Duke Nukem Forever: The Doctor Who Cloned Me

Developer: Gearbox Software | Publisher: 2K Games | Release Date: 2011 | Genre: Action / First Person Shooter / DLC | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Steam

Taking place right after the explosive finale of Duke Nukem Forever, The Doctor Who Cloned me is a new single player campaign that once again puts you in the boots of Earths greatest ass kicker. The game opens with Duke finding himself strapped down in Area 51, which has been taken over by his old nemesis, Dr. Proton. With an army of his own clones to deal with as well as murderous androids and of course the alien menace, Duke has his work cut out for him.

Duke Nukem Forever might not have lived up to all expectations but it was an enjoyable enough experience for the most part. If you are one of the people who derived no entertainment from the game then you might as well give this DLC a miss as well. It is simply a new 4-5 hour campaign that continues the adventures of Duke in a few new locations. The action is a bit more intense and progress a bit smoother but it’s still the same engine that got so many people riled up.

Apart from the new Terminator style robots and two brand new bosses, the enemies are pretty much the same. You’ll be facing clone Dukes as well but these are all taken from the multi-player models. There are two new weapons t try out however. The Expander bloats your enemies making them more vulnerable and even popping them with successive hits while the Pregnator is simply those creepy goo shooting aliens being wielded as a weapon. Dylan, the foul mouthed EDF sidekick of the main campaign also makes a comeback but is a bit more useful this time round. For certain sections you can sit back and let the opposing enemies battle each other but as always it’s more fun to go in guns blazing.

The DLC has a bit of a slow start and I was dismayed to see more platform jumping sections. Things pick up once you encounter your clones and these guys also provide some of the most humorous sections in the campaign. The parodies and humor is definitely a bit more up to date than the main campaign was. While it’s mostly shooting there are two new vehicles sections as well but fortunately they do not drag on. Escaping Area 51 in a school bus and racing around on the moon with a buggy is actually fun. There is a RC car section as well for a shrunken Duke to navigate but it’s definitely shall we say, less macho this time round.

The new locations are interesting but a little bit on the drab side. Area 51 has some very “Portal” like test chambers but for the most part has a very grey look. You do make a brief detour at the “Burning Bush” brothel on your way to another secret base and ultimately the moon. The Burning Bush has a lot in common with the strip club level of the main campaign only this time you have to perform tasks like beating up unruly customers and taking care of the rat problem for Dr. Valencia who runs the place. You can also enjoy a new pinball table and Arcade game here. The moon levels look like something straight out of a B-movie and see you racing across the surface in a cool buggy. You can even get out and walk around provided you take breaths at the oxygen vents along the route. This is definitely not a game that takes itself very seriously. The DLC comes with four new multi-player maps as well but sadly these were always deserted during my attempts to try them out.

The audio is pretty much the same as the main campaign although listening to the Duke clones, especially the ones talking in other languages is quite funny. Further in the game Duke has few new quips but you’ll mostly be hearing some foul mouthed remarks from Dylan. I’m not really a fan of this character but some of his uttering’s while in shrunken form was pretty funny.

If you managed to look past the shortcomings of Duke Nukem Forever and enjoy the game then The Doctor Who Cloned Me should provide a few more hours of entertainment. It still falls down flat in a few areas but was engrossing enough for me to complete in one sitting. There are also a few new Steam Achievements thrown in for you to beat. This will likely be the last addition to the game before we can start looking forward to something brand new so enjoy it for what it is.

*Review originally published 2011.