Duke Nukem 3D: World Tour - 20th Anniversary Edition
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Critic Reviews for Duke Nukem 3D: World Tour - 20th Anniversary Edition
The Duke is back in a somewhat new (but very familiar) 20th-anniversary world tour.
I got swept up in Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary Edition World Tour, and although I had initially planned on just checking out the new chapter, I ended up beating the entire game over again. There's a reason that these classic games like Shadow Warrior and Rise of the Triad still hold up, and it's mostly due to strong level design that very few developers are striving for. If you like a side of getting lost in mazes with your shooter main course, Duke is ready and waiting.
Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour is a polished trip down memory lane of one gaming's most impactful creations. It's true to the spirit of the original while also layering in a few goodies to improve quality of life. It can be rather emotionless at times due to its age, but it serves its purpose well. Welcome back, Duke.
While not without some issues, Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour is absolutely a worthwhile release of an absolute classic.
Apart from the new levels and Duke’s great sense of humour, this anniversary edition doesn’t do enough to drag you away from the wealth of current FPS titles.
Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary Edition World Tour is a fantastic remaster of a true FPS classic. Doing exactly what a good remaster should, this re-release improves in many areas that needed it, while leaving in others; warts and all. The new graphics, sound, commentary, and other features are all cherries on top of what is easily the definitive version of this seminal title.
A masterpiece to this day, Duke Nukem 3D is done proud by this Switch conversion. It looks and runs briliantly, the online options are a welcome inclusion and it's not compromised in any way from its earlier console release. It's a shame that a handful of previously-available expansion packs are missing, but given the low price of World Tour Edition, it feels churlish to complain. In the words of the Duke himself, come get some.
Sadly, even Duke’s attitude can’t save the majority of the game, which is the same Duke Nukem 3D that released 20 years ago, from being a labyrinth of key card doors with instances of fun shootouts. Jumping from platform to platform while shooting an RPG at groups of enemies is fun, but the frustration of running into a locked door and realizing a missed a panel in some room earlier is a hindrance that occurs too often. Remastered graphics helps perspective, though doesn’t do much more than that. Developer commentary is sparse and mostly skippable, while a multiplayer mode was given prominent space despite there being nothing to do beyond bot matches. Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour is a good romp for those who have never picked up one of the previous eleven ports, but doesn’t offer anything substantial for everyone else.
