Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Redneck Rampage: Suckin’ Grits on Route 66 builds upon the frantic, run-and-gun core mechanics of the original FPS, offering twelve brand-new levels that keep the action rolling from start to finish. You’ll wrangle shotguns, mortar launchers, and fizzy beer grenades as Bubba and Leonard blast through hordes of zombies, mutant critters, and alien oddities. The pacing remains relentless, with tight corridors one moment and expansive farm fields the next, ensuring there’s never a dull stretch.

Level design shines brightest in the variety of settings: you’ll slog through a swampy gator farm teeming with snapping reptiles, navigate the neon-lit hallways of a seedy brothel (complete with karaoke-singing mannequins), and even infiltrate an Alien Oddity Museum where extraterrestrial specimens burst from display cases. Each environment introduces unique enemy variants and platforming challenges—whether you’re dodging clawed swamp beasts or negotiating trap doors in a whorehouse hallway, the expansion keeps you alert.

Beyond new locales, the expansion sprinkles in hidden stashes of moonshine and bone-crunching close-quarters combat. Exploring every nook yields secret rooms stocked with extra ammo, health, or booby-trapped surprises. While the core movement and shooting mechanics remain unchanged, these fresh levels inject new life into Redneck Rampage’s old-school formula.

Graphics

True to its mid-’90s origins, Suckin’ Grits on Route 66 uses a 2.5D Build engine that blends sprite-based enemies with textured environments. While the visuals may appear dated by modern standards, the expansion’s artists leaned into cheesy, over-the-top set pieces—muddy swamps, lurid neon signage, and surprisingly detailed alien anatomy. The result is a colorful, if pixelated, world that oozes Southern camp.

Each of the twelve levels sports its own color palette and architectural quirks. The gator farm drips with murky greens and browns, punctuated by snapping jaws and bamboo huts. The brothel radiates lurid pinks and purples, with rotating ceiling fans casting moody shadows. The Alien Oddity Museum dazzles with metallic grays and flickering display cases—when you’re not blasting specimens back into containment, that is.

Technically, the frame rate holds steady on modern hardware thanks to community patches, and lighting effects—like muzzle flashes and torch beams—remain evocative despite the engine’s age. If you appreciate retro visuals and don’t mind pixel edges, you’ll find plenty to admire in the expansion’s gutsy, humorous aesthetic.

Story

Picking up right where Redneck Rampage left off, this expansion reunites you with Bubba and Leonard as they chase down alien invaders across America’s heartland. The narrative is as thin as old grits—think barebones setup punctuated by tongue-in-cheek dialogue—but that’s part of its charm. You’re never far from a pun or a one-liner about “yankee moonshine” and “intergalactic shrimp chomps.”

Objectives remain straightforward: clear levels of baddies, find keys or switches to unlock the next area, and ultimately put an end to the extraterrestrial threat. Story beats occur in brief text pop-ups and humorous in-game posters, so you’ll spend most of your time shooting rather than reading. Still, the expansion’s writers know their audience—expect witty NPC taunts, lurid signboards, and off-the-wall boss introductions.

While there’s no deep character development, recurring characters from the original game make cameo appearances, lending continuity and a bit of nostalgia. If you came for the slapstick humor and zaniness, Suckin’ Grits on Route 66 delivers in generous helpings.

Overall Experience

Suckin’ Grits on Route 66 stands as a robust extension of Redneck Rampage’s brawny, backwoods mayhem. Its dozen new levels, each bursting with quirky set pieces and mutant foes, prolong the base game’s addiction to explosive action and dark humor. Whether you’re blasting gators in the swamp or zapping aliens in a museum, the expansion rarely lets the tempo drop.

Of course, this package isn’t without its quirks. The Build engine’s walls can feel boxy, and collision quirks may occasionally trap you against scenery. But community-maintained patches iron out most technical wrinkles, ensuring smooth play on modern rigs. Plus, the sheer nostalgia factor—complete with twangy banjo tracks and hick accents—makes it a delight for retro FPS aficionados.

In the end, Redneck Rampage: Suckin’ Grits on Route 66 is a must-play for fans craving more of Bubba and Leonard’s hillbilly hijinks. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it polishes it with extra grit, humor, and explosive mayhem. Strap on your shotgun, keep your wits about you, and enjoy this rollicking trip down a very redneck Route 66.

Retro Replay Score

6.6/10