Looking back: Duke Nukem 3D (PC) (Duke Nukem 3D (PC))

Member Name: thole09

Product:	Duke Nukem 3D (PC)
Date:	26/03/09 (61 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Graphics, Multiplayer Modes

Disadvantages: Obsolete?

Duke Nukem 3D is a first person shooting title released for the personal computer in late January 1996. It follows on from the series of the same title, but features a somewhat revolutionary pseudo three dimensional gaming experience which was not typical of titles at the time. It was met with a slew of controversy due to its explicit violent and sexual content and was even banned or restricted from sale in certain countries. In the United Kingdom, it received an "18" age rating from the BBFC. The recommended system requirements at the time were to play using a Pentium I with 16 MB RAM and a sound card (Duke Nukem 3D did not support the "PC Speaker"). It also required DOS which is not readily available on newer computers. Instead, the player is required to use a DOS emulation program such as "DOSBox" to play this title.

In keeping with the original series, Duke Nukem is an action hero from Earth who is battling an alien invasion. The game begins with Duke in an Earthy environment, Los Angeles USA, after returning from his space missions in prior games but eventually returns to lunar bases and other outer space areas as the title progresses. The story is that of a typical action hero versus enemy situation; Duke must rid the Earth (and ultimately universe) of the invading alien forces while saving the few remaining human beings, all of which are women forced into prostitution and other forms of adult activity to remain alive. There is a total of 28 levels of play spread over three "episodes" and many feature interactive objects which can benefit the player, for example light switches which brighten or darken an area. The game also features a human multiplayer mode through telephony modem connection, serial connection, matchmaking through now defunct services such as the Total Entertainment Network or the most common in connections today in LAN (IPX).

Gameplay is very typical of what was prevalent at the time. The game can be operated fully and with ease using the keyboard in its default controls. To further simplify gameplay, as the computer mouse was not something widely used at the time, the game was implemented in having an "auto aim" control where the user could fire weaponry in the general direction of an enemy to make contact. Level design was very advanced for a game during this era and featured numerous tunnels, doors and other passages where the player can guide Duke towards the end of the game stage. The user is able to select his or her own preferred level of difficulty before engaging in play, ranging from easy to very hard. The stages themselves are short for what would be compared to today's video game standards but were on par for the year of release (each stage can be completed within two to three minutes of gameplay).

Graphics were definitely well rendered and completed, and still remain pleasant to look at under today's standards. The game featured a wide range of colouring and shading throughout gameplay and detailing of the weapons held by Duke was of a higher standard. Environmental features and enemies appear somewhat blocky depending on distance from the object; the closer Duke moves the "clearer" the object appears. Music was accomplished through MIDI compositions and sound effects through what I believe to be .wav fragments which was also typical of the time. The compositions are somewhat repetitive but did make a good use of available technology.

There are few individuals still playing such "vintage" titles like this, and it is a shame because the networking technology of today could readily expand on multiplayer gaming which was somewhat of a burden in the mid 1990s. Replay factor would be determined solely by the player and if he or she enjoyed first person shooter games such as this. Comparable titles, built on the same "engine" as Duke Nukem 3D, are "Blood", "Shadow Warrior" and "William Shatner's TekWar" so those familiar with these games would be able to immerse themselves within Duke Nukem 3D immediately.

The content of this game is very geared towards an adult audience but the later retail issues of the game featured a "parental lock" control to censor the excessive violence and partial nudity which this game contains. In my opinion, it is still an enjoyable title against the games of today and is still regularly played by me. It may not appeal to a younger generation exposed to the high detail cinematics of modern video games.

Summary: Recommended