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| Reviewer | Platform | Publisher | Developer | Players | Screenshots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown | PC | Ubi Soft | ARUSH Games/3DRealms | 1 | Here |
| Requirements | Buy from Amazon.co.uk | ||||
| At the time of writing, we did not have a requirements section. | Click here to buy Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project. | ||||
The big shot in shoot-em-ups, the Duke himself, is back in a new game from 3D Realms and ARUSH Games. The game, unlike Duke Nukem 3D and upcoming (but nobody knows when it will be released) Duke Nukem Forever, is not a first person shooter, but instead draws back to Mr Nukem's roots in the form of a platforming game.
Like a classic platformer, the gameplay is 2D, offering forward, back, up, and down control options (which can be confusing at first to the modern 3D gamer), but the game's visuals are 3D, using ARUSH's own fully rendered engine. The engine offers some pretty good graphics, especially for this simple action title, with some impressive explosions, smoke and weapon fire. The overall game has a very slick look, although for such a limited field of view for the player, I would have thought that a higher level of detail could be quite easily achieved (however, when using a cheat that allows you to look the 3D world, you can see that the whole level is loaded into memory from the beginning).
The 2D gameplay in a 3D world reminds me of Pandemonium on the original PlayStation and PC back in 1996, and like that game, there are points whether you can defy the constraints of 2D gameplay slightly, by working "into" the background (into other sections) or around corners. Yes, you can work around corners, which can be a tad confusing, but shows what the 3D engine that a 2D one couldn't. The classic gameplay, although limited in comparison to the more complicated likes of Deus Ex and Soldier of Fortune 2, is fun and enjoyable, and fighting the bosses is as enjoyable as the best platforms on the SNES, and almost as good as the excellent 2D PlayStation game, Metal Slug X (which is reviewed in the allaboutgames.co.uk Others section).
Unsurprisingly, Duke's classic witty comments are present, and are mildly funny (although I personally preferred Duke3D's). Other sounds in the game include the excellent noises of the weapons, and some pretty good background music.
The game will not too long for the more experienced games, but it's fun for all the time it lasts. For the more adventurous types, a level editor is included on the discs, and hopefully some levels will be released on the Internet soon.
| Graphics | Slick and colourful, although a higher level of detail could possibly have been achieved | 8/10 |
|---|---|---|
| Gameplay | Fun 2D-stlye play in a 3D world. Confusing, but works well. | 8/10 |
| Value | At the time of writing, we did not have a value for money ranking. | 0/10 |
| Lifespan | Not the longest lasting game, but enough to keep you entertained for a few hours. Plus the level editor, of course. | 7/10 |
| Audio | Good music and sounds complete the Duke experienced. | 8/10 |
| Overall | It's as good as classic Duke, and will keep you interested until Duke Nukem Forever. | 8/10 |
Click here to buy Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project from Amazon.co.uk.
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