Game: Duke Nukem Forever
Platform: PC; 360; PS3
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Gearbox Software
Genre: Unapologetically crude, macho, badass 80's shooter
Release Date: 2011
Why You Should Care: It's Duke
Why You Should Worry: Well, they didn't say WHEN in 2011...still a ton of unknowns
Preview by: Toni Schwartz
Over the last two decades, three earth-shattering moments have occurred that human beings never thought they'd experience in their lifetime. The first was the collapse of the Berlin Wall, and the second the election of an African-American as President of the United States. At Penny Arcade Expo 2010, I experienced the third event: the appearance of Duke Nukem Forever.
On an early Saturday morning, Gearbox president Randy Pitchford stood in front of a group of us sleep-deprived, skeptical journalists and was practically glowing. “Do you know what's gonna happen?” he asked. “You're gonna play Duke fucking Nukem Forever!”
It sounded too good to be true, but 15 minutes later I was standing in front of a monitor making Duke pee in a urinal.
Before the hands-on demo, we were treated to a trailer summarizing the Duke Nukem universe in all its glory. A voiceover narrates, “They tore our planet apart, bit by bit. But they made one mistake...they shouldn't have gone after our women.” Cue scenes of a gyrating, topless stripper, followed by a montage featuring images of aliens terrorizing people, blowing up stuff and of course, kidnapping hot babes. An annoyed Duke growls, “Damn it. Why do they always take the hot ones?”