The game is set in the cartoonish universe of birds that was first introduced in Rocketbirds: Revolution. The city of Albatropolis was subdued by a ruthless army of penguins led by dictator Putzki. You assume the role of Hardboiled Chicken, a rebel commando rooster who is tasked with killing the tyrant. He will, however, eventually discover there’s much more behind the penguins’ plot.
The game is divided into “chapters” which are split into very small levels, usually the size of one screen each. There are also several air levels in which Hardboiled Chicken flies on his jetpack. Most of the time, though, he walks through penguin military bases, climbing, hiding, solving puzzles, and shooting the guards on his way with various firearms. This is where the game’s “childish” visual style and tongue-in-cheek humor contrast its bloody action. There’s a co-op mode for two players that mostly uses the same maps but is based on a different plot about a kidnapped general's daughter.
Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken is most famous for music. Many intros, animated cutscenes and even some of the levels are set to synth rock music by the Austrian band New World Revolution.