which has wide-open enough areas to allow one to explore but also be linear for the story's sake.

 

[Lonemagpie]

The problem with yer actual DNF (aside from the disappointment factor) is that it comes across as something created by a developer who's heard of Duke Nukem 3D, eavesdropped on fans nostalgic chats about what they remember of it, but who's never actually seen DN3D.

I mean, I know that's not what happened, but that's how it feels.

 

[Cutter John]

Linearity isn't necessarily a bad thing -- not every game, especially first-person shooters, needs to have an open world. Hell, Half-Life 2 and Portal hold your hand every step of the way.

And, really, Duke Nukem Forever isn't getting criticized for being linear. It's being criticized because it's fucking terrible.

True enough. But at least Portal and HL2 make up for it with an engaging storyline. DN, when you come right down to it is just a mindless shooter. For these sort of games I like the idea of having alternate pathways and hidden areas with secret bonuses if you're clever enough to find/get to them.

And no argument about it being terrible. To quote a line I read on another board:

"George Brousard deserves repeated cock punches for wasting thirteen years and untold millions of dollars on that pile of utter fail. Thirteen years so you can play with poo and kill helpless women? What the farking hell is wrong with that man?"

 

[Owain Taggart]

Hah yeah, I'd think he would need some kind of counseling after the utter disappointment this has been. Not only did he spend so much money on it, but a large part of his life was spent developing it. That's gotta take some serious toll, no matter who someone is. Something's gotta be wrong with his head.

 

[John Clark]

Just got around to playing the PC demo last night. It doesn't look as bad as I'd heard, but nor is it as enjoyable as I'd hoped for

 

[Showdown]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBOpKJQlDGI[/yt]

Duke Nukem Forever - Ain't No Rest for the Wicked by Cage the Elephant

 

[Akiraprise]

^ I like it.

 

[Showdown]

^ I like it.

Thanks

It's four different trailers mixed together.

 

[Reverend]

Just had a go at the demo on steam and...well lets just say I got about as far as that bit with the mounted gun and gave up. Honestly, it wasn't a lot of fun and I can see why it's been treated so badly by reviewers. Not that I don't think some have been a little too harsh, but based on the demo, I have no interest in purchasing this, not even when it turns up in the bargain bins.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I got this as part of a package deal on Steam so I don't feel bad about it. Started it up for a few minutes. Played with shit, drew on the whiteboard, then proceeded as far as where the hallway caved in. Then I quit. I have much better games to play now, I'll probably come back to this when I'm bored and looking for something insubstantial.

 

[Sheep]

I have much better games to play now, I'll probably come back to this when I'm bored and looking for something insubstantial.

At the rate I'm going, I'll have good games in my backlog until the year 2016 or so. And that's assuming I went cold turkey and completely stopped buying new games.

 

[Reverend]

^You know there are still games on my Steam account that I haven't installed since I bought the THQ pack in last year's summer sale. I know for sure I haven't had a go at Stalker or Red Faction 2 and I never did have a proper go at Metro 2033 or the Company of Heroes games before I had to clear some HD space.

Indeed, the only new games I have any intention of buying in the next six months are Arkham City, Deus Ex and Mass Effect 3. I think that'll be plenty.