Duke Nukem Forever Questionarium

We all know that games aren't created overnight, but few titles have shot to stardom the way that Duke Nukem Forever has long before going on sale. The oft-delayed and seldom seen baby of the now defunct 3D Realms was given a second chance last year when Gearbox Software announced that it had picked up the project. We recently got our hands on a few hours of the single-player campaign, and rather than keep it to ourselves, we asked you for your questions about this decade-long development debacle.

illmatic87: Is the level design elaborate in "exploration" or is it linear?

GameSpot AU: Our demo started at the beginning of the game, and during the hours we played it remained largely corridor shooting with the odd outdoor section--not much in the way of branching paths. That's not to say that it might not be there further into the game, and we've been told to expect somewhere between 12 and 15 hours of campaign in the box, plus multiplayer.

Selbie: Randy [Pitchford] has previously talked about puzzle-solving in the game. What kinds of puzzles have you experienced so far? Are they challenging?

GameSpot AU: It really all depends on what you consider puzzle-solving. A few of the things we saw were building ego points and piloting a remote-controlled car to retrieve an item in a room we couldn't step foot in. Essentially performing Duke-like behaviour, such as microwaving rats, bench-pressing heavy weights, and admiring yourself in the mirror, increases your ego (read: health) bar. Ego boosters aren't always obvious, so you'll need to scout around the environments to find them. Beyond that, there was one section where we needed to use some piping like a seesaw to get up onto a platform, but don't expect to be getting Mensa membership requests in the post after playing this.

DeltaPhoenix08: Does Duke sound right? Is it the same voice actor from previous games?

GameSpot AU: If it's not Jon St. John, the guy who voiced Duke Nukem from 1995 onwards, then they've found themselves a dead-ringer impersonator. Expect to hear a mix of familiar, classic Duke one-liners and plenty of new material in the same crude vein that you've come to expect.

Paul_Maccas: Are there enough strippers?

GameSpot AU: Paul, it's hard to know exactly how high your stripping tolerance is, but we ask you, are there ever enough strippers in a Duke Nukem game? We didn't see any during our demo, but they have appeared in the trailers, so we'll have to wait and see.

Patrik Ikhardt: Does the brash nature and humour make up for the lacking graphics and (likely) gameplay? Is it fun enough to make up for its blatant technical shortcomings?

GameSpot AU: That, Patrik, is the $64,000 question. We're not going to sugarcoat it; if you're expecting the visual fidelity of Call of Duty or Crysis 2, you're setting yourself up for a fall. A game this long in development isn't all cutting-edge tech, and it shows in places. That said, if you're a Duke fan and you go in expecting the same rough and ready jokes, mature themes, and alien butchery you've come to expect from the franchise, you're probably not going to be disappointed. Does one balance out the other? We're going to have to wait until we've played the whole thing before we can make a call on that.

Deathjester: What platform was the game tested on? If PC, does it have Steamworks or GFWL support? Were any Easter eggs found during the play test?

GameSpot AU: We played the Xbox 360 version of the game, so we can’t comment on any potential Games for Windows Live or Steamworks support. There's plenty of fan service here in the form of recycled Duke Nukem 3D audio clips and artwork--even going back as far as the Duke Nukem side-scrolling games of the early '90s. We didn’t see them, but we wouldn't be surprised to find a few Easter eggs squirreled away in the level design.

EggVillain: Can I carry more than 2 weapons? Part of the fun of older games like Duke 3d was the whole one man army thing. Plus pockets like Mary Poppins' handbag.

GameSpot AU: Even from the outset, Duke is still a one-man wrecking ball. Interestingly, while Duke Nukem Forever keeps a lot of the familiar hallmarks of its predecessors, weapon handling wasn't one of them. You'll see a lot of familiar guns, but you'll only be able to carry two at a time, plus grenades, so expect to make some tough decisions about which torture device you want to use to carve up aliens.

Skywarp Greer: Will it be banned here?

GameSpot AU: We have some good news on that front, with the game already being rated MA15+ for strong violence, sexual references, crude humour, and drug references. Aussies will get to play this one.

It wouldn't be Duke Nukem Forever without a delay, even in the home stretch, but Gearbox says this time it's coming out on 10 June for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. Keep an eye out for our full review soon.