[02-04-16] Claws

Learn how to use the giant claw machines in Duke Nukem 3D! Discover how they transport you, what they can carry, and how to use them to your advantage against enemies.

Alright, let's talk about these giant claw machines you'll be seeing in Duke Nukem 3D. They're pretty straightforward but super useful. Think of them as your personal, albeit slightly limited, transport system. They'll grab you and move you to areas you just can't reach otherwise.

How to use them: Just stand on the platform underneath the claw – it's usually marked somehow. Duke will give a little grunt, and bam, you're off to a new spot. While you're being carried, you can't look around freely, which is a bit of a bummer. You can only shoot straight ahead, up, or down. You can't turn to shoot left or right, so if a level designer is feeling particularly cheeky and puts a laser trip bomb in your path, you might be in trouble. Keep an eye out for that!

Can you break them? Honestly, I don't think you can actually damage the claws themselves. You can mess around with RPGs while you're being carried, especially in God mode, and make Duke bounce around, but that's more about the explosion impact than the claw breaking.

What else can they do? These claws aren't just for picking up Duke! They can grab environmental stuff like barrels, and even enemy corpses. The really cool trick? They can pick up pipebombs you drop on their pad! They'll then carry them to wherever you're headed, which is awesome for clearing out areas ahead of time. Just don't expect them to pick up a Holoduke, though.

Enemies and Claws: Even live enemies can get scooped up by these things. This can be a super fun way to deal with a sneaky Laser Tripbomb – just let the claw grab an enemy and carry them right into it!