Redneck Rampage

Redneck Rampage is a comedy/sci-fi first-person shooter created by Xatrix Entertainment and published by Interplay for MS-DOS in 1997.

The game uses the Build game engine, usually considered a 2.5 engine (not a real 3D one). It's the same used on Duke Nukem 3D and Blood.

Xatrix, the American company now known as Gray Matter Interactive Studios, Inc. is also renowned for developing the science fiction saga Cyberia. Between spin-offs and add-ons, Redneck Rampage received 3 continuations. They are Redneck Rampage: Suckin' Grits on Route 66, Redneck Rampage Rides Again, and Redneck Deer Huntin'.

The protagonists of the release are two brothers named Leonard and Bubba. They must embark on a rescue mission to save Bessie, their pig, in a dystopian interpretation of Arkansas invaded by aliens. Also, the extraterrestrial beings led by the Queen Vixen, generated clones of all the neighbors of the main characters, and they try to eliminate them.

The gameplay is similar to any shooter of the time. The protagonist (or the protagonists, if you play in multiplayer) must go through several levels by shooting every living thing with which he makes eye contact. The weapons used in the title are also creations of the saga. Although the game features classic weaponry, such as the shotgun, there are also more creative ones like a dynamite crossbow. Also, one of the great novelties of this game is that the power-ups, despite still giving benefits to the protagonist, also come with disadvantages. For example, drinking beer gives health and extra resistance to the hero, but the excess of it gradually takes away his coordination. Also, eating a lot reduces the alcohol level, but this culminates in the character farting, eliminating any opportunity for stealth.

The colors used by the release are, as one would expect in a game with an apocalyptic theme, dull and monotonous. In almost all the maps, the color grey predominates, and rarely the brown takes prominence, but always with a lack of brightness and saturation that characterize the title. On the other hand, something that can't be missing in this kind of adventures in the sky that despite having moments when it's dark, it's usually red. As mentioned above, this artistic choice predominates in adventures where humanity is facing extinction.

The sound used is very accurate and works perfectly with what the game aims at. It was produced by The Beat Farmers and Mojo Nixon, psychobilly, and cowpunk groups. However, the greatest merit of the game is in the sound effects. The ridiculous audios and dialogues parody other shooters and even the conception of a violent Arkansas farmer. Thus, it manages to turn another monothematic action shooter into a hilarious and memorable installment.

The reviews were mixed. First of all, it was criticized that the gameplay and the difficulty of the gameplay were more of the same compared to other contemporary titles. On the other hand, the sound effects and some adhesions like the use of alcohol were the strongest and most memorable points of the game.

If you are one of those people who like shooters but are bored by the serious tone of the game, Redneck Rampage is a great choice. Between energetic gameplay, a wild story, and funny stereotypical sound effects, this title will bring you hours and hours of entertainment.