Reviews / previews
Redneck Rampage is like a good joke that's been told
too many times. The first time, it rocks the room back
on its heels. The second, it draws polite chuckles. By
the third go-round, hardly anyone's listening.
When Xatrix's "Build" engine first-person shooter
surfaced in 1997, action gamers listened. The
graphics were vivid,
the level design solid
and the story-two
hicks on the trail of
alien invaders-was
novel, stylistically
consistent and even
funny.
Unfortunately, it
turned out there
wasn't much more to the joke, and Redneck
Rampage cleared the room over the course of an
add-on (Suckin' Grits on Route 66) and a 1998 sequel
(Redneck Rampage Rides Again).
Redneck Rampage Family Reunion collects all the
parts under one roof, minus the Redneck Deer Huntin'
spin-off, which is represented only by an AVI file and
wasn't really related anyway. And, rather surprisingly,
while this is the fifth time around for this old joke (if
you count the RR teaser Possum Bayou), it's
nevertheless a not-unpleasant reminder of the series'
visceral pleasures.
Redneck Rampage may be old tech in 1999, but it's
thoughtful old tech whose levels have distinct
identities (though they were stretching it by Rides
Again) and that follows through on the themes it
establishes. The pickup truck that circles
ceaselessly in the opening level, plowing
through oblivious chickens, turns up in a
garage later on, its grill smeared with blood
and feather.
But what elevates RR this time around is the
first appearance on CD of the "Cuss Pack"-a
concept later carried over to Die by the
Sword. Originally available only as a cheapie
download, it replaces the comparatively
benign soundtrack of RR and Suckin' Grits with one that turns the air fairly
blue with profanity. Let's just say that, after "You dumb ass," it gets a lot
nastier in a hurry.
Now, while I wouldn't care to have this language in my own home. in RR, it's
verywell, authentic. It gives the game a sinister, razory edge and, in the
process, invests the the old joke with an unexpected resonance. Tell it again,
Interplay. One more time.-- Peter Olafson / GamePro
Got an opinion about Redneck Rampage: Family Reunion? Or maybe know a good cheat or strategy? Share it with the world!