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Postal 2 Review - PC

Warning: Postal 2 may offend, disgrace, or even bring a tear to your eye. If you are narrow minded, weak, or easily offended this game is not recommended. Yet if violence is your forte, Postal 2 could be just right for you. With an all-new 'adventure' for The Postal Dude, Postal 2 rips to shreds it's controversial predecessor in nearly everyway, and takes a big step up from the 2D top-down view, to a 3D FPS using Epic's Unreal Warfare Engine. Sure it sounds impressive, and though the game is admittedly rather enjoyable, it's not without it's problems - some so bad in fact, that they may hinder the overall gaming experience.

Gameplay

The game basically puts you in the shoes of the Postal Dude for five days, were you must run errands for Postal Dude's "B**ch" throughout Paradise. And that's it! There is no doubt that the storyline is weak. Sure, it starts off well and fresh, but as the game gradually wears on the motivation to continue starts to drop, though the key to Postal 2's success isn't necessarily what meets the eye. Sure, picking up some milk or getting Gary Coleman's autograph may seem bland on the surface, though scratch through the covering a little and you will witness the voluptuous insides of the game. That is, you can do basically whatever you want, and how you want. The game is completely open-minded, non-linear and an errand can be completed in a number of different ways.

For example, need to cash your paycheck, only to find the line is huge? Sure, you could wait your turn, or alternatively, you could pump lead into every single person you see, whilst entering a giant vault and taking whatever cash you lay your eyes on. While all this is happening, you will be witness to a small cut-scene of cops who are about to raid the joint, only giving yourself enough time to pour petrol over the entrance and chuck a match just as the cops enter through the door. Sounds disgusting and ethically wrong? Don't complain; the game is only as violent as you are.

Which brings me to my next point - Postal 2 has the ability to be violent and just plain wrong on so many levels, yet at the same time is incredibly immersive and hard to put down. It will constantly make you think, "Did I just see that?" and chances are you did. You can smack off heads using a shovel, attach a cat to your shotty and use it as a silencer, or even urinate on people to make them puke - this game has it all. Definitely not for the weak hearted.

To advance throughout the game, all that needs to be acquired is the completion of errands for each day, starting off at Monday and ending on Friday. If you're quick and uninventive, expect the game to take only a few hours to complete. For ... (continued next page)