Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour

80%
Game Brain Score Based on 5,036 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • music
Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour Game Cover
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Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour is a classic first-person shooter game with enhanced visuals and audio. It includes new levels, celebrity voiceovers, and a newly recorded commentary track from the original game's development team. Players once again assume the role of Duke Nukem, a cigar-chomping, one-liner-spouting action hero, as he battles alien invaders and saves the world.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

80%
Audience ScoreBased on 5,036 reviews
graphics114 positive mentions
stability74 negative mentions
  • graphics536 mentions

    The graphics in "Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour" feature a mix of nostalgia and modern enhancements, utilizing the original 1996 source code while introducing remastered visuals and a new rendering engine that adds depth and lighting effects. However, many players note that the graphics can feel dated, with some areas being too dark and the overall aesthetic not significantly improved compared to previous versions. The ability to toggle between classic and enhanced graphics is appreciated, but technical issues like mouse lag and limited graphical options detract from the experience for some users.

    • “The improved visuals, on the other hand, are handled with great sensibility, with the game looking better than ever without infringing on the original aesthetics.”
    • “The graphics still look really good, especially with the 3D rendering in this remaster.”
    • “The graphics have been improved over the original game and the big selling point is you get a new episode to play.”
    • “Why do people rate this game as good even though it's just not playable because these graphics make me dizzy.”
    • “The graphics have been remastered in a way that at times feels more ugly than the original.”
    • “Graphics are the same as 20 years ago... you would think they would update graphics... don't waste your money.”
  • gameplay290 mentions

    The gameplay of "Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour" is characterized by classic first-person shooter mechanics, blending exploration, puzzle-solving, and fast-paced combat, which many players find nostalgic and engaging. While the core gameplay remains intact and enjoyable, some users note issues such as disconnections in multiplayer, a lack of tutorial for certain mechanics, and the absence of additional content compared to previous editions. Overall, the game is praised for its level design, humor, and the introduction of a rewind mechanic that enhances the experience, though some feel it doesn't fully capture the essence of the original.

    • “The gameplay remains as fun and addictive as ever, offering a diverse range of levels and challenging enemies to overcome.”
    • “Core gameplay remains as entertaining as it was decades ago - the level design, diverse weapons, and straightforward yet challenging combat provide a genuine throwback to the era of classic first-person shooters.”
    • “Overall, Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour is a standout title that pays homage to the original while providing an enhanced and enjoyable gameplay experience.”
    • “Yes, it is an authentic experience since it bugged in DOS too; however, in this version, you get 5 minutes of gameplay with friends and then you or someone gets disconnected.”
    • “Half of the controls/gameplay mechanics like jetpack, map, holo-duke, steroids, and night vision aren't told to you unless you go through the settings to figure it out. I get it's early game, but shouldn't a game introduce you to gameplay mechanics on the go?”
    • “Gameplay is off and it just doesn't feel right.”
  • music266 mentions

    The music in Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary Edition has received mixed reviews, with many praising the catchy and nostalgic soundtrack composed by Lee Jackson, which enhances the gameplay experience. However, some players expressed disappointment over the lack of an option to switch to the original MIDI tracks, feeling that the remastered music does not fully capture the charm of the classic sound. Overall, while the new compositions are appreciated, there are calls for more variety and higher quality in the audio presentation.

    • “The soundtrack is catchy and adds to the excitement of the game, and the sound effects are well-done and add to the immersion.”
    • “Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary Edition is a perfect remaster of a true FPS classic. This re-release improves in many areas that needed it: the new 3D rendering, sound effects, and music, designer commentary, and other features like new Duke talk are all just added bonuses on top of what is easily the greatest possible version of this already historical game.”
    • “The new music tracks for the levels are really good and composed by Lee Jackson, the main composer of the original game.”
    • “I understand the nostalgic meaning to some folks for getting a new episode by the original cast, but did we really also need to get MIDI music in the 2010s?”
    • “While the music is a passable imitation of what an average-to-good sound card could have done with MIDI files at the time Duke Nukem 3D originally came out, the music could have been made to be far better.”
    • “The game's music is probably the anniversary edition's weakest point.”
  • humor174 mentions

    The humor in Duke Nukem 3D is characterized by its crude, over-the-top style, filled with one-liners, pop culture references, and environmental gags that resonate with fans of retro gaming. While some elements may feel dated or appeal primarily to a younger audience, the game's blend of action and humor remains entertaining and nostalgic for many players. Overall, the humor contributes significantly to the game's charm, making it a memorable experience despite its flaws.

    • “Duke Nukem 3D was groundbreaking back in the day, blending over-the-top action with humor and pop culture references.”
    • “This game has a ton of personality behind it with Duke's one-liners, the massive array of weaponry, and the many easter eggs found throughout the game, most of them poking fun at other games or just silly cultural references.”
    • “It's funny, action-packed, and overall a blast!”
    • “Blatantly copied Doom, has unfunny potty humor that only appeals to 12-year-olds and pseudo-intellectual neckbeards who think they're smart because they listen to Metallica, juxtaposed with unrealistic shooting mechanics that feel flatter than a soda with no fizz.”
  • story148 mentions

    The story of "Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour" is straightforward and largely serves as a backdrop for the gameplay, revolving around Duke's mission to save Earth from an alien invasion while rescuing kidnapped women. While some players appreciate the nostalgic, cheesy humor and pop culture references, many criticize the plot for being simplistic and lacking depth, with minimal narrative progression across its linear episodes. Overall, the game's narrative is often overshadowed by its action-oriented gameplay and iconic one-liners, making it more of a classic shooter experience than a story-driven adventure.

    • “The story itself isn’t too deep, and that works in favor of the game because it sets up a lot of action, exploration, and humor.”
    • “Episode 5 goes to show that the original 'Duke Nukem 3D' is much more than 'a mindless shooter with an action hero.' For me, it is a heroic story about struggling against all odds, where the hero uses his cunning to survive.”
    • “The storyline follows Duke Nukem; an unlikely hero, who should save his world from an invasion of aliens, and does so in a violent and destructive manner.”
    • “The biggest plot hole, or perhaps gameplay discrepancy, is that we’re trying to save the babes who have been kidnapped, but if found they only ask to be killed by you, and if you do as they ask; are punished by having enemies spawn.”
    • “The hit boxes are a little irritating, the story is f***ing stupid being an unnecessary mishmash of pop culture references and some enemies are real pieces of work whittling away at your health in a matter of seconds.”
    • “This lack of flow and lack of story makes it easy to stop playing the game after finishing a level and there is not much incentive to go back, other than to find out what crazy stuff the developers have cooked up for the next level.”
  • stability86 mentions

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and technical issues affecting gameplay, including problems with multiplayer, mouse responsiveness, and various in-game mechanics. Many users recommend avoiding this version due to its instability, although some still find enjoyment in its classic elements and graphics. Overall, the consensus is that the game is plagued by significant stability issues that detract from the experience.

    • “It also runs great on the deck, and looks glorious on this screen size at this resolution on the OLED.”
    • “It's one of the best 90s shooters with a new episode and runs great on modern Windows.”
    • “Runs great and plays just like the original except with better graphics, plus bonus content... all for 4 bucks, sign me up.”
    • “This release is very buggy, which is the main reason I don't recommend getting this version.”
    • “The online matchmaking is buggy as hell.”
    • “Every time I try to boot up the game, it freezes on a black screen and I have to reset my PC.”
  • optimization78 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many users reporting poor performance, frequent frame rate drops, and issues with mouse controls. While some players noted that the new lighting system and rendering options could enhance visuals, they often came at the cost of performance, leading to a frustrating experience. In contrast, a few users found the game to run smoothly on lower-end systems, suggesting that optimization may vary depending on hardware configurations.

    • “It's a flawless port that runs smoothly and looks great, even on the Switch.”
    • “I think the developers who optimized this game put some work in it to make this classic gem run consistently on modern systems.”
    • “No stuttering, no messed up vsync, modern renderer that actually works.”
    • “It's janky, bugs often, the mouselook is terrible and drifts, it's poorly optimized (the new levels sometimes run at >30 fps, keep in mind that this is an almost 30-year-old game) and it doesn't contain the Sunstorm episodes that the other versions had.”
    • “There's random fps drops all the time and it seems like it's poorly optimized.”
    • “The game is not optimized enough - leaving you with laggy input.”
  • monetization58 mentions

    The monetization strategy for the latest Duke Nukem 3D release has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, particularly due to the removal of the superior Megaton Edition from digital stores, forcing players to purchase the new version. Many reviewers feel that the new edition offers insufficient content and quality to justify its price, labeling it a soulless attempt to capitalize on nostalgia without delivering meaningful improvements. Overall, the sentiment is overwhelmingly negative, with calls for players to avoid supporting what is perceived as a greedy move by the developers.

    • “This is a cash grab.”
    • “I think the greatest sin of all is the fact that Gearbox went out of their way to get rid of any possible chance to buy the Megaton Edition on the internet, making this half-assed cash grab version the only legal way to own and play Duke Nukem 3D.”
    • “And just to cement that this was a blatant cash grab, they pulled the Megaton Edition out of digital stores to try to get you to buy this one, meaning if you want Megaton you're out of luck unless you can find someone selling Steam keys.”
  • replayability28 mentions

    The replayability of "Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour" is mixed; while the game features a linear story that limits replay value, it offers various multiplayer modes and secrets that enhance replayability. Players appreciate the potential for different gameplay styles and user-created maps, which can significantly boost replay opportunities. However, some technical issues and the fixed nature of the episodes may detract from the overall experience.

    • “The game lends itself to different ways of gameplay, which boosts its replay value.”
    • “Still, the various multiplayer features (cooperative and player versus player) cause the replay possibilities to be quite impressive, especially compared to many other modern single-player oriented games.”
    • “For starters, Duke Nukem 3D is simply a masterpiece of a game, one of those games similar to Doom, that won't age in the least; there might be some trouble traversing some levels, but these are games ingenious enough to secure their own replayability through the learning curve they also offer to the player.”
    • “Replay value: Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour has limited replay value, as the game is linear and the story is fixed.”
    • “Replayability feature is buggy; it says you're dead even if you're not dead.”
    • “Replay value: average.”
  • atmosphere26 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is characterized by a vibrant, neon-lit, 80s action movie aesthetic that some players find appealing, while others perceive it as overly mature or disrespectful. Enhanced lighting effects contribute positively to the overall ambiance, creating a sense of familiarity with recognizable everyday locations. However, minor design changes have been noted to detract from the original atmosphere, leading to mixed feelings about the game's environmental integrity.

    • “This edition of the game includes extra colored lighting effects across all the maps to give them more atmosphere compared to their 90s counterparts, really nice touch.”
    • “This version has far better atmosphere because of well-done lighting effects.”
    • “During this chapter’s eleven hugely sprawling and atmospherically tense levels, Duke becomes the lone hero in a completely hostile environment, faced with unfamiliar locales and much more directly powerful enemies.”
    • “It has an adult, porny, neon, 80’s action movie atmosphere; this means it may get a little too 'dirty' or mature for some sensibilities.”
    • “- there are little level design changes (such as light switches that were originally off now on by default) that aren't overly important but do destroy the integrity of preserving the original's atmosphere, environmental interaction, and on occasion traps.”
    • “Yeah, there's serious Sam jokes hammed in, and it has an 'around the world in 80 days' kind of atmosphere going on, but I just cannot forgive some of the clearly lazy efforts given by Gearbox in trying to replace Atomic Edition.”
  • grinding16 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspects of the game to be tedious, particularly due to frustrating level design, backtracking for puzzles, and cheap enemy encounters that slow down gameplay. While the single-player experience offers a fast-paced run-and-gun feel reminiscent of the original, many feel that the overall experience is marred by repetitive and boring elements. However, the absence of grindy multiplayer achievements is seen as a positive aspect.

    • “The singleplayer combat feels just like it was back in '96 – movement is fast and fluid, with top-speed run-and-gun feeling so refreshing after the recent industry standards of grindy shoot-and-loot and wall-cover mechanics burdening the player who might rather be using their own ability and shooter intuition to navigate alien-strewn levels instead.”
    • “This game added some new levels, one-liners for Duke to say, and some commentary by the developers at 3D Realms proving this game has aged well with time and with fans. However, the puzzles in this game are extremely tedious and require a lot of backtracking to figure them out, which slows the game down.”
    • “So they are long, boring, and tedious.”
  • emotional6 mentions

    Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, highlighting that the characters and story evoke significant feelings. However, some reviewers criticize the lack of effort in improving gameplay despite the addition of content, suggesting that this undermines the overall emotional experience.

    • “Pixels on the screen gained weight and emotional attachment.”
    • “This game has given me that emotional feeling.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Character development in the game is minimal, with a primary focus on the protagonist, Duke, while the diverse array of enemies and bosses enriches the overall experience.

    • “While the game doesn’t focus much on character development, the variety of enemies and bosses add flavor to Duke’s journey.”
    • “While the game doesn’t focus much on character development, the variety of enemies and bosses add flavor to Duke’s journey.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

4hMedian play time
4hAverage play time
4-4hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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