Gamers have seen a lot of controversial video games over the years, but few have pushed the envelope more than the infamous Postal series. The game has been labeled as a mass shooting simulator and has even been banned in multiple parts of the world.

The first three Postal games are all very different from each other. While the overall premise remains the same, each entry has its own unique play style. The first game is much more simplistic and arcade-like than its successors. It's a top-down shooter, similar to classic '90s games like Loaded or Smash TV. Players take the role of a man known only as "Postal Dude" as he wanders around a city gunning down "hostiles" and anything else that gets in his way. It is a linear experience one would expect from a top-down shooter from the mid-to-late-'90s.

Running with Scissors, Postal's creator, eventually gave the game a facelift when it released a remastered version titled Postal: Redux in 2016.

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video game character setting npcs on fire

Postal 2 is the series' most notorious entry, finding harsh backlash as well as underground success. Running with Scissors traded the top-down perspective for a first-person view, giving players more control over the Postal Dude. Players are given a list of daily objectives they must complete over the course of a week. These objectives consist of daily errands, like buying eggs at the local supermarket or picking up their paycheck from work.

The interesting thing about Postal 2 is it's only as violent as players want it to be. All the graphic violence is optional and isn't necessary to complete the game. Gamers can complete each task without blasting away any locals or police. On the other hand, players can cause as much chaos as they like and even light people on fire and urinate on their burning bodies. It is entirely up to players on how they approach each objective. This feature is often overlooked due to the game's controversial reputation.

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Meanwhile, Postal III is often viewed as the bastard stepchild of the series. Running with Scissors outsourced the games to a small Russian studio called Akella that completely mishandled the IP. Running with Scissors allowed Akella to publish the game, while an internal Akella company called Trashmasters handled its development. Akella fell on hard times shortly after obtaining Postal III, causing the game to suffer.

Postal III turned out completely different from what Running with Scissors envisioned. All the gritty charm and politically incorrect humor felt forced, making the game feel like a shell of its former self. It also scrapped the first-person perspective and open-world for a linear, third-person experience. This outraged fans and caused major tension between the two companies. Akella refused to give Running with Scissors Postal III's source code, which pushed the company to completely disown the game.

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After dealing with the Postal III fiasco, Running with Scissors decided to make a proper Postal 2 sequel without depending on outside publishers or developers. The company got to work on Postal 4: No Regerts, which is currently in early access on Steam. It has everything fans know and love from Postal 2, with a few additional features. The game returns to the first-person perspective while expanding the second game's open world. It more than makes up for the abomination of Postal III, allowing players to wreak having on the fictional town of Paradise once again.

It appears Postal fans have even more to look forward to after the announcement of Postal: Brain Damaged. The upcoming game will put a retro horror spin on the series to give it a bit of a Doom II vibe. The game will follow Postal Dude as he explores an asylum crawling with bizarre creatures and madmen. It will include Postal's iconic crude humor and extreme violence while taking the franchise in a new and exciting direction.

The Postal franchise is a series that thrives on controversy and rubbing people the wrong way. While the franchise isn't for everybody, its graphic content and hilarious politically incorrect humor makes it a true cult classic. Concerned parents and politicians continue to criticize the franchise and have even banned the series in over 10 countries. Running With Scissors somehow manages to persevere through the endless criticism, giving players a video game series unlike any other.

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