Scans from an upcoming issue of the Official Xbox Magazine have spilled the beans in regards to what we'll see from the multiplayer portion of Duke Nukem Forever. Although the list of details stem from the Xbox 360 version, most of the features are likely to be found in the PC version as well although we expect to see more than just eight players max in any given match.
According to the article, multiplayer will include Dukematch (deathmatch), Team Dukematch (team deathmatch), Capture the Babe (capture the flag) and Hail to the King (King of the Hill). While the others appear to be standard modes, Capture the Babe offers a unique twist on the classic capture the flag, requiring gamers to steal the "babe" from the other team. Sometimes she doesn't go quietly, forcing the "carrier" to give her a smack to quiet her down.
The article goes on to state that the multiplayer portion is similar to the one offered in Duke Nukem 3D in that it's basically straight-forward "compared to some of today's more sophisticated multiplayer offerings." The magazine quickly added that the observation was actually a compliment, not criticism, heralding the game for serving "straight-up, old-style carnage."
Sounds tasty.
So far the confirmed weapons include the pistol, shotgun, ripper chaingun, pipebomb, rpg, shrinker, railgun, freezer, devastator and tripbomb. Players can only carry two primary weapons at once in addition to carting around pipebombs and tripbombs.
Outside the weapons set, the jetpack doesn't show up at all in the single-player campaign, but does appear in various multiplayer maps. The Holoduke accessory is a little different than the Duke Nukem 3D version, allowing the player to become cloaked when the Holoduke is activated. Steroids are also a little different, offering faster run speeds and one-hit kill punches.
The article claims that there will be ten multiplayer maps at launch, a mixture of new and remade maps such as an old west town called 'Morning Wood,' one inspired by a Vegas casino, and a remade 'Dukeburger' which sees players running around as miniature Duke Nukems, similar to the "Big Maps" used in the Unreal Tournament series and other FPS multiplayer games.
The biggest change to Duke Nukem's multiplayer format is the inclusion of experience points and the resulting player customization. Players can earn basic points for basic kills, and bonus points by way of achievement kills and funny kills. These points are used to purchase upgrades,
To see the scanned article in its entirety, head here.
