Developer: Crema
Publisher: Crema
Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Switch
Tested on: Switch
Immortal Redneck – Review
Put a few rednecks together and you’ll have yourself one hell of a hootenanny, which isn’t always appreciated by the normal folk in most parts of the world. Nonetheless, the redneck thrives in his natural habitat in the Southern states of America, breeding without limit, contributing to the local economy with his purchase of low graded beer, tobacco and toilet paper for his poor eating habits. That aside, the following game is a good example when you take a redneck out of his natural enclosed habitat and place him in Egypt, make him immortal and give him unknown weapons to make it clear out hordes of monsters. Be advised, the following review does not come with a free beer for your cousins.
Story
Honestly, in terms of story you’re better off not expecting too much. You’re a redneck, you end up in Egypt and boom, before you know it you’re a mummified redneck fighting hordes of monsters. Safe for a few one-liners there isn’t really any story content to be found in this game. Of course, a game such as this doesn’t need all that much to build on, but seeing the game includes the word ‘redneck’ in the title, it would have been fun to have a bit of background on the character, or some fun winks to said lifestyle or the stereotypical views concerning these people.
Graphics
Graphically Immortal Redneck is a very colorful game, reminiscent of the Serious Sam series, or even Quake III, which were both very stellar franchises. It feels like the game tries to mimic said franchises, but in doing so give its own personal touch to the series with the entire Egyptian theme of the environments and enemies. Nonetheless, Immortal Redneck is a fairly good looking game for the Switch, even with its limited assets, and low diversity in terms of enemies. The different weapons look spiffy and it’s clear the developers had some fun thinking of new weapons and designing them to be rather witty and hilarious at times. We haven’t come across many shooters that have an explosive potato gun in them.
Sound
The music is presented in a fairly upbeat fashion that certainly graces the game. There are a few different tracks, and most of the time the music won’t be all that noticeable between the firing of your weapons and the sounds the enemies make. Nonetheless, there’s a decent backdrop.
Voice acting is very limited in Immortal Redneck, as it limits itself to the redneck sometimes dumping a oneliner or two on the player. There could have been more witty remarks, but the developers seemingly chose to keep it on the downside.
Gameplay
Immortal Redneck is a roguelite shooter, in which you’ll constantly be clearing the many rooms in the different pyramids of their hostile inhabitants. When you die, it’s back to start without passing go, which means you’ll have to start from the very beginning each time you die. Luckily, here comes the ‘lite’ element into play, as during each run you earn money, which you can use for passive upgrades, new classes and other unlocks that will make the game easier for you. Overall the concept is simple, it’s just boot up the game, shoot baddies, and become stronger after each run.
The controls are a bit on the floaty and arcade side of the fence, which makes it feel like a good old fashioned shooter when things weren’t all about realism. You move around smoothly, aiming isn’t that accurate, but the game has a small correction on your sights, allowing you to slightly aim next to a target, but still hit it when firing. It’s clear the developers also didn’t expect very precise controls on the console versions, so they have you covered, avoiding a lot of unnecessary frustration in the process. Your abilities are easy to trigger, as each class has one, as well as a different arsenal of weapons. All weapons have their perks, but in many scenarios it’s all about fast and strong weapons, rather than going up close and personal, as many enemies already damage you by just bumping into you.
Admittedly, Immortal Redneck is a pleasant game to play in short bursts in-between the bigger titles in your library, or with the Switch version, to play on the road, it’s actually the unlockable classes and passive upgrades that motivate you to keep playing. Sadly, these unlocks are a bit on the slow side, which hamper the flow of the game a bit. Other than that, the game doesn’t have that much ‘meat’ to make it a stellar experience. Don’t get us wrong, the game is pleasant, but it lacks a certain ‘something’ to be considered a great title in its genre.
Conclusion
Immortal Redneck is a fresh breeze of air for the Switch’s library and a fairly enjoyable one at that, just not a very memorable one. The game does have a great control scheme, fun visuals, amusing weapons, but its repetitiveness and slow unlocks don’t give it that certain edge the game could have had with a bit more polishing. Nonetheless, for fans of roguelite shooters, this one is certainly worth picking up when it’s being offered at a discount price, as its current suggested price might be a bit too steep to truly get that bang for your buck.
Immortal Redneck - Review,
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