I'm an impatient person as it turns out. Last week I pre-ordered and pre-loaded Duke Nukem Forever on Steam. On Thursday I received a fairly large patch for the game, which is what reminded me that it was in fact released in other territories around the world on that day. I couldn't wait until Tuesday with the knowledge that the final product was out there... I really wanted to actually play the game. So... let's just say I found a way (a fact for which I do not feel at all guilty... I bought my copy, and I'm not returning it).

I'm sure it won't come as a surprise to anyone who has seen the trailers or played the demo that the game is pretty average. It functions as a competent shooter that is saddled with, what feels like, indie studio production values. I'm reminded of this every time that I see a character (or air ship) follow along rigid and angular animation pathways. It's also evident in the slapdash attempts at cinematic presentation, or when they attempt to pad out gameplay with turret sequences that feel straight out of the old Incoming games. Elements like this make the game average... but I don't think it makes it terrible.

The urge for many people I think is to hate this game for even existing. The all encompassing average nature of the game certainly doesn't go very far with people who demand every play experience in their lexicon to be of the most ultimate quality imaginable (a sentiment that I empathize with, and cannot fault a person for). For Duke Nukem Forever the line is very abrupt... it is either a 9/10, or it's shit.

My own time with the game so far (I haven't completed it yet) has been entertaining. It's not a great game, but I'm still having a good time with it. The only real exception for me is the existence of a strip club level that takes that one small section of The Red Light District level in Duke 3D, and blows it out of proportion to the extent where it feels uncomfortable. There is a gameplay reason for it to exist as it is an area full of ego boosts, but in my mind they would have been better served putting more of those into *actual* levels.

When the game actually gets into the action... I'm having a good time. It's punching all the old buttons of early action games that I still enjoy in the same manner as I still enjoy top down shooting games. They're attempting to throw a lot of different types of action into their level chunks, and in some cases it feels really neat to have levels that are designed around being both small and large. Some basic vehicle sequences and those turret sequences, and you have a decently proportioned game.

If there is one thing I have a problem with... is that the action doesn't feel as furious as it used to. I remember level kill counts showing me hundreds of kills. In this game, there are large sections of levels where you should be expecting action... and yet there is almost none. It felt very strange to me. I am not at the end of the game yet, but Duke Nukem 3D had you fighting the hordes from the first level. I'm not on the hardest difficulty level... and maybe that adds more enemies instead of just making them hit harder.

Unlike other games in the past like Blacksite: Area 51 or Army of Two, I'm actually having some fun with the game. Maybe you won't feel the same way... but all of the clues are literally in the trailer whether or not this game will be for you or not. Play it or don't play it... just be realistic about what it is you're playing (or not playing). Duke isn't going to set the world on fire this time around... but if he survives this invasion, I will be interested to see what happens next.