HIGH Fast action. Clever hidden items. Lots of interactivity.

LOW Backtracking. Damage sponge enemies. Crashes and bugs.

WTF Why are the Bowling Bombs so addicting?

I’ll admit it doesn’t take a whole lot for me to enjoy a game.  I’m lenient on lackluster AI, I don’t need the fanciest graphics, and I am satisfied with linear experiences.  The way I see it, sometimes a guy just wants to blow a bunch of stuff up and mow enemies down, ya know? 

My main requests are A) be respectful of my time — as in don’t make me backtrack a ton, or at the very least give me a good reason, and B) PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD LET ME SAVE WHERE AND WHEN I WANT.   

To its credit, Phantom Fury gives me a lot to do, a ton of stuff to play with, and lots of enemies to shoot in the face.  Unfortunately, it steadfastly refuses to follow rules A or B, and after the fifth crash to desktop and an unwillingness to launch afterwards, I finally gave up, even though I’d be quite content to kill a bunch more dudes with bowling ball bombs to see credits rolling. 

After her appearance in 2019’s Ion Fury, protagonist Shelly “Bombshell” Harrison returns to do… something about terrorists? Or something? 

Basically, she’ll save the world from evildoers by emptying clip after clip, turning them into ludicrous gibs of gooey spray in the process.  Shelly’s ancestor was the inventor of tech that powers her bionic arm, and somehow that same tech can be misused to threaten the free world… I guess? I stopped paying attention because despite the fact that there’s a story here, it’s paper thin and serves only to give Shelly license to kill folks, wreck stuff, and spout one-liners of varying quality.  (And to be clear, since I’m here for the action, the lack of solid narrative is completely forgiven.)

Anyone who’s even heard of a first-person shooter knows what to do here.  Players control Shelley as she blasts her way through hordes of baddies, explores her surroundings for better weapons and gear, and solves basic environmental puzzles like finding keys to unlock doors or using computer terminals to shut down bothersome turrets. 

What makes Phantom Fury stand out in an otherwise-crowded market of FPS titles is the level of interactivity and some clever item placement that rewards a bit of poking around the generally linear levels — things like Shelley using an enemy’s stun baton as a portable generator, supplying power to elevators and doors.  Additionally, our hero can pick up crates and stack them to climb up to higher vantage points.  She can rifle through file cabinets, pick up items from desks, and even play arcade games and pinball machines.  These unnecessary (but appreciated!) interactions go a long way towards making Phantom Fury feel like a lived-in world.

Sadly, for every little detail that delighted me, there were many that were tedious — I could open every drawer in an office, but the vast majority were empty.  I could access every terminal, but most of them repeat similar messages, which quickly stopped being funny or clever, and so on.

In terms of loadout, Shelly has the standard pistols and machine guns, but she can also annihilate foes with her metal arm, snipe with a crossbow, and blast away with a foam cannon that does freeze damage… possibly?  I could never tell, but it looked cool and messed enemies up. The most enjoyable of these, though, are the Bowling Bombs — homing bombs which are rolled towards enemies, causing satisfying explosions that will down a swarm of foes in one blast. 

Most weapons can be upgraded or modified to allow secondary characteristics by spending collected currency at specialized stations.  These stations also allow her to also upgrade her arm, and an “ion suit” she acquires later in the story. 

Unfortunately, despite the solid fundamentals I’ve just listed, Phantom Fury ends up as an experience that’s more irritating than entertaining.

Damage-sponge enemies mindlessly rush the player, with an enormous amount of firepower required to bring down even the earliest opponents. Their movements are also too erratic and quick to allow for effective aiming, making what could have been fast, frenetic combat unsatisfying. 

This lethality towards the player leads into my next issue — Phantom Fury relies completely on checkpoints, and contains no manual saving of any kind. This might not have been a problem, but the save points are way, way too far apart. Shelly will get killed — often, even on the easiest difficulty levels — so players can expect to cover the same ground over and over again as they try to make progress. 

This forced retreading of content is accompanied by mission-based backtracking where Shelly has to make her way through places she’s already been to open a door she couldn’t access previously, or similar. For instance, in one infuriating level, I was required to go through five or six rooms to pick up a key to unlock a door back in the first “hub” room, then go upstairs to another area, search all of those rooms for another MacGuffin to allow me to enter another room back on the “hub” floor, and so on. A sequence in an office suite made me do the same, having to go back and forth through rooms I’d already seen more than a few times so I could go through a door back at the beginning. The issue wouldn’t be a dealbreaker on its own, but coupled with the other problems, it’s maddening.

It’s a pity — thanks to fast action, tremendous atmosphere, and some genuinely clever weapons, Phantom Fury could be special, but it winds up as frustrating as it is enjoyable.  At this point it’s a tough one to recommend, but I’m hoping that it can be salvaged with some patching and rebalancing in the coming months.

Rating: 5 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is developed by Slipgate Ironworks and published by 3D Realms. It is currently available on PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the PC. Approximately 13 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was not completed. There are no multiplayer modes.

Parents: At the time of review, this game had not yet been rated by the ESRB.  However, the game is graphically violent. Featuring human enemies frequently torn in half, beheaded, etc., with blood and remnants left on the screen.  Additionally, there is liberal use of intense language, with numerous uses of F— and S— along with other profanity.  It also encourages the use of alcohol (various drinks restore Shelly’s health.  The use of alcohol only serves to make Shelly sway slightly when moving.

Colorblind Modes: Colorblind modes are present.   

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: This game offers subtitles. The subtitles cannot be altered and/or resized. All mission critical dialogue is fully subtitled, but incidental enemy chatter is not.  All gameplay-critical sound cues are represented visually, but sniper shots are not displayed unless they actually damage the player character.  The game therefore is not fully accessible.

Remappable Controls: Yes, this game offers fully remappable controls.

The post Phantom Fury Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

The subject of this installment: the pinball tables available in the recent release Pinball M, developed and published by Zen Studios.

I already reviewed Pinball M as an entire package and highly recommend it. Since then, I have logged nearly twenty more hours, and wanted to highlight a few things about each individual table.

*

Wrath of the Elder Gods — Director’s Cut: Themed around Lovecraftian horror, this is an updated version of the Pinball FX table of the same name — this time with more blood and madness! It features one of the easiest starting skill shots I’ve ever come across, and multiple in-game events make regular lanes and ramps easy pathways to racking up million-point shots. This table comes free when downloading Pinball M and is an excellent place for players to start without any financial commitment.

*

Chucky’s Killer Pinball: Themed around the incredibly long-lived horror franchise Child’s Play, this table is the one that has grown on me the most. The table is well-themed, which I would likely appreciate more if I was a fan of the source material, as it includes references to all the films in the series. I found the sound bites in Chucky’s Killer Pinball to be the least repetitive of the entire bunch, which is a plus since one of my overall complaints in Pinball M was the repetitive dialogue. Also, a couple of the paths were difficult to hit consistently, but others allowed me to amass huge scores while engaged in multi-ball mode. While not my favorite table, this one is by no means a dud.

*

The Thing Pinball: Based on John Carpenter’s classic sci-fi horror film, The Thing quickly became one of my most frequently-played tables. Sound and movie clips make it an excellent homage, though the quotes quickly become repetitive. Activating the in-game events and modes is relatively easy, tasking the player with completing scenes from the film like dealing with the assimilated dog. It also has a unique event where a blizzard hits the table and creates wind that impacts the ball’s movement. I’m not completely sold on this weather mode, but I do appreciate the effort and novelty.

*

Duke Nukem’s Big Shot Pinball: If there was an award for capturing the essence of its source material, this table would win. Based on Duke Nukem 3D, this table mimics the look of the classic FPS to near-perfection. Activating one mode puts players behind Duke’s firearms — flippers are used to turn left and right, while the plunger button shoots the alien invaders. This looks so much like it’s out of the original, it’s uncanny. The Duke one-liners become stale quickly and I can’t hit the opening skill shot to save my life, but the table is still enjoyable.

*

Dead by Daylight Pinball: Out of all the licensed tables, this one I knew the least about. It was also a table I generally shied away from, but over time I’ve come to enjoy it. Based on the videogame of the same name, Dead by Daylight Pinball has players choose one of two paths — the victims or the villain! This alters the in-game modes, as ramps are used to either escape or capture the characters. The ramps on this table are very player friendly, as is completing events, which in turn help accrue massive scores. Overall, an excellent table.

*

System Shock Pinball: Based off the cult-classic videogame, System Shock Pinball is the latest addition to the Pinball M library. Players navigate through various modes to defeat mutants, cyborgs and infamous villain SHODAN. This table has a unique three-level, three-flipper ramp that leads to a video mode. I enjoyed this challenge, but it can become frustrating once the multi-ball mode is unleashed. Despite that frustration, I was a little surprised with how easy it was to complete the Campaign Modes here, but that’s not really a complaint. One other bonus — purchasing this version also unlocks a less gory version in Pinball FX. It’s the exact same table, and I only played the family friendly version once, but it’s nice to see something for “free” in the current age of micro-transactions.

*

As a whole, I highly recommend these tables for anyone who enjoys pinball and doesn’t mind a little horror to go with it. System Shock is the only table sold by itself — the other four can be purchased individually or bundled together for a small discount. Pinball M also has trials of each table, so interested players can try before buying.

The post This Is Not A Review: Pinball M Tables appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH New challenge modes.

LOW Repetitive sound bites.

WTF Pinball blood trails.

Learning Pinball M was from the crew at Zen Studios, some of the best in the biz at creating quality digital pinball, I wondered why they would release a second, simultaneous title beside Pinball FX. Now that I’ve played this horror-influenced offshoot, it’s clear why Zen Studios would want something separate from their more family-friendly options. Thankfully, the same top-notch pinball experience gamers have come to expect is still more than present in Pinball M.

Pinball M has the same high-quality presentation and controls as its FX sibling. Flippers and plungers react with precision, and the ball physics remain lifelike. Players can adjust the viewing angle of the playfield and classic challenges like Time and 1 Ball, all make a return. Players who have enjoyed Zen Studios’ pinball offerings in the past will feel right at home.

Pinball M also contains a few upgrades that surpass last year’s mainline release, apparent in two areas — visuals and challenges. I was underwhelmed with the slightly bland presentation and in-game trophies that could be earned in Pinball FX, but Pinball M improves upon these by making each table its own corner, separate from the others.

By completing the newly-added Campaign mode, players can earn visual upgrades to each of these corners — basically, props from each of the source materials. There are seven per table, but each of the seven has three different versions based on high scores earned. While this doesn’t impact gameplay in Pinball M, it is a great way to brag about high scores since players can post their corner, complete with unlockable props, as part of user-created tournaments.

The same Campaign mode utilizes the new Pinball M challenges. One tasks players with reaching a pre-determined score in the shortest amount of time possible. Another is the Madness challenge — basically five-minutes of multi-ball to rack up huge scores. My favorite new mode is probably Shiver, where gamers have a nearly pitch-black playfield with only the steel ball and a few of the table lights to guide them. These new challenges (with or without their slight horror twist) would be fantastic additions to any digital pinball title.

As for the tables themselves, Pinball M includes originals based on a variety of properties. The core game itself is a free download and comes with a single table, Wrath of the Elder Gods. This is an updated version of the same table from Pinball FX. This time, the playfield is a little darker and a lot bloodier. This is a solid table and a great place to start without a financial commitment.

There are four other tables currently offered in Pinball M. These are based on movies (The Thing, Child’s Play) and videogames (Duke Nukem, Dead by Daylight). Zen Studios did an excellent job capturing the style and atmosphere of each, whether it was by using video clips from the movies or graphics that appear to be ripped directly from the source, the atmosphere here is top notch.

Each table plays well too, but I found my enjoyment of each to be more tied to how interested I was in the property — Duke and Thing definitely received more playtime than the other two. Thankfully, each table can be purchased separately or in a bundle, and there’s are even demos that players can test before sinking some money in. No new tables have been announced yet, but hopefully Pinball M receives expansions for the foreseeable future.

Ultimately, Pinball M is another solid outing from Zen Studios. Their typically-excellent pinball physics complement well-designed, original tables based on icons of film and videogames. For those who aren’t fans of the source material, the excellent new modes alone make it a worthy addition for any pinball fan.

Score: 7.5 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is developed by and published by Zen Studios. It is currently available on XBO, XBX/S, PS4, PS5, Switch, and PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the XBS. Approximately 6 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, unlocking many, but not all, of the in-game visual upgrades. Zero hours of play were spent in multiplayer modes.

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated M and contains Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Violence. No official description is available, but the descriptors are accurate. Tables contain plenty of blood and four-letter language directly from the sources, often repeated regularly. Nothing was too over the top, but this game is not for youngsters. Parents not comfortable with their kids playing the games or watching the movies the different tables are based on, will want to steer clear of this pinball game.

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: This game does not offer subtitles. Menu text size cannot be changed. In game commands like, “shoot the left ramp,” are accompanied by flashing lights or icons on the pinball table. However, I did come across one game mode where a sound cue did not have a visual accompaniment. On the Duke Nukem table, one video mode requires players to shoot alien enemies — they make a sound when they pop up and aren’t always on screen. As such, this game is not fully accessible.

Remappable Controls: Certain functions are remappable. The face button actions can all be switched, but the flipper actions can only be mapped to the trigger buttons.

The post Pinball M Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH Looks great still and the combat holds up well.

LOW The $60 price tag is a bit steep

WTF …Duke Nukem?

Bulletstorm is one of those games that I think about randomly. It just pops into my head every few months or so, and when that happens, I usually want to play it. However, I no longer own a 360 or have a PC that can run its terrible Games For Windows Live port, so in the past I would just move on and think of something else. But now? Bulletstorm has been remastered for PS4, Xbox One and PC.

This new version is just a standard touch-up of the original — better-looking textures, an improved framerate and higher resolution — all the usual things a modern remaster has. So, for anyone who remembers loving Bulletstorm, this is a better version of that same thing. For those who hated Bulletstorm, this is also a better version of that same thing.

(For context, here’s the original GameCritics review.)

While this might look like a title focused on dick jokes, what lies beneath the surface of this crudeness is a well-told, engaging storyline that sadly ends on a cliffhanger. Bulletstorm stars Grayson Hunt, a former elite soldier who was tricked by his commanding officer into killing innocent people. He and his squad vow revenge on this General, and the start of the game, Hunt destroys the General’s ship and everyone crashes onto a deadly planet below.

What I love about the story of Bulletstorm is that for as crass and gross as the characters talk, I got the feeling that they really cared about each other… Or really hated each other. The voice acting is fantastic, and the pacing in conversations feels more natural than that of most games. There’s also a lot of worldbuilding in Bulletstorm. In the six-to-eight hour campaign, players will learn a ton about their universe.

Visually, Bulletstorm has aged fairly well. Things look great, and apart from some occasional framerate drops, it usually runs at a smooth 60fps. The vibrant colors pop even more on a new platform, and the art style shines in higher resolution. The sounds and music don’t feel like they got as much love during the remastering process, but it’s fine. Unfortunately, while it sports a shiny new coat, where Bulletstorm has aged the most is in the gameplay and mechanics.

Showing its roots, the game feels like it fell right out of the era when every new title was filled with quicktime events. It’s lousy with them. Every five or ten minutes, players are forced to do another QTE, and Bulletstorm even judges and rewards players based on how quick they react to them. Climbing across a chasm? QTE. Fighting a boss? QTE. Turning on a machine? QTE. I’m not against quick time events, but the devs go overboard with them, and in 2017 this particular design choice stands out in the wrong way.

The combat and movement also creak, and the lack of mobility feels off. Yes, players can slide across floors whenever they want, but there’s no mantling, jumping, wall running, or anything else. It can make the firefights feel a bit simple after years of shooters becoming lighter on their feet.

That said, while Bulletstorm’s combat might seem a bit simple compared to modern shooters, it’s far from boring. The gunplay is all about getting “skill shots”, which are different ways to kill enemies. For example, some basic skill shots include headshots or shooting enemies in the air. More complex skillshots reward players for setting up cool moments like using a hotdog-shaped car as a bomb that flings enemies into nearby spikes. Players can link these together to create massive, satisfying combos, and each of these skillshots has a name and point value. Earning points allows players to unlock weapons and upgrade them.

Speaking of which, the firearms here are amazing — from standard shotguns and assault rifles, to more bizarre and outlandish weapons like a sniper rifle that shoots remote-control bullets, or a gun that shoots giant drill bits that pins enemies to walls… or tunnels through them. All weapons have secondary firing modes, and each is better in certain situations — trying to decide which guns to bring was like deciding which of my children I loved more.

Finally, this remaster also offers players the chance to be Duke Nukem. I was not provided a code for this and didn’t want to spend $5 on the opportunity to play as a washed-up relic of the ’90s, But Duke is playable through the entire game, and even has new voice work done by the original Duke voice actor, John St. John.

While this review of Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition has been largely positive, I have to say that the biggest problem I have with it is the price — $60 for a remastered game is a bit steep, especially when it’s fairly bare-bones in terms of content. Also, considering that the original release didn’t sell well, it seems like a bad idea to charge that much. The steep price of entry will likely keep curious players away when the correct thing to do is entice them in with the best possible version for a great deal. It’s certainly a fantastic shooter, but I’d recommend waiting to catch it on sale. Rating: 8 out of 10

— Zack Zwiezen

Disclosures: This game is developed by People Can Fly and published by Gearbox. It is currently available on PS4, Xbox One and Windows PC. This copy of the game was obtained via a code provided by Gearbox and reviewed on the Playstation 4. Approximately 11 hours of play were devoted to the game, and the game was completed. 3 of those hours were spent playing the additional side modes.

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated M for Mature and contains Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language and Use of Alcohol. The game is filled with gore and violence. Enemies can be burned, electrocuted, blown up and more. Characters say nearly every swear word in the book and players can drink alcohol and fight enemies drunk.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: Subtitles are provided to the player by default. Sound can be important in determining where some collectibles are located, and no visual cues are provided for these onscreen.

Remappable Controls: No, this game’s controls are not remappable. Players must choose from a list of control schemes.

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available in the options.

The post Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH: Even better than the original.

LOW: Finicky aiming system, plus nonexistent multiplayer.

WTF: Duke in Amsterdam coffee shops.

I may very well be the best and worst person to review the re-release of perhaps my favorite videogame of all time — Duke Nukem 3D: 20^th Anniversary World Tour.

Why the love? 3D Realms’ original Duke Nukem 3D was everything that today’s gaming can’t be. It was unabashedly offensive and gory, it earned a Mature rating that wasn’t higher only due to pixilation, and it sports a frustrating difficulty that — even on lower settings — is apt to make one scream. It was rude, vulgar, and bold, and I loved every minute of it.

For those new to Duke, let’s just say that he likes the ladies — especially the ones who appreciate tips. He also takes pride in cutting aliens’ heads off, kicking things apart, and interacting with items in public restrooms.

Play-wise, Duke Nukem 3D was gaming excellence. Its four-episode level design — while seemingly simplistic — was anything but. Around every corner lurked guaranteed death thanks to enemies that attacked in swarms with firepower poor Duke could never match, and he respawned time and time again in a title that I desperately wanted to put down, but simply couldn’t. Due to this irresistibility, Duke’s original 3D Realms level designers (Allen Blum III and Richard “Levelord®” Gray) retain my highest regards two decades later.

Given my unabashed affection for the original, I can only see that this reissue is an early birthday present to me from Gearbox.

In this 20^th Anniversary World Tour Edition, the biggest changes are a whole new (selectable) lighting system and an entirely new episode. Technically, the look, feel, menus, and the smallest aspects of the presentation are all beautiful and beautifully authentic. An expanded HUD system also makes aimlessly wandering for access cards a lot less frustrating.

As for the new content, it’s amazing. The original development team was willing to construct eight new stages, and backed them with sporadic commentary to explain design choices. Lee Jackson, Duke’s original composer penned new music. The icing on the cake is Jon St. John returning to voice Duke, now remastered. Hail to the King, baby never sounded so gooooood.

So the new content has cred, but how does it play? Duke’s adventures are both wacky and retro awesome, and mesh seamlessly with the original episodes. It’s hard not to appreciate the subtle nuances of the Moscow supermarket, the ridiculous signs in Paris, a peculiar series of submarines in San Francisco, and Duke’s newfound obsession with Amsterdam coffee bars. While not all of the new stages are perfect, the commentary is a must listen.

Another notable aspect of Duke Nukem 3D is the ability to jump between stages, regardless of episode. This encourages exploration and alleviates any potential frustration. Fed up with a certain stage? Go on to the next one, or one in another episode entirely. I wish more games would possess this feature.

While so much of this new Duke is win, I do have some criticisms. The first is that the aiming is finicky, although the game is generous with hitboxes. Related, the weapon changing via a shoulder button takes far too long to execute, leaving Duke desperately kicking to defend himself while he slowly switches guns.

Also, I would be remiss in not re-referencing the potentially offensive content. LAPD cops are literally pigs, and the infamous OJ Simpson Bronco chase is prominently featured on a television screen. Duke loves strip clubs, and doesn’t shy away from marijuana. While intended as social commentary, Duke Nukem 3D can and will offend the unprepared — heads up before purchasing this title.

Finally, multiplayer mode is present, but it’s pretty dead. There’s either no one on the servers, or the servers don’t actually exist. A shame, as multiplayer Duke in the past was a great time. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for the multiplayer to take off, so come to it for the solo content.

All in all, Duke Nukem 3D: 20^th Anniversary World Tour is the perfect homage to the original by capturing the essence of the classic while adding new visuals, audio and levels. Moreover, its humorous social commentary remains a welcome presence in a current scene that is sorely lacking it. Rating: 9 out of 10

Disclosures: This title was developed and is distributed by Gearbox Software. It is currently available on PS4, Xbox One, and Steam. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on PS4. Approximately 8 hours of play were devoted to the single player mode and it was completed. No multiplayer matches were able to be found at the time of review.

Parents: Duke Nukem 3D: 20^th Anniversary World Tour is rated Mature by the ESRB and contains Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs, and Violence. It is not recommended for children. I mean it!

Controls: Aiming inversion and sensitivity adjustment is possible, but there are little-to-no custom controller mapping options available on PS4.

Colorblind modes: No colorblind assistance or modes are available.

The post Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

Source: Ripten

The post Video: Fan-made Duke Nukem movie hails to the king appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

In his Wired article, Earnest Cavalli doesn't mince words. He starts off by saying "It's time to put Duke Nukem out of his misery." You can't be more direct than that and after starting a story in that way, you're not allowed to sugarcoat the rest of it. And Cavalli doesn't.

But he is correct. Though still popular–our Duke Nukem Never post proved a popular one–Duke was a character that time may have just passed by. Few gamers today can relate to Duke Nukem, a caricature of 1980s action heroes.

But I did say the article our popular and going by the comment section of the Wired article, there are some Duke Nukem fans who can't let it go. Some swear that a "cigar-chomping, catchphrase-spouting one-man army" could be relevant in today's gaming landscape, unfortunately, their best argument seems to be that they remember Duke Nukem or remember playing as him. Not many people today can even say that or would like to play as him again.

While on the subject of Duke, Take-Two Interactive is now suing Apogee Software and it wants the Duke Nukem Forever source to be preserved. Take-Two probably realizes it isn't getting that $12 million back so it's asking for rights to the source code as a back-up. What it could do with that code is debatable. Maybe it is just out of spite, or maybe there is a slim chance Take-Two would release it under the Duke Nukem name.

Source: Wired.com

The post Sad end to Duke Numem fiasco… or is it? appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

Now, graphically, it looks like it stands up. I love seeing Duke's legs, arms and hands when he climbs, runs or falls. Lots of shiny sweat on said arms and legs. It looks like they were incorporating all of the visual bells and whistles. And (most of) the enemies look nice, but it's the AI that doesn't seem at all smart. What definitely don't stand up are the one-liners. I don't know if they were added for this demo or what, but they sound canned. Imagine that, the bread and butter of the Duke Nukem franchise just sound out of place and antiquated.

Again, this is a demo and isn't necessarily indicative of the entire game–but having nothing else to compare it to–we have to look at this brief look and come away a little disappointed. Ah, well.

The post Video: Duke Nukem Forever gameplay footage appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

Over one decade after announcing Duke Nukem Forever, 3D Realms has to close its doors taking the industry's most famous piece of vaporware with it.

In a prepared statement, Take-Two VP of communications Alan Lewis said:

"We can confirm that our relationship with 3D Realms for Duke Nukem Forever was a publishing arrangement, which did not include ongoing funds for development of the title. In addition, Take-Two continues to retain the publishing rights to Duke Nukem Forever."

A representative for Deep Silver and Apogee Software said they "are not affected by the situation at 3D Realms. Development on the Duke Nukem Trilogy is continuing as planned."

Duke Nukem Forever was not the only project that 3D Realms had worked on, but it was probably the one that the developer was most known for.

Given these tough economic times, the performance of titles like Prey and ongoing development costs, 3D Realms finally had to lay off its entire staff.

This means a lot more people are out of work and a potentially descent title won't see the light of day. Unfortunately, as the news headline implies–I couldn't help myself, sorry–the big story will be that Duke Nukem Forever never materialized and how it probably lead to the downfall of 3D Realms.

The news of its closing leaves me unsure what to think. I myself no longer care about Duke Nukem and a generation of gamers has grown up never knowing playing a Duke Nukem game–some only know him as the butt of many post-E3 jokes. We can only hope that more light is shed on this situation with some sort of positive coming out of all of this.

For those people who can barely remember what Duke Nukem Forever looked like, below is the last bit of footage that we were ever treated to.

The post Duke Nukem Never? appeared first on Gamecritics.com.