(My review of the Duke Nukem Forever main game can be found here.)

Duke Nukem Forever’s first DLC package was a huge turn-off to me. The multiplayer didn’t seem worth it to me to shill out my coveted Microsoft Points for a few extra maps, an extra game mode, and some extra rewards to unlock. Don’t get me wrong, when you can get a good group of people together for a game, you can have a lot of fun with it, but generally there is only activity in death match servers, which leaves a lot of the other multiplayer modes neglected (this is a problem in many many games on the X-Box 360 right now. It’s a bit disheartening). Their second DLC package, however, was intriguing: A whole new campaign in The Doctor Who Cloned Me. After scrounging together the necessary points I went ahead and took a chance on it. I was not disappointed.

At the end of the game’s main campaign, Duke Nukem is  MIA after the government blows up the Hoover Dam, yet surprisingly turns up to run for President, since the previous one was killed by the aliens when he tried to negotiate with them. The DLC continues the story, with the Duke waking up the prisoner of his old arch-nemesis Dr. Proton. Proton is using the resources in Area 51 to make an army of robot Duke Nukem clones, which he hopes to use to destroy Duke Nukem’s reputation and set himself up as the world’s savior. On top of this, Duke discovers that defeating the Alien Emperor was not the end of the Alien invasion, as the Empress has hidden herself somewhere and is gathering forces for another full scale attack. It’s once again up to Duke Nukem to solve both of these problems before they escalate out of control.

I found this to be a DLC campaign that I could really sink my teeth into. I’m not sure if it is shorter than the main campaign or not; it probably is, but it sure did not feel like it; there is a lot to do here.  The game play and graphics are largely unchanged, but new elements are introduced, such as better AI in both companions and enemies, one or two new weapons, two new epic boss fights, and humor that is surprisingly well written compared to what was found in the main campaign. It’s like they took what they already had and honed and refined it, making the DLC campaign feel like a continuation as well as an advancement of the project utilizing the same engine.  More interesting especially was the use of the companion in this game. In the main campaign you had some Earth Defense Forces guys fight alongside you occasionally. In this game Duke’s old buddy returns and acts as a more relevant companion. You will use him to solve puzzles, and in return he helps you fight the aliens and provide comic relief. There are some games that probably do it better, but I found it to be an interesting contrast to how the main game handled it.

Anyhow, for those of you who actually enjoyed the experience offered by Duke Nukem Forever, I would say that The Doctor Who Cloned Me is a must-buy. Even casual players can get more out of the game through this extension, and I would love to see more titles offer meatier DLC campaigns like this, instead of the usual insignificant additions.