Set in the sand dunes of Egypt, in Immortal Redneck for Xbox One you play as a stereotypical redneck who aims to fight his way to the top of Egypt's ancient pyramids using a wide array of guns, skills, and abilities.
It's a nonsensical premise, and it's clear from the start that Immortal Redneck aims to offer a silly, casual experience. Though there are a few notable flaws, it's still a good time and should be on your radar if you're looking for some easygoing fun.
Gameplay: Rogue meets Serious Sam
In order to reach the top of the pyramids, you'll have to go through a series of floors. To pass a floor, you'll have to kill all the enemies present in it using the weapons and abilities your character has by default. As you defeat foes, they'll drop gold. It doesn't seem important to collect it at first, but it becomes essential later.
Eventually, you'll come to a point where you simply can't pass a floor due to how weak your character is to the enemies on it. Once you die, you'll be brought back to life outside of the pyramid, and you'll have all your gold that you collected in order to purchase upgrades. Then, armed with your new arsenal, you will enter the pyramid once more. However, the floors are not the same; each time you go back into the pyramid, they have brand new layouts.
This represents the core of Immortal Redneck's gameplay loop. Similar to the infamous dungeon crawler Rogue, you will reach a point where you will die, but you'll come back stronger and you'll be able to make it a few floors farther then you did prior. The randomly-generated levels keep things from feeling repetitive ... most of the time. Unfortunately, the enemies within floors stay the same, and that will leave you wishing you had something else to fight.
The combat itself is very similar to classic shooter experiences like Unreal Tournament or Serious Sam: fast paced, chaotic, and over-the-top. There's a huge variety of guns and abilities to unlock and use with the gold you earn, and blending the different perks from your skills into powerful combinations is a treat. While the types of foes can become repetitive, the creative ways you can dispose of them are not.
Presentation: Great visuals, but otherwise average
Immortal Redneck's arcade style gameplay and premise is complimented perfectly by its colorful, cartoony art style and the cheesy special effects. However, the game does not sound or feel as good as it looks.
The musical score for the title is not bad, but it doesn't do much to impress, either. There are flashes of brilliance in the compositions, but a lot of the time it simply sounds like a collection of loud noises thrown together. It rarely feels suitable for the wacky action happening on screen.
In addition, the firearms and several of the skill powers feel unsatisfying to shoot or use. Guns in particular feel more like peashooters than deadly weapons, and in a game that emphasizes non-stop grind combat like this, that takes away from the experience heavily.
Immortal Redneck for Xbox One conclusion
Immortal Redneck does a great job of blending dungeon crawling with a first-person shooter, but the game's lack of enemy variation and presentation issues make enjoying it difficult after awhile.
Pros:
- Excellent gameplay premise.
- Limitless level variation.
- Solid visuals.
Cons:
- Repetitive enemy engagements.
- Sub-par music.
- Unsatisfying gunplay.
Immortal Redneck is available on Xbox One for $19.99.
This review was conducted on an Xbox One, using a copy provided by the publisher.
Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. You'll find him doing reviews, editorials, and general coverage on everything Xbox and PC. Follow him on Twitter.