Probably unlike most people, I wasn't attracted by all the media
coverage that came with that game. I first read about Postal in a
'Preview' section of a gaming magazine. I liked the idea of some guy
going 'Postal'. That's all. This alone made me look at the box in the
store. Also, the graphics proposed a different style of game. Not just
another 'Doom clone'. Somehow refreshing. The screenshots shown were
also good enough to convince me that this one wouldn't be that bad.
So I bought it.
The game: It's gory, it's cruel, it's insane. I like it. I showed it to
most of my friends, often feeling guilty to like that kind of
entertainment. Either they liked it or they didn't. The ones who did
laughed at the gratuitous violence and explicit pain, the ones who did
not said 'what kind of sick game is this?'. So If you think the plot is
crazy, I guess it's just not your type. But if the idea has some appeal
for your inner-demon, it's a must.
The controls are simple, you run walk or run, duck, sidestep, turn. You
can even customize the speed at which your character turns. Maybe a bit
of more variety would have been better.
One complaint I have is that, when you've completed one level, you've
done them all. There's never a new type of enemy, only their weapons
will change. The scenery, though, is beautifully designed and always
different in all of the 15 levels or so. There are also many different
point of views: Top-down a la Loaded, or 3/4 side view like Diablo or
Crusader.
But even if the game seems to be so repetitive, every time I pop the CD
in I just can't stop playing for an hour or two. Even when I don't feel
like playing, seeing someone playing makes me want to play again. It's
amazing how you can get hooked easily by Postal.
The weapons are nice, they all sound very good too (except for your
trusty automatic rifle, which could be waaay better). Explosions are
great, and the rest of the sounds are excellent and also adjustable with
the mixer, which lets you choose what should be louder or quieter
in-game.
The Multiplayer will be real fun, it has to be. With up to 16 sickos
running around throwing Cocktail Molotovs and Napalm, how could it be
bad? No service offers it yet (last time I checked). Mplayer and
Heat.net will offer it and both programs are given on the CD, which is a
plus.
The Editor is one tricky program. Not long ago a manual was given at
www.RipcordGames.com but I still need to figure it out. Not that simple.
No instructions came with the manual about it either. Very frustrating.
So finally, I'd say if you only look at it with a wicked grin, give it a
try!
By Benoit Tremblay
Posted 10/21/97
