The NRA posterboy finally returns to the PC - with sexy results!
Not everyone knows that the original Duke Nukem was a platform game on the PC - my first introduction to the flat-topped gunman was with Duke Nukem 3D, to this day one of my favourite FPS. While the the aptly named Duke Nukem (in development hell) Forever continues to delight E3 goers year after year without actually appearing on store shelves, ARUSH Entertainment has taken it upon themselves to deliver a Duke Nukem game based on his original platform roots - and true to its namesake, it's a kick ass return indeed.
In Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project, evil has once again invaded New York. Mutants and monsters, at the behest of the evil Mech Morphix, have planted bombs on babes throughout the city, forcing Duke to do the right thing and get "hands-on" with the situation. Jumping, climbing, and always shooting the hell out of everything that looks slightly askance at him, Duke Nukem is platform gaming taken to the nth degree.
Manhattan Project is a great looking game. Explosions are suitably big and brash, the pig cops look even better than the last time we tangled, and the big-boobed babes have nicely rendered, uh, big boobs. The PC hasn't seen a 3D platform shooter that looks this good until now. Duke's trademark wit is also front and center, with numerous funny quips and smart-ass remarks flying around like so many empty shell casings. You want weapons? We've got pulse cannons, guns, the beloved pipe bombs...if you can't find a weapon in Duke Nukem: MP that suits you, you need to go play something else.
The gameplay starts out riotously, but falters a bit in later levels. It's not that the game design itself is bad, but the missions tend towards delivering more of the same, as opposed to mixing up the gaming styles regularly to battle monotony. Platform shooting is fine, but the mechanics of the genre have moved on since platformers were all the rage in the early 1990s, and Duke Nukem: MP doesn't really reflect that. The AI of the baddies is rather anemic, and it's all too easy to draw them out. While I'm not asking for Ghost Recon-style AI, it still would be nice to see your opponents work more as a team, as opposed to just throwing baddies at you. Boss battles are an exception to this, though, and are very satisfying when beaten. Just like a good platformer should be.
Occasional monotony aside, however, Duke Nukem: MP is still a very fun game while it lasts - and the price absolutely cannot be beat. Running around $24.99 USD, it's a budget price with big-budget gameplay behind it, and ARUSH Entertainment should be congratulated for making such a enjoyable experience so affordable. Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project is a game every shooter fan should check out, and stands up well on its own merits. It may not be Duke Nukem Forever, but Manhattan Project is definitely worthy of the Duke Nukem name.
