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ACHIEVEMENTS OBTAINABLE: (18)
Duke Nukem Forever

ACHIEVEMENTS OBTAINABLE: (18)

Your ultimate guide to unlocking all 18 achievements in Duke Nukem Forever! Master difficulties, master weapons, and become the ultimate Duke.

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Your ultimate guide to unlocking all 18 achievements in Duke Nukem Forever! Master difficulties, master weapons, and become the ultimate Duke.

Alright, let's talk about racking up those achievements in Duke Nukem Forever. There are 18 of them in total, and while some are a breeze, others will really test your Duke-ness. We'll break down how to snag every single one, from beating the game on Easy to holding onto that golden pistol like your life depends on it.

Gunslinger (+50G / Silver)

This one's all about style, Duke. You need to carry the Gold Pistol through the entire single-player campaign. Honestly, it's way easier on 'Piece of Cake' or 'Let's Rock' difficulty, but if you want to prove you're a true badass, go for 'Damn I'm Good.' The main thing is to just keep that starting Gold Pistol with you until you finish 'The Final Battle.'

  • You can drop and pick it up again, but be careful – sometimes the game might glitch and make it disappear, especially around checkpoints.
  • You can actually finish levels on different difficulties. For example, you could beat 'The Final Battle' on 'Piece of Cake' and then carry the gun through the rest of the game on 'Damn I'm Good.' It'll unlock at the end of 'Blowin' The Dam - Part Two.' This means you can still use the Devastator and RPG for the final boss fight if you want.
  • The game saves your progress with the gun after you complete each level. So, if you beat a level holding the Gold Pistol, it counts permanently. You could technically do the whole game piece by piece if you really wanted to.
  • This achievement is a lot easier on the patched PC/Steam version because you can carry four weapons instead of the usual two.

Difficulty Achievements:

  • Piece Of Cake (+20G / Bronze): Just beat the game on Easy. It's story-based, so you can't miss it, and there's no lower difficulty.
  • Let's Rock (+30G / Silver): Complete the campaign on Normal. It's pretty manageable and also unlocks the Duke 3D Freeze Ray cheat.
  • Come Get Some (+40G / Gold): Finish the campaign on Hard. It's a step up, especially some boss fights, but still not too crazy.
  • Damn, I'm Good (+50G / Gold): This is the Insane Difficulty. You'll need to follow a guide and have some serious grit, but it's doable. Just remember, you have to beat the game at least once on any difficulty before you can even attempt this one.

Special Thanks (+5G / Bronze)

Just watch the credits all the way through. You can do this at the end of the game or even from the main menu. Easy peasy.

Savior of the Universe (Platinum)

This one's exclusive to the PS3. It's automatically yours once you've earned all 50 original campaign trophies. Don't worry about any DLC trophies; they don't count towards this.

A Note on the Cycloid Emperor Fight:

After that EDF soldier gives you some mouth-to-mouth (yeah, it's CPR!), grab your Pistol and head to the President. Get ready for some classic Duke quotes and a massive alien trying to tear you a new one. Just a heads-up: try not to stand too close to the EDF Dropship when the Cycloid Emperor is messing with it. If it crashes into you, it's an instant kill, no matter what.

Cycloid Emperor Boss Battle Details:

  • Health: 1600 (1st fight), 2000 (2nd fight), 3000 (3rd fight, split into 1600 + 1400).
  • Difficulty: 4/5.
  • Effective Weapons: RPG, Enforcer Gun, Devastator, Pipe Bombs.
  • Attacks to Watch Out For:
    • Missiles: Strafe and run to dodge these.
    • Stomp: Don't get too close! It does massive damage and can send you flying. Try to jump when his foot hits the ground.
    • Charge: Keep an eye on his jetpack for flames and start dodging early. Getting hit knocks you down, making you an easy target for a stomp.
    • Ground Pound: This also knocks you down. Move out of the way; it's not too hard to avoid. He throws a lot of these in the third stage.
    • Laser Guided Nuke: Used from the second phase on. If you see the tracking laser, get away from him fast to break the lock.
    • Mortar Explosions: These don't do much damage unless you're already close enough to get stomped. Keep your distance.
    • Strength Tap Fail: If he grabs you during the Strength Tap, you'll get thrown.

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