PC minimum system requirements: 486DX/33mhz; 8MB RAM 12MB hard disk space; DOS 5.0; VGA. £5.99
YOU can kick `em, shoot `em, rip `em or simply blow `em to smithereens. It sounds like the enemies in Duke Nukem 3D don't stand much of a chance with that sort of firepower available and there will be even more weapons to add to this arsenals when the full version is released.
This shareware edition allows you to sample six levels off, some of the most enjoyable mayhem you are ever likely to come across and all for just six, quid. And if this is a true sample of what is to come later, the wait will be a long one.
Duke 3D provides, without doubt, a much better feeling off being in a real world than any other 3D shoot-'em-up and the environment is far more interactive than say Doom or Hexen. For instance, in a bar you can shoot bottles off the shelves, check your rugged good looks in a mirror, detonate buildings and in the cinema there is actually a picture showing where, if you so desire, you can rip the screen apart. Included in the full version will be a Shrink Ray and Wall-mounted Lasers but for now we have to be content with the Pipe Bomb. This is a small grenade-like projectile and is activated by remote control. So you can lay traps for the unsuspecting enemy.
As with most games of this sort there is an abundance of power-ups but Duke 3D has some fresh ideas in this department also. For example, scuba diving gear allows Duke to take to the water whenever the need arises and steroids will give him a short rush of energy. But the most innovative of them all has to be the Holoduke, a holographic effigy of Duke, that can be placed in strategic positions to fool the enemy.
As with most gales of this sort there is an abundance of power-ups but Duke 3D has some fresh ideas in this department also. For example, scuba diving gear allows Duke to take to the water whenever the need arises and steroids will give him a short rush of energy. But the most innovative of them all has to be the Holoduke, a holographic effigy of Duke, that can be placed in strategic positions to fool the enemy.
With games like Doom and Hexen out there, it takes a good one to compete on the same level but Duke 3D is actually better in some key areas. What remains to be seen is whether the game engine will allow gameplayers to design their own levels. For multi-player games, via network or modem, this was the sole reason for Doom's lengthy stay at the top. That said, Duke Nikem 3D, in single-player mode is probably the best 3D shoot-'em-up to date.
Graphics: 93%, Sound: 92%, Gameplay: 95%