Running With Scissors are back with a remastering of the original 1997 isometreic twin stick shooter, Postal with Postal Redux. With a fresh lick of paint against a more desensitized audience how well does the game stack up and is it worth a revisit for a second time. Take a look at our Postal Redux review for the full picture.
Postal Redux Review:
Today we’re taking a look at Running With Scissors action packed isometric twin stick shooter Postal Redux which is a remastering of the original 1997 release of Postal. A lot has changed since then and perhaps what’s probably most striking is the gaming audience is less shocked by such comical violence especially in light of games such as Hatred which follow the same course.
In Postal, you play as “the Postal Dude” an unnamed nutjob who’s had enough of society having seemingly been evicted from his home and goes on a rampage killing all and everyone who gets in his way, coining the phrase going postal. The idea of the game is to simply kill a set number of people or hostile opposing forces in each level to open up the exit although killing everyone is entirely optional. This means you’re up against police officers, SWAT teams and even the military to name but a few good guys aiming to gun you down. It’s a simple game to play although a lack of being able to move the camera does mean sometimes your view is blocked by the scenery. It’s a twin stick shooter at heart and with it comes a variety of weapons such as a revolver, auto shotgun, rocket launcher and a collection of throwables such as Molotovs and grenades to name a few. You’re also able to destroy innocent looking barrels for extra carnage and lay mines.
There’s really not much to say about the game as its simplicity is its greatest asset, you simply point and shoot, although there is a duck move should you need to avoid incoming rockets. The game provides a variety of scenarios to wade through across its levels and with the same objective for each although as you delve deeper into the madness the opposition becomes more determined to take you down. The only real tactic here is to use the best weapon against particular opposition and using the better guns on tougher foes. You can pick up new gear and health should you need to which lends itself to the arcade nature of the gameplay.
What’s probably most exciting about the Redux element is an improvement in the game’s visuals, although by today’s standards they are lacking in details and feel quite retro in their approach. The game speed also feels more fluid and faster paced over its original game, making for a more arcade like experience which is good.
The audio is a bit muted though and whilst there’s plenty of sound effects and one-liners the overall sound is lacking in a proper drive in the campaign which for some might be a good thing if you’re not into screeching guitars. The alternative Rampage mode fares much better with some banging beats to maim and kill alongside which is great.
In terms of longevity Postal Redux is a single player game through and through where perhaps co-op could have worked, although let’s not forget this is a remaster rather than a complete new game. You’ll be able to wade through the levels in little to no time with not much incentive to replay the campaign again aside from upping the difficulty and trying again. To combat this, the additional new rampage mode which reuses the same assets from the campaign adds a score multiplyer to proceedings with the aim of racking up high scores in true arcade fashion. It’s a faster paced game which does well to hold your interest but is ultimately lacking depth and can only be played in small doses.
Postal Redux is very much a throwback game to the 90s with an overall improvement in visuals but still maintaining a retro flavour. The gameplay is rather mindless and the shock value is perhaps wasted on today’s GTA soaked generation but at least there’s some fun times to be had here in short bursts. If you were a fan of the original then this is worth checking out for nostalgias sake, but if simply running and gunning with tons of comical violence isn’t your calling then you’re likely not going to gel too well with what’s on offer here.
Score – 6.5/10
