What is POSTAL?
POSTAL is a controversial shoot em up style game series developed by, Arizona based company, Running With Scissors (RWS). Each game is almost nothing like the last - so let's get into what makes each of them so special!
Spoiler warning below for all the games!
Hit the buttons above the title to go learn about something else POSTAL related.
POSTAL (NOV. 1997)
The first POSTAL game is nearly the polar opposite of what the series would later become. It's the only entry that isn't full of raunchy humor and turns up the horror factor that comes along with "local man goes on a rampage". Each level begins with an eerie loading screen and an entry from The Dude's diary, later titled "War Journal", getting more and more demented as his rampage carries on.
The original ending is possibly the darkest example of how different this is from the other games. The player is loaded into a playground full of children. The objective is the same as every other level prior, kill and move on. As the player fills the screen with bullets, grenades, or whatever ammo they have left after dealing with the other "hostiles" they realize something is off. The children are going unharmed. They are left to sit and listen to the fire crackle and the bullets rain down over the sound of children playing. Until our character passes out. At that level was a hallucination... maybe.
The screen fades to black and we hear a voice slowly getting louder talking about The Postal Dude, referring to him as "our subject". Implying that Dude and the player have been put to a stop. We get shown a cell with a massive barricaded door, a straight jacket and mask have been put on our character. Screams are slowly growing louder in the background. The voice says "We may never know exactly what set him off but, rest assured, we will have plenty of time to study him."
It cuts to credits. Our goal has been completed. Humanity is safe now. The rampage is over.
POSTAL 2 (APRIL 2003)
dear LORD good thing this game is funny and goofy
POSTAL 3 (DEC. 2011)
doomed from the start :(
POSTAL 4: NO REGERTS (APRIL 2022)
its still janky, but thats postal for ya
POSTAL: BRAIN DAMAGED (JUNE 2022)
already has outdated humor, but its still fun :)
Okay, but Whats the Story Behind It?
im working on it :( give me a sec
Why I ♡ POSTAL
alright its time to get a bit cringey and express emotion and interest in things
i got into POSTAL in late june of 2022 (specifically 6.23.22) i was on a controversial game kick. i had just started playing Hatred in april of the same year and was constantly trying to find more "banned" games. preferably ones that are actually interesting and not just parodies of real world events yk? (sorry jfk reloaded. but now is not ur time)
thats when i stumbled upon TotallyPointlessTV's video essay on the POSTAL series and i had to play it for myself. i picked up the first game (which is f2p, go. go play it now if u havent) the same day after watching that video lolol
my favorite iteration of the series is POSTAL: Brain Damaged -- i know its just a spin off but the stylistic change and change in gameplay are both wonderful ♡ (plus the bits of animation sprinkled thru the game are so nice ! its good to see dude in something that isnt choppy 3d animations for once)
i LOVE all of the games though. (yes even postal 3, the gameplay sucks. the story is barely there. but corey cruise being the VA makes it worth at least trying to play) each one being its own experience is what keeps the series so fresh and fun even if all of them boil down to "murder rampage simulator"
another big reason why i love POSTAL is that the dev team does! i mean - thats just because its an indie title i guess but idk. i havent seen any other dev team be fully into the community like the POSTAL team is. maybe its because theyre a bit primitive (having a fanart section on their site... that you email to be apart) makes them feel more willing to interact with the fans. or the fact they continue to update games (POSTAL 2 being 20yrs old and still getting quality updates) while working on new entries in the franchise. or that they put little fandom jokes and creators in the game itself (civvie/his sewer count being in POSTAL 4)
but it all makes the games feel full of hardwork and love ♡ which is weird to say about one of the most controversial game series of all time. but its true, and its amazing
OKAY IM DONE BEING SAPPY NOW. GO READ SOME OTHER SHIT
