Duke Nukem Forever
By Chad Sapieha,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Adult parody awash in sexism, drugs, and gory killing.
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Duke Nukem Forever
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Based on 16 parent reviews
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Not for kids tons of sex profanity
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What’s It About?
After suffering one of the longest development cycles in the history of video games, DUKE NUKEM FOREVER sees the franchise's notorious protagonist doing pretty much exactly the same thing gamers saw him doing in his last adventure, which arrived back in the mid-nineties. The muscle-bound Duke chomps a cigar and spouts lame and profane double-entendres while wading through hordes of pig-like aliens intent on stealing Earth's women. He engages in gambling and sex-themed side quests, uses drugs and alcohol to enhance his performance, and takes pleasure in executing his alien enemies with his bare hands. If inclined, players can take the action beyond the campaign into a small collection of fairly standard multiplayer games for between two and eight players, one of which sees Duke capturing women rather than flags.
Is It Any Good?
Beyond its overtly misogynistic themes -- which should prove intolerable to any man with a daughter or wife -- puerile fascination with drugs and alcohol, and unimaginatively gory combat, Duke Nukem Forever is a by-the-numbers first-person shooter with the production values of a game developed five or six years ago. Dull design makes many levels feel like simple gladiatorial shoot-outs, and an utter lack of visual panache means players never get lost in fantastic spectacle -- something which most modern FPS fans are clearly hoping to do.
Its play mechanics are fairly solid (save the somewhat wonky RC car driving controls), and weapons feel satisfyingly powerful, but the same can be said about the vast majority of games in the extremely crowded shooter market. Duke Nukem Forever does stand apart from the crowd, just not in any way as to justify pride.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the way women are depicted in media. Compare their roles in popular books, movies, and films to those of their male counterparts. Do you notice any trends? Why are women characters so often objectified?
Families can also discuss drug use in games. What do you think of protagonists who consume drugs, tobacco, and alcohol? Are these habits character flaws? Do they somehow suggest that he or she has a more robust constitution that is to be admired?
Game Details
- Platforms: PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360
- Available online?: Not available online
- Publisher: 2K Games
- Release date: June 14, 2011
- Genre: First-Person Shooter
- ESRB rating: M for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Last updated: August 29, 2016
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