Redneck Rampage Review

8.4

Format PC

Developer Xatrix

Publisher Microprose

Genre Unknown

You sure are a pretty boy, Charlie Brooker. A city boy. Now why don't you jus' drop them pants? Squeaaal, piggy! Squueeaall!!

I think I've finally reached the point of no return. I've played so many Doom-a-likes now that I'm finding it hard to tell the difference between computerised fantasy and cold hard reality. Every morning I wake up, open my eyes, and think 'Oh no, not another first-person 3D game.' I look all around me in a paranoid fashion each time I walk down a corridor. I spend hours walking into the walls around my flat, pushing against them and grunting, in a vain search for 'secret areas'. I obsessively collect first-aid boxes. And I machine-gun loads of people to death every day.

Yet still the 3D shoot 'em ups keep on coming. Since none of them are a patch on Quake (except perhaps Scourge Of Armagon, which is a patch for Quake), any new addition into this overcrowded genre needs a pretty flashy gimmick if it wants to turn the average gamer's head. Last month we had LucasArts' Outlaws, which specialised in Spaghetti Western imagery and 'realistic' gunplay. This month brings us Interplay's Redneck Rampage - which specialises in swearwords and in-breeding. You are now entering a taste-free zone, ladies and gentlemen.



Kentucky Fried Carnage

It's a bloody good laugh, really. Redneck has its tongue stuck so firmly in its cheek, it looks like it's got the mumps. The action takes place in and around Hickston, an area populated by the kind of poor white trash who regularly take the starring role in 'reality TV' shows such as Cops (usually drop-down drunk, flailing their fists around, and hollering abuse in a desperately pathetic manner). We're talking trailer parks and bowling alleys, drive-in movie theatres and pig farms. People called 'Emmy Sue' and 'Jim Bob'. Generations of in-breeding have caused evolution to hit reverse, leaving a generation of hybrid man-apes with an average IQ so low, they'd consider Geoff Capes a 'high-falutin' interlect-u-all'. Ignorant and insular, with a deep mistrust of anyone who 'ain't from round these parts' and helplessly addicted to incest, they're much like the Cornish, really, but with far cooler accents.

Anyway, the story revolves around an alien invasion; a bunch of unscrupulous intergalactic pig-rustlers are running amok in Hickston, wiping out the inhabitants and replacing them with psychotic clones. On the face of it, this is actually a pretty good idea. Still, Leonard and Bubba, the stars of the game, beg to differ. Those durn aliens stole their finest pig, Bessie, and now they want revenge. Cue the opening stage.

You've seen it all before, of course - but Redneck scores well on two counts. First and foremost, there's the humour. Like Duke, the whole thing plays a bit like some kind of manic, gore-encrusted cartoon for adults - but unlike Duke, 'adult' doesn't mean indefensible violence against passive, scantily-clad women (why that sick rubbish got past the censors is beyond me). What you get here is the opportunity to explore each and every hillbilly cliche you've ever heard - with a shotgun in your hand and a swearword on your lips (there's plenty of cussin' on the soundtrack - and you can even download a special 'extra bad language' pack from the Interplay Website - www.interplay.com). Instead of armour, you shield yourself from harm with an alcoholic glow, by swigging 'Cheap Ass Whiskey' or chug-a-lugging a six-pack. Drink too much, however, and you lose control for a while - which is where the food comes in (it helps you to line your stomach). The entire game is an unstoppable whirlwind of slack-jawed bumpkins, exploding barnyard animals, hilarious sound effects, turd-hurling alien critters, and comedic ultra-violence. In that respect, it can't fail to entertain. Multi-player mode should be hilarious (we'll be covering this, and other multi-player titles, in a forthcoming On-line feature).



Squeal, piggy

The second thing in Redneck's favour is the look and feel of each level. The opening stage is distinctly unimpressive, but don't let that fool you; further into the game there are some breathtaking moments. It's not a 'true' 3D game a la Quake, but the team have obviously made the most of the engine as it stands. It's designed to run at 640x480, and it does, smoothly. Some of the wall textures look eerily realistic - lighting effects are used intelligently throughout, and the levels themselves contain far more 'puzzles' than you might expect; aside from the usual key-collecting sorties, there are sections where a flair for lateral thinking and a nimble proficiency for multiple platform-hopping are essential. One new feature, which I don't recall seeing in a Nukem clone before, is the ability to push certain objects around (usually to enable you to jump a large gap), although this is more of a pain in the arse than anything else. Indeed, on certain stages, it's sometimes too hard to work out how you're supposed to make progress, so you'll need a fairly high tolerance for failure (although there are plenty of guns to help you vent that frustration whenever you see fit). Still, all things considered, the levels are great. So there's another plus point.

In fact, the only bad thing about Redneck Rampage is simply that at the end of the day, it's yet another 3D shoot 'em up. There's no real genre progression going on here, no major surprises. Just a good, strong exercise in farcical entertainment.