12.5 hours played
Written 3 days ago
Postal: Brain Damaged is a boomer-shooter set in the universe of the Postal series, taking place in the Dude's dream.
The game trades the traditional, task-based system most games in the series are known for, for a more combat-based, high octane play style, more similiar to games like Doom. The game also differs from the rest of the series in presentation, utilizing more abstract, low-poly graphics and beautifully animated 2D cutscenes.
The game takes heavy inspiration from the cult classic Postal 2, borrowing things such as the iconic user interface, but also including twisted versions of the many enemies and factions the Dude meets in that game, including characters such as members of the marching band or the gimps.
However, the game doesn't shy away from influences from the infamously controversial first installment of the series, Postal. Many characters ressemble the demons from the loading screens. Another clever reference to the first game is, well, [spoiler] the presence of the demon from Postal 1 himself, with Rick Hunter being his voice actor [/spoiler], which is a cool nod to those who played the first game.
The gun play feels great and fluid, with every weapon being useful to at least some degree, with no early weapons suffering a power creep later on in the game (maybe aside for the shovel). The parkour elements and the occasional puzzles never overstay their welcome and do not influence the game negatively.
What has to be mentioned, is that the game is expertly balanced. I played on normal difficulty, and I never felt underpowered or overpowered. Even in the last levels, the enemies still pose a threat and have to be respected. You can't jump in the crowd with a bunch of health pipes and expect to survive, making tactial thinking a must in the game. The boss fights are challenging, and beating them always takes a few tries, but I never felt frustrated, or like the game was not treating me fair.
Not everyone is as positive as me when it comes to the comedy and jokes in the game, but I'm very fond of them. The iconic one-liners the Dude is known for make a return, with a bunch of them being completely new. What is definitely a negative however, is the overdependency on modern memes, which makes the game age extremely fast, and some jokes feel more cringe than funny. The majority of them are very funny despite the odds, and I like how they adapted the game into a more modern setting, making dude face furries and cosplayers during a Comic-Con in one of the missions. The game is also filled with a great amount of references to other media, like Star Wars, Evangelion, Gundam, Lord of the Rings and Alien among others, which are a treat.
The music definitely deserves praise as well. The tracks feel energetic when they want to, and more atmospheric whenever the game feels like it should. My favourite tracks are definitely the great ambient track from the "Finding a Cure" mission, as well as the anime opening from the final chapter.
The game has little to no story, but a I feel like a game like this does not need one. Postal has always been about the gameplay and comedy, and this game is no different. Though what's there in the story department is solid. I especially like the feature of Dude losing his entire equipment at the beginning of a new act, of which there are three. It really forces you to adapt and use weapons you wouldn't even consider in a given scenario, making the game feel unique and fresh.
I really love this game. It's a fun spin-off, and I will definitely play the DLC when it comes out. The only thing I wanna add is that I hope the devs fix the geometry of some areas, where nowadays you can easily fall victim to an unexpected softlock, as well as the sometimes inconsitant auto-checkpoints, which are way more common in some levels than in others.
Play POSTAL Brain Damaged! It's definitely a treat for every Postal fan!