It’s time for the final fight of two FPS legends! Although both are deceptively similar, we found a few differences to help you choose between Duke Nukem and Serious Sam.
One came to life in the early 2000s. The other’s history dates back to the 90s as a simple PC game. But they both create catastrophic visions of humanity battling an alien threat. Who would win – Duke Nukem or Serious Sam? Continue this short guide to discover the ultimate winner.
Background and History
The Duke Nukem series began its successful career as a 2D side-scroller for PC. However, the real game changer was Duke Nukem 3D from 1996, which gathered an even bigger fanbase. Since then, 3D Realms has released more games, spin-offs, and portable titles that became famous for their controversial content. There was even a comic book and plans for a movie version.
Serious Sam is a series of sci-fi first-person shooters with origins in 2001. Unlike Duke Nukem, Croteam kicked off this FPS adventure with 3D gameplay featuring huge maps, multiplayer mode, and pretty impressive graphics. The following years brought many portable games, spin-offs, and main games with the epic Serious Sam 4 from 2021.
Protagonists
Both titles feature mighty warriors fighting hordes of enemies threatening all humanity. Serious Sam is the commander of the elite Earth Defense Force, fighting Mental – a space invader who wants the final destruction of the entire planet. Sounds challenging? It sure is! Fortunately, Sam, with his impressive muscles and terrifying determination, poses a serious threat to such a tough opponent.
What do we know about Duke Nukem? The man served in the army and then went to work for the CIA. Now, he deals with all sorts of opponents like Pig Cops. He is strong, always confident, and slightly less clever than Serious Sam. But still very lovable and unique!
Gameplay Comparison
Both games focus on dynamic combat against hordes of incoming enemies. The heroes use totally insane weapons like lasers, rocket launchers, and shrink rays to survive and continue to the following gameplay stages. But in addition to combat, in Duke Nukem, players can even solve a puzzle. Serious Sam is the complete opposite, where you will lose yourself in a killing rage. He uses better weapons, the view displays up to 10,000 enemies at once, and you can have fun in multiplayer.
Popularity and Reception
Comparing the last two games in the series on Steam, it appears that both get very positive reviews, but Duke Nukem is slightly less popular. It may be a result of its rather dirty humor and controversial content, which has often caused players to despise the game in the past.
Conclusion
So is Serious Sam better than Duke Nukem? Summing up the features of both games, Serious Sam comes out as a slightly better recommendation. It’s more popular on Steam, has truly stunning visuals, and gives you creative opportunities of taking down enemies. Duke Nukem is a great first-person shooter with an exceptionally charming protagonist. But if you want that challenging silly gameplay in its purest form, Serious Sam proves itself just right.