I have no problem admitting to being in love with Duke Nukem 3D from 1996. It's unmatched as the greatest first-person shooter ever made, if I may say so myself. It has some of the greatest level designs in the history of the genre, made possible by Ken Silverman's renowned 2.5D Build Engine.
Its levels also have this weird, desolate feel to them that I seldom ever see in other games. When it does, it's usually momentary. Although I compare it to a deserted strip mall, I believe Dusk developer David Szymanski did a better job of describing it as a "urban after hours atmosphere." It's similar like strolling home at three in the morning on a sunny night when nobody is around. While I'm not sure whether this was done on purpose with Duke Nukem 3D, it's something I wanted to relive in my younger years.
The game The Last Exterminator by Ironwork Game attempts to emulate many of the features of Duke Nukem 3D. That's nothing new, since other titles with varying degrees of closeness include Ion Fury and Cultic. The distinction is that, based on the demonstration, The Last Exterminator is aware of the gravy recipe.
Move on. We're kind of closed.
You take in the role of Kira Parker, a dilapidated exterminator going about her daily business, when aliens unexpectedly break in and take down her vehicle. Since those extraterrestrial beings resemble bugs, Kira gets to work eliminating vermin, which is her specialty.
There is just one level in the demo, which is your typical urban exploration. It does, however, eerily recall shooters from the 1990s by packing every nook and cranny with secrets that are just marginally out of reach. In the bar beside the level's entrance, there is a shotgun. I needed it, and I wasn't leaving until I found a way inside.
The Last Exterminator is a little too similar to its source in several aspects. Specifically, the opponents have a visual style that is similar to that of Duke Nukem 3D. The fact that the bugs resemble the grunts of the Nukem army may not matter as much later in the game. However, they don't always behave in the same manner. For instance, the Pig Cop equivalents act in the same wilder fashion as they did in Duke Nukem Forever.Your armory of weaponry becomes less of a carbon duplicate. For instance, the shotgun is the far more pleasurable double-barrel kind. It remains to be seen, however, whether we get the same bizarre variation as the progenitor of The Last Exterminator.
Ontario Online Casino captured this screen grab.
Gum runs out
The battle seems a lot more like to Quake, most likely due to the engine's full 3D capability and lack of hitscan dependency. It's thus more powerful at the price of less spatter. Yes, there is still spatter, but the impression of exploding models isn't quite the same as when a sprite vanishes and is replaced with a gibs spray. Because the developer created the engine, which is unusual these days, the engine itself is noteworthy.Additionally, Kira seems like a really excellent choice for the action protagonist. If Duke Nukem represents Ash Williams' Army of Darkness persona, then Kira represents Roddy Piper's persona in They Live. She is a working lady who is more relatable. She still knows how to deliver one-liners from movies (mostly Ghostbusters, which I love), but her confidence has diminished. Rather, she's simply irritated. I really like it when you get her a medicine kit when she's feeling under the weather. "Grateful to Christ.," she says simply." That's how I feel.The level design also adheres quite closely to the first-person shooter key-hunt concept from the 1990s. It is less narratively centered and more exploration-based. You get more of a sense of lighthearted exploration as you climb over roofs and through crumbling buildings. There are even locations with several paths you may choose from. It's a remarkable reproduction of a sometimes misinterpreted work of art.