Duke Nuke Forever 2001 Gameplay Build Appears Online
2011’s Duke Nukem Forever famously languished in development hell for 15 years before its release. Its tumultuous cycle, which began in 1997, spawned several early 3D Realms developer builds and demos. Today, footage of one of the early versions of the game has surfaced online.
As discovered by GameSpotone 4Chan a user known as x0r uploaded footage of a 1 minute 20 second gameplay from a demo of the 2001 game. The authenticity of the video has been confirmed on Twitter by Duke Nukem co-creator George Broussard, who was one of Forever with 3D Realms’ lead designers during its long development. According to Broussard, he doesn’t know how the reshoot came out but has dashed hopes of a complete, playable build by describing these demos as a “small portion of the levels” the test is virtually unpopulated”.
Yes, the leak looks like the real thing. No, I’m not really interested in talking about it or rereading the traumatic past. You should overcome expectations. There is no real game to play. Just a bunch of barely common test levels. I don’t know who leaked this.
– George Broussard (@georgebsocial) May 9, 2022
However, the leaker claims to have access to the demo’s source code and plans to release it and a level editor sometime in June.
The trailer shows Duke chopping down alien-infested SWAT soldiers in a strip club while cracking his signature quips. You can spot the first version of the Ego meter that will appear in the final game (where it essentially acts as a shield). The footage also shows off a quick-switch weapon menu for changing gear on the go.
Another short clip shows a first-person motorcycling segment. The no-frills clip is exactly what it sounds like.
Duke Nukem Forever received less than excellent reviews upon release (we gave it a 6.75 out of 10) and is the last Duke Nukem game to date. The last ill-fated title is most notable for having one of the longest development cycle in game history. The only significant sign of life the series has shown in recent years has been the 2018 announcement of a Movie about Duke Nukem with John Cena supposedly starring. However, that has also quietly turned into its own development hell, given that it is still happening.