To start this off, it is a very common misconception that the currently released version of this game is 12-14 years old. The current build is somewhere in the area of 3-4 years at most. Everything in the time before is development starting over from scratch.
Anyhoooo...
I'm not used to making reviews, but after seeing a completely unfair and misinformed 1-star review on here, I knew I had to give it a shot and voice what I've seen. I'll do my best without giving much away!
Graphics/animations:
Now, I've heard some graphics fanatics complain about DNF's look. Of course, this game isn't Crysis, but by NO means does it look bad. Quite the opposite. And in fact, the level of detail in some areas may surprise you.
Also, the animations are really fantastic, especially during takedowns (punching alien overlords in the groin never gets old). And that's just the start.
Mechanics:
There have been some changes to the old Duke formula. Such as the replacement of a weapon wheel with a 2-weapon limit, and a regular melee attack instead of a mighty boot.
The weapon part had me kinda worried, but I assure whoever reads this, that after playing the game with this feature, I can't imagine it any other way. It fits well.
As for the mighty boot, it would be fun to have, but when you think about it, the animation would look kinda silly (running on one foot with another in the air?).
Story:
The basic premise here is that, the aliens from Duke 3D have returned, and they're here to kidnap our chicks (and turn our male population into a particular farm animal). I don't think I can go into more detail without spoiling anything but I will say this. Duke is back, and bigger than ever.
Jon St. John returns as the voice of Duke and you'll probably spend most of the time when you're playing the game trying to gasp for air from laughing so hard.
Gameplay:
The gameplay of DNF is probably the highlight. Throughout the game you'll have craploads of weapons to play around with, and even more enemies to fustigate. Playing around with the shrink ray is justloads of fun in itself.
The areas in the game are just fantastic. From western themed levels to entire casinos. Then there's always the possibility of getting shrinked. Giving you a completely different perspective of your surroundinds and enemies. Not to mention the adorable R/C car you get to drive around in!
Also, the thing that made Duke 3D unique is returning - MASSIVE interactivity. The list of everything you can interact with is so large that it would probably be easier to list everything it doesn't have. I literally spent at least 30 minutes at a pool table myself.
All that I've listed is just what I've collected from the singleplayer campaign, which is pretty damn long.
As for the multiplayer, I haven't gotten a chance to fully test it since the game is still rather fresh and there's hardly anyone to play against. But from my understanding, it offers just as much of wacky fun as the singleplayer. Personally, I can't wait to turn the shrink ray on someone I know and stomp his tiny ass.
Bottomline is, the game is good. It doesn't reflect 12-14 years of development as many have been expecting but what it does is give you an authentic Duke Nukem experience, one we've been lacking for years.
If you want to roll around in your chair laughing...get it.
If you like blowing the heads off of aliens...get it.
If you're looking for a game to keep you occupied for hours and hours...get it.
If you're a cynical jerk with no sense of humour...don't get it.