Recently released Post: Brain damage. This is a spin-off of the popular series, where the Dude will become like Doomguy, collect lots of cool weapons and shoot, chop and defeat enemies uncontrollably. Gamers appreciated the concept: On Steam, the project has 96 percent positive reviews – but should you pay attention to the new product? I’ve completed Postal: Brain Damaged and I’m rushing to share my impressions!
What did you expect from Postal: Brain Damaged?
Mail is loved in Russia and CIS countries. While other countries banned the game and called it a threat to society, our gamers enthusiastically ran pants down Paradise, muffled cats, fought conservationists and intolerantly vandalized a bar for sexual minorities.
In the early 2000s, the series impressed with indulgence. One time we interviewed Postal creators Vince Desi and Mike Jaret and realized that the guys are still getting high from the work being done.
Unfortunately, a lot of time has passed since the release of the second part of the cult, and the series has not progressed. The dude is stuck in the past: he still runs through the ugly world, poisoning old jokes and trying to impress with outdated tricks. But gamers are no longer surprised by a muffler cat, the ability to pee on passers-by and petitions. For decades developers haven’t changed their approach – unsurprisingly Post 4 turned out to be junk.
Thankfully, Postal: Brain Damaged proves that the Dude’s time isn’t up yet. The spin-off authors made a huge change to the gameplay, turning the hero into Doomguy, now he quickly rushes through locations, juggles guns and turns crowds of pretentious enemies into inanimate flesh. The game has its flaws, but if you like purebred shooters with a twist of antiques, don’t pass up on the novelty.
What do you think of the Postal series?
Storyline
Whatever the Dude took up, it inevitably ended in disaster. Even the most innocuous tasks, such as cashing a check or going to the library, turned into a firefight with explosions and murders.
All of this affected both the Dude’s physical and mental health. It was only a matter of time before the hero’s mind went wild, and that’s what happened. One day he turned on the TV and fell asleep but woke up in a very strange place. The guy realizes that he is in a dream, but attempts to wake up only lead to new problems.
As you progress, the developers bring up philosophical topics about consumer culture and zombies, as well as joke about trends and tolerance. Perhaps the main feature of the plot is the presence of the second Dude, who runs away from the hero throughout the game. Who is this and why is he needed? Find out in the final.
Sorry, there is no translation in RussianHowever, the dream itself turned out to be funny. The screenwriters managed to replenish the stash of Dude’s jokes: just one joke about Doomguy’s adventures will make you laugh out loud.
The developers occasionally give a smile and do so very resourcefully. What do you think of the boss in the form of a giant grandmother, who was cheated in the store for a few cents? Now she walks angrily through the arena, preparing to destroy anyone who stands in her way.
Overall, the story is acceptable for a retro shooter. You shouldn’t expect anything serious from her, but she does justify the Dude’s movement through strange worlds.
Gameplay
The guy sleeps, and in a dream he doesn’t have to go through life clumsily and defeated, a guy who wins only through arrogance, anger and stubbornness. Now he has become as agile as Doomguy: he runs fast, glides deftly through the arenas and surprises his enemies with new tricks.
The main feature of the spin-off is a cool weapon. A circular saw that can cut ruffians to pieces and block the shot. A smart gun that looks like a smart gun from Titanfall – If you aim, the bullets will reach the enemy using homing. Shotgun, to which a chain was attached – with its help you can be attracted to the villains and fly around the location in the style of Doomguy from a suitable DO Eternally. A rocket launcher that also spews sacred grenades.
There are also more elaborate weapons. How about a sniper bow that shoots hefty sex toys? What about the local version of the BFG that ignites energy brains? It is curious that all tribes are relevant to the end. Even as the arsenal grows, do not forget about the starting Smart Pistol – it is most effective against mobile opponents.
In addition, the Dude has plenty of other tricks. He still hasn’t forgotten how to pee endlessly – while the jet is so powerful it confuses enemies. And if you drink a special potion, the hero in the process will set opponents on fire, freeze or madden, forcing them to attack allies.
Plus, the Dude can kick bad guys, block bullets, or even parry shots and bounce them back. If you use the skill in time, the grandfather will fall from his own salvo with a shotgun. You need to use skills regularly: there are many enemies, they shoot accurately even from a long distance, and the health of the Dude is not enough.
The range of weapons, consumables and abilities is impressive enough to make it fun to play through. In many ways, this is the merit of a solid bestiary, forcing you to juggle guns and run wild around the arena.
Opponents fire from a distance, make quick sprints at the Dude, throw grenades, fly through the air, cast spells, imitate snipers, dodge volleys, and so on. At the same time, each creature has its own vulnerabilities: for example, you must first pee on a smart special agent – this will catch him so that you can finish him.
Of course, opponents are not burdened with intelligence and are completely harmless in small groups. But when crowds of enemies descend on the hero, things get hot. In order not to go to heaven, you have to sweat.
The locations are also commendable. Unfortunately, not all of them are inventive and beautiful, but they lack diversity. The hero begins his journey in an ordinary American city, which was clearly designed by Christopher Nolan, and then looks inside a psychiatric hospital, a secret biological laboratory, a spaceship and other original places.
It is curious that the developers managed to fill even an ordinary area with content. For example, at the starting level you can look at residential buildings: they all look alike, but in one there is a rock party, the second is occupied by a hundred cats, and in the third there is clearly a prepper, who has spent all his savings on toilet paper.
Moreover, the locations are full of secrets. There is always an opportunity to crawl through a hole and find something interesting there: for example, a reference to cosplay star Alsina Dimitrescu.
But no matter how hard the developers try, Postal: Brain Damaged’s budget is striking. All levels are made up of a meager amount of assets, there are catastrophically few models for NPCs and the passage is lengthened by going back – the Dude will have to regularly run around the same places to get a color key, then return to the right door .
Graphics, System Requirements and Sound
In general, it makes no sense to discuss the graphics – everything can be seen from the screenshots. If you don’t mind retro visuals and aren’t into pixel art, Brain Damaged probably won’t disappoint you. In terms of image, however, the spin-off is still inferior to other games of a similar genre: for example, a good Turbo Overkill looks much more stylish and expensive.
But the system requirements are modest. To play the game, all you need is a GTX 780M graphics card, a fourth-generation Intel i5 processor, and 4GB of RAM. True, in optimization everything is unimportant: gamers complain that the spin-off seriously heats even video cards of the GTX 1070 level.
But with the sound everything is fine. The gameplay is regularly accompanied by driving tracks, the cannons sound convincing and the Dude is voiced by the legendary Corey Cruise. At the same time, some compositions are so good that they are sure to fill the playlist of many gamers. Listen for yourself.
Postal: Brain Damaged is a great retro shooter with fun, aggressive gameplay. The spin-off lacks fresh ideas and the budget is sometimes embarrassing, but overall the passage leaves a pleasant impression. And Brain Damaged is definitely the best thing that’s happened to Dude since the release of Postal 2.
Will you be hacking in Postal: Brain Damaged?
Source: VG Times
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.