Introduction
Today we are going to look at another Duke Nukem game! Duke Nukem Manhattan Project, a departure from the iconic first-person shooter series, this game attempts to bring the legendary Duke Nukem into the 2D realm. In this review, I’ll share my thoughts on the game, exploring various aspects from gameplay to graphics.
What did I think before playing Duke Nukem Manhattan Project?
As a fan of previous Duke Nukem games, my anticipation was high. However, frustration set in as I found myself struggling to muster enthusiasm for this particular installment. Every time I booted it up, I was like, nope. However, here we are, time to check out the fandom page!
The Fandom Page
https://dukenukem.fandom.com/wiki/Duke_Nukem:_Manhattan_Project
The decision to go 2D left me skeptical. I couldn’t shake the feeling that the controls would be a source of annoyance, making it difficult to fully embrace the game. I had no other choice but to just, go with it. Even though I had attempted to make this review many times in the past.
Rating
I rated Duke Nukem Manhattan Project with a 5.5 before playing.
I hoped my skepticism was wrong.
Story
The storyline failed to captivate, offering little more than a forgettable backdrop to the mayhem. Duke Nukem’s charm couldn’t salvage the lackluster narrative. Basically, aliens are back, Duke Nukem needs to kill them.
Rating
I rate the story of Duke Nukem Manhattan Project with a 3.2
Why do the aliens keep coming back? Is it the legal weed in the Netherlands?
Gameplay
One of the fundamental problems was the inconsistency in weapon effectiveness. Some weapons dealt an absurd amount of damage, making encounters a breeze, while others felt entirely impotent. This lack of balance disrupted the flow of combat, forcing players to rely on a select few overpowered options, diminishing the excitement of experimenting with the arsenal.
The level design further exacerbated the frustrations. Instead of presenting challenging and engaging environments, Duke Nukem Manhattan Project featured perplexing and nonsensical layouts. These design choices didn’t enhance the gaming experience, instead, they left players, like me, scratching their heads, wondering if the confusion was intentional or simply poor craftsmanship.
The difficulty controls seemed to have a mind of their own, fluctuating between overly challenging and mind numbingly easy without rhyme or reason. This unpredictability made it difficult to gauge the appropriate level of skill required for each section. Coupled with unresponsive controls, the overall gameplay suffered, making it a struggle to execute precise movements and action.
The enemy AI added another layer of frustration. Rather than providing a fair and challenging opposition, enemies often exhibited erratic behavior, making it feel more like luck than skill determined success. This lack of strategic engagement diminished the satisfaction of overcoming adversaries, as victories seemed more a result of chance than tactical prowess.
Additionally, the gameplay featured repetitive and monotonous tasks that failed to engage players. The lack of variety in mission objectives made progression feel like a tedious chore rather than an exciting adventure. This monotony, coupled with the unbalanced difficulty, contributed to a sense of fatigue rather than accomplishment.
Rating
I rated the gameplay of Duke Nukem Manhattan Project with a 2.8
In summary, the gameplay in Duke Nukem Manhattan Project suffered from a combination of unbalanced mechanics, bizarre level design, erratic difficulty controls, frustrating enemy AI, and a lack of engaging objectives. These issues collectively detracted from the overall experience, making it a challenging title to recommend to even the most ardent Duke Nukem enthusiasts.
Sound and Graphics
Graphics
Horrendous is an understatement when describing the graphics. The visual execution seemed outdated and poorly crafted, failing to capture the essence of Duke Nukem’s previous glory.
Sound
The only redeeming factor in the sound department was Duke’s classic one-liners. Beyond that, the audio failed to make a lasting impression, contributing little to the overall experience.
Rating
I rated the sound and graphics of Duke Nukem Manhattan Project with a 3.3
Holy moly, this was fucked up. Pardon my French.
What did I think after playing Duke Nukem Manhattan Project?
The fundamental aspect of aiming, crucial in any shooter, felt imprecise and unreliable. Attempting to target enemies became an exercise in frustration, as the crosshair seemed to have a mind of its own. This lack of precision hindered combat effectiveness and sapped the satisfaction that comes from skillful marksmanship in a shooter.
The advertised double jump, a staple in platformers, proved more of a liability than an asset. Instead of enhancing mobility, the double jump often malfunctioned or failed to register, leading to unnecessary deaths and adding an unwarranted layer of difficulty. This inconsistency in such a basic mechanic added an extra layer of frustration, detracting from the overall enjoyment.
Navigating Duke through the game proved to be an exercise in frustration due to cumbersome and unresponsive controls. Basic movements felt awkward, and executing precise actions became needlessly challenging. Whether it was the sluggish response to button inputs or the lack of fluidity in character movements, the controls actively hindered any attempt to immerse oneself in the gameplay.
Boss battles, typically a highlight in many games, turned into a source of irritation. Instead of presenting challenging yet enjoyable encounters, the bosses in Duke Nukem Manhattan Project felt disproportionately difficult and often devolved into frustrating slogs. The lack of clear patterns or discernible strategies made these battles more about endurance than skill, leaving a bitter taste after each encounter.
Rating
I rated Duke Nukem Manhattan Project with a 2.1 after playing.
In summary, the post-play reflection on Duke Nukem Manhattan Project revealed a host of issues ranging from excessively annoying boss battles to unresponsive controls, malfunctioning double jumps, and imprecise gun aiming. These shortcomings collectively soured the overall experience, transforming what should have been an enjoyable gaming session into a frustrating ordeal. The lack of polish and attention to these critical gameplay elements significantly diminished the game’s potential and left a lasting negative impression.
What are my personal thoughts about The Duke Nukem Manhattan Project?
I’d rather invest my time in another Duke Nukem game, as this game falls short of the standards set by its predecessors. But, I finally managed to review it, yay me!
Rating
My personal Rating of Duke Nukem Manhattan Project is a 2.0
All I want to say is, I dreaded writing this review for a long time.
Last Words
Pros
- Duke's classic one-liners provide some nostalgic amusement.
Cons
- Unbalanced gameplay with erratic damage outputs.
- Baffling and nonsensical level design.
- Inconsistent difficulty controls.
- Lackluster graphics that miss the mark.
- Frustrating boss battles and unresponsive controls.
Duke Nukem Manhattan Project feels like a misguided attempt to bring the iconic character into the 2D space. From unbalanced gameplay to lackluster graphics, the game fails to capture the essence of what made Duke Nukem great. Die-hard fans might find a few moments of nostalgic charm, but overall, this installment is a forgettable entry in the Duke Nukem franchise.
The Final Rating
3.4
Please let me know what you think of Duke Nukem Manhattan Project in the comments!
I hope you enjoyed reading this review, I hope to see you in the next review!
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mediocre game
Duke Nukem 3D’s 1996 release may have brought the series to where it is now, but the heritage of Duke Nukem did start as side scrolling.
I dont remember this game getting bad reviews when it came out. Sure, it was no Duke Nukem 3D, but some people happen to like this style of Duke more than 3D, it was a throwback to the classic DOS sidescrollers.
Yeah, I do like the side scrollers, the first ones were much better, I should review those!
I played this one a loooong time ago 😀
Can’t remember much anymore
Sometimes changing a game this way doesn’t work
They should have stuck to the original formula of Duke Nukem 1 and 2.
i think duke wants to have a word with you
i guess it the worst duke nukem game?
Yeah, probably!
Duke Nukem lite.
First come to my mind series Duke Nukem and Metroid because i know Sven is fan of them 🙂
A fine attempt to bring Duke Nukem back to platformers.
So it’s not a Mario, but it’s a good try.
Kind of surprised to see such a low final rating on a Duke Nukem game, since I know you like them… But yeah, this one was really bad (I don’t like them to begin with so doesn’t change much for me though haha).
The controls are horrible, lol!
Yeah, janky controls are really irritating…
I did not expect you to bash this one so hard – especially since you loved other Duke Nukems. I expected a high rating before playing it and high scores throughout, but it looks like the controls bothered you way too much…
The controls were way too janky!