Games Database
PC
Adventure
| Viewed: | 3D Combination | Genre: | Adventure |
| Media: | CD | Arcade origin: | No |
| Developer: | Sunstorm | Soft. Co.: | Ubisoft |
| Publishers: | Ubisoft
(GB) |
Released: | 14 Jun 2002
(GB) |
| Ratings: | 15+ | ||
| Accessories: | Control Pad | ||
Summary
The gun-wielding, loud-mouthed babe-magnet makes a return to the PC with a new spin on the more recent episodes. Branching off from the First/Third Person styles associated with the Duke’s last couple of outings, Duke Nukem Manhattan Project seems to have returned to it’s retro days, delivering a side-scrolling, platform based shoot-‘em up.
The plot remains faithful to the game’s predecessors, however, as, once again, the world is under threat from hordes of nasty aliens and the power-hungry villain, Mech Morphix, is behind it all. The aliens seem to have opted for kidnapping ‘Babes’ rather than anything else more apocalyptic this time and our hero is the guy put in charge of rescuing them. Based in New York, the action takes place across eight levels, such as rooftops, Chinatown, the underground, and involves running, jumping and climbing one’s way around the city, taking out the bad guys. The classic Duke Nukem enemies the Pig Cops make a welcome return as well as a host of new characters such as Gator-Oids, Fem-Mechs and mutated, uzi-wielding alligators. These can all be disposed of with a heavy arsenal of nine powerful weapons, ranging from Pistol, through Pulse Cannon, to the Pneumatic, Rocket-Propelled Grenade Launcher.
One thing that adds a novel twist to the previous Duke Nukem proceedings is the implementation of the 3D environment. Although the game is a side-scrolling platformer, it actually takes place in three dimensions, with the camera panning and zooming around the action. This adds a welcome cinematic feel to the game, with the camera getting the best shots from what is already a very accomplished game engine. Animation and physics all run very smoothly and there are some impressive smoke and fire effects.
All in all, Duke Nukem Manhattan Project plays well and can be quite addictive. It looks very nice, even on lower spec machines, and the inclusion of the now-expected bad attitude and sarcastic one-liners make it a humorous and entertaining experience.
The plot remains faithful to the game’s predecessors, however, as, once again, the world is under threat from hordes of nasty aliens and the power-hungry villain, Mech Morphix, is behind it all. The aliens seem to have opted for kidnapping ‘Babes’ rather than anything else more apocalyptic this time and our hero is the guy put in charge of rescuing them. Based in New York, the action takes place across eight levels, such as rooftops, Chinatown, the underground, and involves running, jumping and climbing one’s way around the city, taking out the bad guys. The classic Duke Nukem enemies the Pig Cops make a welcome return as well as a host of new characters such as Gator-Oids, Fem-Mechs and mutated, uzi-wielding alligators. These can all be disposed of with a heavy arsenal of nine powerful weapons, ranging from Pistol, through Pulse Cannon, to the Pneumatic, Rocket-Propelled Grenade Launcher.
One thing that adds a novel twist to the previous Duke Nukem proceedings is the implementation of the 3D environment. Although the game is a side-scrolling platformer, it actually takes place in three dimensions, with the camera panning and zooming around the action. This adds a welcome cinematic feel to the game, with the camera getting the best shots from what is already a very accomplished game engine. Animation and physics all run very smoothly and there are some impressive smoke and fire effects.
All in all, Duke Nukem Manhattan Project plays well and can be quite addictive. It looks very nice, even on lower spec machines, and the inclusion of the now-expected bad attitude and sarcastic one-liners make it a humorous and entertaining experience.
