Apparently hell has frozen over and pigs can now fly, as the long-awaited Duke Nukem Forever has officially shipped for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows PC... overseas, that is. The game isn't due to hit our hardware here in the States until Tuesday (Game Day), June 14.
Unfortunately, reviews stemming from overseas are already mixed at best, leading us to wonder if the long, drawn-out expectations building up over the last 14 years have set the bar too high for the highly-anticipated sequel. Joystiq has given the game two out of five stars, labeling its review as "Fail to the King, Baby." PC Gamer is a bit more favorable, offering a score of 80 out of 100. The Guardian wasn't quite so nice though, rating the game with 2 out of 5 stars.
Joystiq (2/5)
I can really only recommend this as a rental to those of you who, like me, are determined to see this thing through to the bitter end. For everyone else, allow me to borrow Duke's trademark line which he, in turn, borrowed from a fellow 1990s artistic endeavor, Army of Darkness: "Don't come get some."
The Guardian (2/5)
A mark for nostalgia then – it's the Duke, after all – and one for the game. If this was 15 years in the making, it makes you wonder what they did for the other 14 years and 10 months.
AusGamers (5 out of 10)
Alas, what many had hoped would be a glorious trip down memory lane, is a muddled affair that lacks spit and polish across the board. Hail to the king, baby? No. Sadly, it’s more akin to, ‘Fail to the king, baby.’
Videogamer Zone (German) (77/100)
Duke Nukem is a relic of bygone days when action was simple. No one knew who Michael Bay and Jean Claude van Damme was for demanding entertainment. And Forever is like a 80's action film: an outrageous story, half-naked women, flat characters and a coated central character that could hardly be cool.
PC Gamer (80-percent)
Don’t expect a miracle. Duke is still the hero we love, but struggles to keep up with modern times. Crude humor and classic weaponry keep him in the game.
