Yes, you can play as Duke Nukem in Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition — we’re going to try and explain exactly how the experience changes the game.
Short answer? Not very much at all. The Duke Nukem scenario plays out like a “what-if” version of the original Bulletstorm. Our hero, Grayson Hunt, has been swapped with Duke Nukem. No, there’s no explanation for why this happened.
It’s all about the one-liners. And Duke’s classic repertoire has been updated slightly for the times. No, this Duke isn’t quite as un-woke as his earlier incarnations. That might sound heretical, but the warning when starting up the Duke Nukem experience from the main menu makes things clear — the profanity filter won’t silence Duke’s salty language.
More Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition guides on The Escapist:
Duke Nukem’s Tour – Everything It Does (Or Doesn’t) Change
“Duke Nukem’s Tour” — the name of the add-on you’ll need to unlock to play as Duke — can be toggled on / off at the main menu.
Before we dive any deeper, check out our gameplay gallery to see the pretty surreal visual of a not-quite-right Duke Nukem model trying to follow the same Bulletstorm story beats.
All the quotes in subtitles come straight from the Duke, and he gets in plenty of his classic zingers.
Spoiler Warning: The following gallery contains scene that cover the entire story. Yeah, it’s an old game, but if you haven’t been spoiled yet already, here’s your warning.
So, what exactly happens when Duke Nukem takes on the protagonist role? Let’s break it down into bullet points.
- Duke Nukem’s model is visible in all cutscenes. He looks a little out of place, and his lip sync is (usually) completely off.
- Every other character still calls Duke “Gray” — that’s to be expected, only Duke’s lines were recorded for this add-on, after all.
- Disappointingly, many of the lines are actually exactly the same as before, taken direct from the original script.
- Often, the lines Duke speaks and the subtitles don’t match. Especially at the end of the campaign, where Duke’s voice acting goes completely off the rails.
- Duke does acknowledge his strange, body-swapped circumstances early in the story. He also gets into a little meta-humor and breaks the fourth wall on occasion, although instances are pretty rare.
- Duke fights just like Grayson Hunt. There are no changes to the gameplay.
- Surprisingly, Duke doesn’t really reference other games. He’ll still bring up aliens trashing his ride, though.
- This is a kinder, gentler Duke Nukem. He limits his sexist remarks pretty severely, and even has a few ounces of empathy and morality in his blond flat-top skull.
All-in-all, Duke Nukem’s Tour is implemented in a pretty basic way. His model animates as if he’s speaking Grayson’s lines during cutscenes, and Duke follows the original script closely. Even his iconic gloves get covered-up by the leash device early in the story.
But, if you’re looking to hear Duke spout stuff about “kicking ass and chewing bubblegum,” “shitting down alien necks,” or “killing alien bastards for shooting up my ride” — Duke spit-shines all those early witticisms.
