Info about POSTAL:

Official game description:
Take control of The POSTAL Dude in his infamous first outing as he battles to survive in a world gone mad! POSTAL is a classic isometric shooter filled to the brim with fast-paced explosive action. Crazed gunmen out for your blood await you around every corner, and your only choice is to get them before they get you. Fight back with a destructive arsenal as make your way through a violence-stricken town.  
It's time to go POSTAL!  
*   New control options - use your mouse or dual analog sticks. None of that tank control insanity!  
*   Get your friends together for LAN Multiplayer - co-op or deathmatch for up to 16 players.  
*   Blast your way through 22 levels: Includes the original 16 level campaign, 4 from the Special Delivery expansion and 2 previously Japanese-exclusive levels.  
*   Test yourself with one of 22 bonus Challenge stages, across 4 categories. Or play through all of them in The Gauntlet.  
*   9 devastating weapons: Defend yourself with varied tools of mayhem. Take aim with the Scatter Gun! Clear out rooms with Grenades, Mines, and the almighty Napalm Launcher! Whip out Heatseeker Rockets for those big groups!  
*   Wide range of foes: Defend yourself from Molotov-tossing Grenadiers, gun-toting Infantryman, rocket-firing Heavy-Weapons Experts (don't forget to duck!), and angry Ostriches!  
*   Non-stop, guns-blazing, adrenaline-fueled action!  
*   Fully-voiced Japanese audio available!

Release date: Nov 14, 1997

Categories: Top-Down Tactical Shooter, Action, Isometric Action-RPG, Dark Humor, Violence, Open-World Exploration, Psychological Horror, Controversial Themes

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 70; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The game faces significant issues related to Linux compatibility and control schemes. Users report high friction in setting up and playing the game on Linux, which is a major barrier. Additionally, the controls are often cited as difficult and not intuitive, impacting the overall gameplay experience. While some users appreciate the gameplay and find it fun, the technical and control issues are substantial detractors.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Enjoyable and fun gameplay (weight 0.64): Many players find the gameplay enjoyable, fun, and a good way to pass time. The game is recommended for its engaging and simple yet fast-paced gameplay.
- Good graphics and sound (weight 0.51): The game is praised for its graphics and sound effects, which are considered good for its time, with excellent sound design and awesome music.
- Engaging narrative (weight 0.35): The game features an engaging and unique narrative style, with a storyline that is considered deep and interesting.
- Variety in gameplay (weight 0.32): The game offers a variety of enemies, weapons, and tactics, making the gameplay interactive, strategic, and non-turn-based.
- Atmospheric and dark (weight 0.28): The game's atmosphere is described as dark, eerie, and horrifying, with a gritty and disturbing mood that enhances the overall experience.
- Recommended for various audiences (weight 0.26): The game is recommended for kids, as a classic, and for those looking to let off steam or enjoy a fun experience with the whole family.
- Stress-relieving experience (weight 0.24): Players find the game to be a good way to relieve stress and relax, making it a recommended experience for stress relief.
- Dark humor and violence (weight 0.23): The game is known for its dark humor, over-the-top violence, and offensive humor, which adds to its unique and controversial style.
- Freedom to create chaos (weight 0.2): Players appreciate the freedom to kill people, create chaos, and commit various actions without restrictions, adding to the game's unique appeal.
- Nostalgic and enjoyable (weight 0.18): Despite its age and outdated graphics, the game remains enjoyable due to nostalgia and its unique qualities.
- Unique and controversial classic (weight 0.14): The game is considered a classic with a controversial style, groundbreaking for its time, and unique in its presentation.
- Interesting achievements (weight 0.13): The game offers interesting and challenging achievements, adding to its replayability and engagement.
- Well-designed levels (weight 0.11): The game's level design is praised for looking good and being well-designed, contributing to the overall gameplay experience.
- Weapons feel satisfying (weight 0.1): Players appreciate the range of weapons and the satisfying feel of using them in the game.
- Cool and interesting game (weight 0.1): The game is described as old but cool, with interesting qualities that make it stand out.
- Portuguese reviews highlight fun chaos (weight 0.09): Portuguese reviews describe the game as a paradise for those who need more shooting and less routine, with a unique and sometimes incomprehensible charm.

Common complaints:
- Repetitive gameplay (weight 0.38): The gameplay is often described as repetitive and boring, with repetitive mechanics and levels that feel stale.
- Poor and outdated controls (weight 0.35): Controls are criticized as archaic, poor, and outdated, making the game difficult to play, especially for new players.
- Less fun than Postal 2 (weight 0.22): Players find the game less enjoyable and humorous compared to Postal 2, citing a lack of funny moments and gruesome humor.
- Grindy and tedious achievements (weight 0.2): Achievements are criticized as being grindy, tedious, and sometimes impossible to complete, adding frustration rather than enjoyment.
- Lack of meaningful plot (weight 0.13): The game lacks a meaningful plot, especially when compared to Postal 2, and has minimal humor.
- Disturbing atmosphere (weight 0.12): The game has a heavy, unsettling atmosphere with disturbing images and motifs that can be off-putting.
- Bullet-sponge enemies (weight 0.1): Enemies are often criticized as being too tanky, requiring excessive effort to defeat.
- Insufficient levels (weight 0.07): Players feel there are not enough levels, leading to a lack of content and replayability.
- Limited music and sound (weight 0.06): The game has very little music, which only appears briefly and does not enhance the gameplay experience.
- Weak shotgun mechanics (weight 0.06): The shotgun is criticized as feeling weak and ineffective, detracting from the combat experience.

Gameplay feedback:
- Violence against civilians and authorities (weight 0.18): The game allows players to kill civilians and police, with the protagonist experiencing psychotic episodes that lead to civilian casualties.
- Controversial and violent storyline (weight 0.18): The game is designed to shock, featuring a protagonist who hates society and a storyline set in a violent and controversial year for gaming.
- Dark and offensive humor (weight 0.17): The game features dark, offensive, and absurd black humor throughout its narrative and gameplay.
- Story-driven and kill-focused gameplay (weight 0.14): The gameplay is centered around a compelling storyline and focused on killing enemies, providing a non-turn-based experience.
- Psychological and strategic elements (weight 0.14): The game includes psychological horror and strategy elements, adding depth to the gameplay experience.
- Mixed reactions to gameplay (weight 0.13): Player opinions on gameplay vary widely, from 'meh' to 'very good,' indicating a diverse range of experiences.
- Over-the-top and controversial violence (weight 0.12): The game is known for its over-the-top and controversial violence, including blood and gore.
- DOOM-like and action-packed gameplay (weight 0.12): The game offers a fast-paced, action-packed experience similar to DOOM, with top-down shooter mechanics.
- Challenging enemy waves (weight 0.11): Players face waves of challenging enemies with different types, adding to the game's difficulty and variety.
- Chaotic world and physics (weight 0.11): The game features a chaotic world design and physics, contributing to a sense of madness and unpredictability.
- Variety of weapons (weight 0.08): Players have access to a variety of weapons, ranging from submachine guns to a napalm launcher.
- Deranged anti-hero protagonist (weight 0.08): The protagonist is a deranged anti-hero who experiences psychotic episodes, adding a dark and controversial element to the storyline.
- Isometric perspective (weight 0.08): The game features isometric maps and perspective, offering a distinct visual style.
- Simple but fun gameplay (weight 0.08): The gameplay is described as simple but fun, although sometimes rough around the edges.
- Interesting level design (weight 0.08): The game features interesting and well-designed levels, contributing to the overall gameplay experience.
- Schizoid protagonist (weight 0.08): The main character is portrayed as a schizoid individual going crazy, adding a psychological depth to the storyline.
- Open-world shooting (weight 0.08): The game combines open-world elements with shooting mechanics, providing a unique gameplay experience.
- Horror elements in a shooter (weight 0.08): The game features a horrifying shooter experience, blending horror elements with shooting mechanics.
- Unique camera angles (weight 0.07): The game offers unique and different camera angles, enhancing the visual experience.
- Customizable controls (weight 0.07): The game offers customizable controls, including dual analog options, enhancing the player's control over the gameplay.
- Character development (weight 0.07): The game features character development and portrayal, adding depth to the narrative.
- Multiple locations (weight 0.07): The game includes multiple locations with varied designs, providing a diverse gameplay experience.
- Shooting mechanics (weight 0.07): The game focuses on shooting mechanics, which are central to the gameplay experience.
- Emotional impact (weight 0.07): The game has an emotional impact on players, adding depth to the overall experience.
- Fast movement (weight 0.07): The game features rapid movement and shooting, contributing to a fast-paced gameplay experience.
- Simple but well-made story (weight 0.07): The game features a simple but well-made story, contributing to the overall narrative experience.
- Sound effects (weight 0.07): The game features sound effects, including those in the main menu, enhancing the overall audio experience.
- Japanese levels included (weight 0.07): The game includes Japanese release levels, adding variety to the gameplay experience.
- Level progression (weight 0.07): The game's levels are open but progress cannot be continued if the save is lost, affecting the gameplay experience.
- Menus and loading screens (weight 0.06): The game includes menus and loading screens, which are part of the overall user interface and experience.

Performance notes:
- Performance on modern systems (weight 0.23): The game runs smoothly on modern systems but also has some problems. It is noted for solid performance and high FPS, but there are also issues with compatibility and optimization.
- Compatibility with different setups (weight 0.11): The game has compatibility issues with various setups, including retro setups and modern systems. Some players have to use workarounds to run the game.
- Controller and aiming issues (weight 0.08): Players have reported issues with using controllers, particularly with aiming using a joystick. This can make the game difficult to play for those using controllers.
- Minimization and tabbing issues (weight 0.07): The game has issues with screen minimization and closing when tabbing out, which can disrupt gameplay.
- Jankiness and awkward animations (weight 0.07): The game has issues with jankiness and stiff or awkward animations, which can detract from the overall gaming experience.
- Game progression bug (weight 0.04): There is a bug where the game does not progress after defeating hostiles, which can hinder the player's ability to complete the game.
- Low system requirements (weight 0.04): The game has very low system requirements, making it accessible to players with less powerful hardware.

Recommendations:
- Redux version recommended (weight 0.32): Many reviews suggest that the Redux version of the game offers a better experience with improved graphics and gameplay. It is often recommended over the original version.
- Recommended for fans of violent games (weight 0.3): This game is highly recommended for players who enjoy dark, brutal, and controversial themes. It is noted for its violent content and is suggested for those with a strong stomach.
- Historically significant game (weight 0.17): The game is noted for its historical significance in the development of the gaming industry, particularly for those interested in the evolution of video games in the late 90s.
- Worth trying for free (weight 0.11): Since the game is free to play, many reviews suggest that it is worth trying out, especially for those curious about the Postal series.
- Not for the faint of heart (weight 0.11): The game is noted for its controversial and violent themes, making it unsuitable for those sensitive to such content.
- Recommended for fans of the series (weight 0.1): The game is recommended for fans of the Postal series and those who enjoy top-down shooters.
- Unique and provocative experience (weight 0.08): The game offers a unique and provocative experience that is notable and unforgettable for fans of unconventional and boundary-pushing games.
- Good for achievement hunters (weight 0.07): The game is recommended for players who enjoy hunting for achievements and can be a good way to pass time and relax.
- Check controls before playing (weight 0.04): Some reviews mention that it is important to check the controls before playing to ensure a smooth gaming experience.

Other player notes:
- Achievements and trading cards (weight 0.08): Players have expressed interest in Steam achievements and trading cards, indicating a desire for more integration with Steam features.
- Asset reuse allegations (weight 0.04): There are comments alleging that the developers took models or assets from another game, which could indicate concerns about originality.
- Comparison to another game (weight 0.04): Some players have compared the game to another browser-based game called 'Кубезумие 2' on VK, suggesting similarities or shared elements.

Emotions:
- Enjoyment (weight 0.15): Players enjoy the game's dark and gritty atmosphere, engaging gameplay mechanics, and the freedom to create chaos and use black humor. The unique pixel art style, fast-paced action, and the protagonist's dark inner world also contribute to the overall fun and enjoyable experience.
- Positive (weight 0.08): Players appreciate the game's dark humor, sinister tone, and fun gameplay. The game's unique emotional experience, simplicity, and strategic gameplay are also highlighted as positive aspects.
- Frustration (weight 0.08): Players are frustrated with various technical issues such as game crashes, camera problems, and control mechanics. Additionally, repetitive gameplay, outdated mechanics, and difficulty in completing certain tasks or levels contribute to the frustration.
- Excitement (weight 0.07): Players are excited by the game's extreme violence, disturbing content, and chaotic nature. The engaging story, fast-paced action, and unique game concept also contribute to the excitement.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.07): Players feel nostalgic due to the game's cult status, historical significance, and memories associated with playing it. The classic gameplay, atmosphere, and comparison to other games in the series evoke a sense of nostalgia.
- Disappointment (weight 0.06): Players are disappointed with the game's outdated nature, lack of expected features, and poor gameplay. Comparisons to other games in the series and the game's short length also contribute to the disappointment.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.04): Players find satisfaction in the game's solid gameplay, good level design, and straightforward approach. The enjoyable gunplay, comfortable controls, and overall positive experience contribute to the satisfaction.
- Fear (weight 0.04): Players experience fear due to the game's dark atmosphere, disturbing images, and psychological horror elements. The unsettling soundtrack and horrific art also contribute to the fear.
- Admiration (weight 0.03): Players admire the game's unique aesthetic, music, and controversial nature. The game's detailed story, bold narrative, and pleasant music are also highlighted as admirable aspects.
- Amusement (weight 0.03): Players are amused by the game's dark humor, absurd scenarios, and brutal nature. The game's edginess, controversy, and funny gameplay mechanics contribute to the amusement.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Players appreciate the game's unique tone, style, and dark narrative. The game's historical significance, cult status, and the fact that it is free to play also contribute to the appreciation.
- Engagement (weight 0.02): Players are engaged by the game's detailed narrative, character development, and unique storyline. The immersive narrative and engaging storyline contribute to the overall engagement.
- Relaxation (weight 0.02): Players find the game relaxing and a good way to relieve stress. The game's stress-relieving qualities and the ability to let off steam contribute to the relaxation.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Players are enthusiastic about the game's unique identity, historical impact, and narrative. The enjoyment of the game's atmosphere and achievements also contribute to the enthusiasm.
- Interest (weight 0.01): Players are interested in the game's storyline, character motivation, and controversial nature. The challenging achievements and unique features also contribute to the interest.
- Gratitude (weight 0.01): Players express gratitude for the game being free to play and the opportunity to shoot. The game's influence on the genre and thanks to the developers also contribute to the gratitude.
- Love (weight 0.01): Players love the game's atmosphere, loading screens, and OST. The game's fulfillment of urges and love for dark stories also contribute to the love.
- Fascination (weight 0.01): Players are fascinated by the game's genius design, narrative, and deep themes. The interest in the game's lore and theories also contribute to the fascination.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Players are angry due to the game's unpleasant illustrations, poor controls, and repetitive gameplay. Criticism of the game and developers also contribute to the anger.}