Developer: Crema
Publisher: Crema
Reviewed on: PlayStation 4
Code Received.
Okay, so I can understand the apprehension of picking up a game titled Immortal Redneck. After all, the connotations that time has left on the word ‘redneck’ don’t really conjure up the most flattering images. I too nearly passed the game over without as much as a glance, rolling my eyes at the title with a chuckle. But if there’s one thing I can tell you now, it’s that Immortal Redneck is one game you shouldn’t judge by its cover.
That last statement might have conjured up a few ‘whys’, so I’ll sum Immortal Redneck up as simply as I can. Packaged under its rather silly title is a fine tuned old-school twitch shooter, the likes of which conjures up images of Doom, Unreal Tournament, and their kin. Oh, and it’s also a roguelike.
Like the title suggests, you take control of a redneck who died on a trip to Egypt and has been resurrected as a powerful, immortal mummy. Immortal Redneck’s core gameplay loop is simple, you run around a labyrinthine dungeon within a pyramid completing challenges or killing enemies to unlock rooms till you reach the end of the floor. Either you’ll make it to the mid or end boss, or you’ll end up biting the dust. Well, maybe biting the sand in this case. Dying sends you back to the game’s central hub, where you can spend your earnings to power up and start over.
The way Immortal Redneck plays favors pure fun. There’s little need to worry about stamina as you dart across rooms, dodging attacks and swapping out weapons to take down denizens both cute and creepy. From the energy gloves and mystical ankhs to the rusty revolver and submachine guns, each weapon is fun to use in its own arcadey way. You’ll be spending time testing out each new weapon you come across, relishing the satisfaction of a well placed revolver shot or the absurdity of a potato cannon. Variety matters when it comes to weapons, and Immortal Redneck doesn’t disappoint. Ammo is shared between the weapons, so there’s little need to worry about that.
“No need to worry though, in Immortal Redneck dying is pretty good.”
This variety however doesn’t fully extend to the rooms within the game’s three pyramids. While the layouts of the pyramids differed, it wasn’t long before I was stumbling back into familiar rooms. Don’t get me wrong though, there’s a lot of rooms, some just like showing up a lot more often. Most rooms will have you take down the enemies placed within them, while others will offer challenges, or if the game’s feeling particularly mean you’ll find yourself locked in a narrow little space with the worst evil imaginable: frogs.
Frogs may be the most annoying enemies you face, but they’re certainly not the most powerful. There’s a good spread to enemy types that Immortal Redneck throws at you. Anubis-like archers rain fire arrows upon you, small snake-men chase you down, and sarcophagi birth tiny mummies as they bounce around. Boss battles are colorful and inventive, and will easily crush you if you aren’t careful enough. Each of the game’s six bosses has a weakness that must be exploited before you can hurt them, so expect some trial and error. No need to worry though, in Immortal Redneck dying is pretty good.
“I’ve ended up in situations where my shots could turn my enemies into chickens…”
When you die, or before you enter a pyramid, you’re sent to the game’s hub world. Here you can choose to buy benefits from a merchant or spend your gold on a literal skill tree. Yeah, the skill tree is an actual tree that grows with each advancement, including boosts and patron deities. One of the ways Immortal Redneck shakes up gameplay is with the nine patron deities you can choose from. Each deity comes with their own stats, skills, passives, and starting weapons. Seth, for example, brings electrifying power, while Amunet turns you into an Egyptian ninja. Between the weapons and the deities, you’re free to experiment around and come up with your own playstyle.
Advancements are probably my biggest gripe with Immortal Redneck. Buying advancements boosts up their prices, and between having to spend all your remaining gold to enter a pyramid and sometimes not earning enough, there are times when advancement can really slow down.
I’ve saved up Immortal Redneck’s best part for last, however. See, between the weapons and deities, there’s one more factor that adds a lot of variety to each playthrough. Along with the meat, ammo, and weapon drops, there’s a chance for enemies to drop scrolls. Scrolls shake up gameplay significantly, and there’s no way to tell if you’re going to end up with a boon or a bane. I’ve ended up in situations where my shots could turn my enemies into chickens, but could no longer see my HUD or targeting reticle. Scrolls trump everything, altering your gameplay with each run, randomizing your loadout or rendering meat useless. There were a few runs in Immortal Redneck where I didn’t have to adjust my strategy with each new scroll.
Immortal Redneck is a simple game of ‘live, die, repeat’, bundled into a charming, often humorous package. The visual style and eclectic soundtrack add to an experience that doesn’t get old. The game’s an absolute blast, and whether you’re looking for something old-school or to pass the time with, Immortal Redneck comes recommended.
