There was a time when 3D Realms/Apogee was part of an early movement in gaming that helped usher in the first-person genre, most notably with the 1996 release of Duke Nukem 3D. Sitting up there with the likes of Quake and Doom, this entry into the antics of the titular Duke is considered one of the best FPS games of its era, with its high-octane action, adult themes, and satire on uber-masculine Hollywood. Then there was Duke Nukem Forever, which stopped the franchise dead in its tracks, but a very early build of the game has now become public.
The latest entry in the Duke Nukem series came out in 2011 and was considered a flop, largely because the game spent so long in development that its themes aged, and it couldn't live up to all the changes that it had gone through. But for those interested, a build of the game from all the way back in 2001 has leaked and can now be downloaded. According to a report from DSO Gaming, it wasn't supposed to see the light of day until next month, but perhaps the attention it was receiving motivated the leakers to release it early.
Allegedly, Duke Nukem Forever in this state is pretty much playable, with the majority of its assets in place. While the final release went on to become the game that derailed the beloved Duke Nukem franchise, this 21-year-old build will no doubt be intriguing for many. Images show a somewhat darker take on the 1996 Duke Nukem 3D follow-up. A series of videos on the download page demonstrate that it still has the action and slick dialogue of the muscular hero that made the previous entries such hits.
Some may even lament that this leaked version of Duke Nukem Forever was not the game that was released in 2011. Instead, the world received what Gearbox Software had polished up since acquiring the IP in 2010. It just seemed that the final product could not live up to the long wait, not to mention the fact that the humor of the previous installments had aged badly. Some of the developers of Duke Nukem Forever have been pointing the finger, laying the blame on each other for what was ultimately one of the worst games of its generation.
There may be one studio out there who can do Duke Nukem justice once more. With the huge success of the Doom reboot, not to mention the continued success of the Resident Evil series, it's still possible for retro games to either make a comeback or enjoy more time in this modern day limelight.
Duke Nukem 3D was released in 1996 for PC, with numerous ports over the years.
Source: DSO Gaming, Archive.org