The Space Station Defense

Lore & Background

Twelve years after he saved the Earth from an alien invasion, Duke Nukem has become a celebrity multimillionaire. After playing a game based on Duke Nukem 3D, he arrives on the set of a talk show for an interview. On his way to the show, Duke witnesses a news broadcast announcing that aliens have returned. Unlike previous encounters, the aliens initially appear peaceful and at first, seem to pose no harm to the humans of Earth. Duke's talk show appearance is canceled to allow television stations to cover the alien invasion, and Duke retires to the 'Duke Cave', his home. There, he receives a call from the president and General Graves of the Earth Defense Force (EDF). The president orders Duke not to harm the invaders and adds that he is in diplomatic talks with the alien overlord. When Duke is attacked by hostile aliens, Duke is forced to disobey the president's orders and fight his way through the alien hordes. While fighting through his casino, Duke witnesses the aliens abducting women, including his pop-star girlfriend, Daisy. Graves tells Duke that the women are being held in the Duke Dome and that the aliens have a vendetta to settle with Duke. He also warns Duke that the aliens are using Hoover Dam to power a wormhole so more aliens can come through. Duke travels to the Duke Dome, using a wrecking ball to damage the building to gain access. Inside, he finds swarms of Octabrains and the missing women, who have been impregnated with alien spawn. Duke's girlfriend dies after bearing an alien baby, infuriating Duke. Duke finds the Alien Queen in control of the Duke Dome and kills her, but is wounded in the process and blacks out. After regaining consciousness, Duke fights Pigcops and aliens through the Duke Burger. He travels to the Hoover Dam in his monster truck. After battling through the dam, he finds his old friend Dylan, mortally wounded. Dylan tells Duke that the reborn Cycloid Emperor is at the dam and that the only way to shut down the portal is to completely destroy it. Before dying, he gives Duke his demolition charges and wishes him luck. Duke places the explosives and destroys the dam, but the currents nearly drown him. Duke is revived by an EDF soldier and awakens to find the portal gone. The president, who was also at the dam, rages at Duke for ruining his plans to work with the Cycloid Emperor. The president was actually intending to have th

In Their Own Story

The klaxon hasn't stopped for six hours. Duke presses his back against a bulkhead panel, the metal still warm from a plasma bolt that just kissed his shoulder. Through the shattered viewport, the station's docking bay is a graveyard of alien craft, their hulls smoking, their lights flickering like dying fireflies. Another wave is inbound—he can hear the thrusters, a low growl that vibrates through the floor plates. He racks his shotgun, spits on the deck, and grins at the empty corridor ahead. 'Alright, space jerks,' he mutters. 'Round two.' The station groans around him, metal screaming, and somewhere far below the hull, Earth turns in the black. He's got a job to do.

Reader's Guide

Duke Nukem Forever is a first-person shooter that combines combat, exploration and puzzle-solving. The game also switches to a third-person view when in vehicle use. Players control Duke Nukem, a 1980s-style action hero, as he battles alien invaders through three main locations: Las Vegas, a highway and Hoover Dam. Some areas feature boss fights, fetch quests and driving sequences; in one sequence, Duke is shrunk to a miniature size and drives a toy car. Minigames include air hockey, whack-a-mole and pinball. Forever is slower than previous Duke Nukem games. As in the Halo series, players can only carry two weapons at a time, and Duke's health regenerates automatically. The weapons include a shotgun, trip mines, a shrink ray (which shrinks enemies so Duke can stomp on them) and a freeze ray (which freezes enemies so Duke can shatter them). Like Duke Nukem 3D, Forever includes pop culture references, toilet humor and adult content, such as strip clubs and the ability to urinate. In the multiplayer mode, players compete in games such as deathmatch, capture the flag and king of the hill.

Did You Know?

• Duke Nukem Forever holds the Guinness world record for the longest development for a video game.
• The game began development under 3D Realms and was finished by Triptych Games, Gearbox Software, and Piranha Games after 3D Realms downsized in 2009.
• An additional episode, The Doctor Who Cloned Me, was released as downloadable content later in 2011.