The manly tough-guy stereotype is on the verge of retirement, over a decade after he saved the world from aliens in Duke Nukem 3D. America is awash in hero-worship of the man who conquered the aliens with movies, books, restaurants, and action figures (to name a few things) of their favorite muscle-bound action hero. One day, on the way to his own talk show, Duke learns that aliens have landed on the earth once again. However, this time their intentions seem to be unclear and Duke is asked by the president to restrain himself, for fear of offending the aliens and provoking another war. Duke reluctantly agrees - only to find out, much to his relief, that the aliens are hostile after all, which means that the pop culture icon is finally back to his old ways!

Duke Nukem Forever is a first-person shooter that largely relies on the gameplay style of its predecessor, known for testosterone-fueled gunplay and humor. A few elements characteristic for modern shooters have been introduced: Duke has a health bar that refills over time, and carries only two weapons at a time, similarly to Halo. Duke Nukem also spends no time ducking behind cover, attacking, and bounding forward to cover in the way squad-based or tactical FPS titles do. Rather, players will charge through stages, running and gunning for most of the game.