Looks aren't everything... Well, unless you're Duke :P
First, the plot. It's Duke, so we knew what to expect from the beginning, except the plot has a little more background this time around. So Duke has been "busy" being a man of leisure. He's opened his own casino and leisure empire off the back of his fame from hes previous world saving efforts. He's a celebrity and world hero. But now the aliens have returned, this time claiming peace, until they inevitably turn out to have other ideas and promptly begin kidnapping every woman in sight. This of course angers Duke, and with the help of a few familiar faces we set out for another mysoginistic and very politically incorrect jaunt.
Gameplay. It's your standard FPS fare, with a nice helping of mini-games and environmental puzzles thrown in. Many of the puzzles include physics problems and key fetching, but it rarely feels like busy work since the hunt for key items is not over used, but rather feels like a natural part of the level. For example, in one earlier level, you are required to find a battery to operate a wrecking ball in order to gain access to a building, it turns out however, that the battery was deliberately removed and placed as a trap, which is sprung when you grab it. Gunplay is what you would expect, there's a nice variety of weapons, many of which you will recognise from classic Duke such as the ripper, faithful shotty or RPG. While you are limited to carrying 2 weapons at a time this time around, the weapons are scattered generously enough that you are never left undergunned, you will find yourself frequently dumping a weapon down for a better one you find on the corpse of a fallen ally or foe, or tucked away as a hidden bonus. Many of the support items make a return from Dukes previous adventures too, you will get back on the steroids to soup up your strength for melee attacks, swig beer to boost your vitality, deploy holodukes (yeah they're back) to confuse your enemies, and lay good ol' trip mines to cover your tracks. The gameplay follows the classic Duke model while bringing in the modern touches you would expect to keep it from feeling dated.
Graphics. This is where most people have problems, a work of art DNF is not, but it really comes down to whether or not you care. the character and scenery models are a little rough around the edges, textures are slightly bland at times and some of the more advanced lighting effects now seen in many games aren't apparent here. Still, the graphics couldn't be described as bad by any stretch, I would instead use the term "standard", the game doesn't shine in the graphics department, but it doesn't fall flat either, there's enough detail and polish to keep it looking modern and flashy.
Sound. To be honest, I haven't paid too much attention to the background music beyond the sweet new version of the classic Duke theme. Aside from background music, the sound effects from each weapon match up to their classic counterparts, the shotgun has a very similar sound, you will instantly recognise the sound of the alien blaster and I swear the pistol even has the same sound effect used in DN3D. What really stands out is Duke's classic one liners. They're back and just as ticklingly cringe-worthy as ever. Some of the old favourites make a return, along with a smattering of current pop culture and general references thrown in, to everything from campy 80s porno to Inception and everything in between, one scene even gives you the option to, and indeed an achievement (on 360) for knocking out a studio worker giving a very familiar rage-fit. If you're a fan of Duke, you'll eat up all these little one liners and classic quips.
Multiplayer. Sadly, one thing noticably missing from DNF is local multiplayer. Part of the Duke experience for many people was getting a bunch of (preferably drunken) friends together under one roof to blow the hell out of each other, but now unless you have the equipment to rig up a LAN party, your friend fragging is limited to online only, which is a shame, but not a game killer. Online multiplayer is as you would expect, all the standard game modes are there, with a few variations on classics, such as a capture the flag style game where the flag is replaced by, predicatbly, a screaming woman (who depending on country you can slap about to silence). Multiplayer is pretty standard, lag free for the most part, but it is kept fresh with some clever theming and variations on the standard game set.
Overall: What it all comes down to inevitably with DNF, is "was it worth wating 12 years for?". The answer to that will be different for everyone. The best way to give you some idea of what your opinion might be is this. Are you expecting an envelope pushing work of art with innovation at every turn? If so, you will likely be disappointed. Are you expecting a triumphant return from a cult classic with all the classic Duke action, humour and goofiness you knew and loved in the 90's, but souped up and badder than ever? Then Duke Nukem Forever is well worth every day you waited!
Rating: Duke Fans: 8-9 / 10
Non Duke-Fans: 5.5-6 / 10