Having a spin-off for your video game series is always risky, because even if it’s good, your goal is to create a memorable experience. “POSTAL: Brain Damaged” is one of the few that surprisingly does just that, but mainly for its series and not video games overall. It’s a wild ride from start to finish, not an industry changer.
“POSTAL: Brain Damaged” unfolds inside of the twisted mind of the Postal Dude (voiced by Corey Cruise) during the quarantine from COVID-19. You’ll travel across three different episodes stylized as nightmares where you’ll retrieve a TV, then grab some toilet paper, and finally face off against the Postal Dude’s alter ego: the version of the Postal Dude that was voiced by Rick Hunter.
However, this entry in the series is a retro-style boomer shooter instead of a sandbox. This genre shift matches the murderous tone of its predecessors perfectly. It gives a reason for the gratuitous violence the series is known for, whereas in previous games, it’s completely optional but subtly suggested.
Nevertheless, this is a literal boomer shooter that acts as a throwback to its predecessors. It’s a “POSTAL” game through and through.
Like previous games, it’s one humongous satire of American society. “Brain Damaged” sells its time period during 2022 with caricatures of subjects like liberals vs. conservatives, outrageous conspiracy theories, and dumb online humor. All of it is mixed with the racy, explicit, and politically incorrect humor the franchise is doused in. If you’re not a fan of that, then you might want to skip this game entirely. This is for players with a darker sense of humor, but especially for those that can tolerate relentlessly crass immaturity.
“POSTAL” fans will experience a bit of nostalgia. Being as you’re inside of the Postal Dude’s brain, it makes sense that there’s a mish-mash of call-backs to things like the phallic mascot Krotchy and the marching bands you were able to mow down. “Brain Damaged” even continues the series’ tradition of insulting “Postal III.”
It won’t take more than ten minutes of gameplay for FPS veterans to notice that “Brain Damaged” takes inspiration from 2020’s “DOOM Eternal.” From the menacingly fast way you approach enemies to the grappling hook on your double-barreled shotgun, it’s pretty obvious but doesn’t try to compete by doing anything new.
What *is* fresh is the playing field. “Brain Damaged” is colorfully diverse with its maps’ themes. Some stand out more than others, like the beginning level in a floating suburbia, D-Day in Tijuana, or a gaming convention full of furries.
Guns are equally crazy. Some are better to use on specific enemies, and each has a useful alternate fire mode to chop up the toughness of combat.
If you find yourself surrounded by a swarm of monkeys, you might consider using the Holy Hand-Grenade Launcher to blow groups of them up. On the other hand, if you’re being hunted by a border patrolman with a sniper rifle, turn the tides by sniping him with your piercing bow that launches sex toys.
Some mechanics from the series even carried over with a bigger significance. You can still kick open doors, but you can also reflect projectiles with your feet. Similarly, the Postal Dude can (unfortunately) still whip out his “junk” and urinate, which can solve puzzles or pull off hilarious feats if you’re using a power-up, like drinking hot sauce to light enemies ablaze.
This bizarreness seemingly tries to alleviate the tedium the game can have. Nothing random occurs to throw this crazy train of an experience off the rails, so “Brain Damaged” has large levels that drag. It’s essentially just the boomer shooter cycle: shooting, finding three different colored keys, doing simple puzzles, and finding secrets here and there.
I will give “Brain Damaged” this: It has the best technical performance of all the games in the series. While jankiness is considered a part of what makes the “POSTAL” games shine, annoyances like crashing, getting stuck, or wonky A.I. would interrupt the flow of what “Brain Damaged” is trying to offer. This is not a sandbox; this is a shooter.
With that being said, “POSTAL: Brain Damaged” is all insanity, little substance. It’s better for fans of the series, not just ordinary lovers of first-person shooters, especially with the crudeness that the content constantly shoves in your face. Regardless of what kind of player you are, “Brain Damaged” is like a roller coaster that presents itself as crazy but pulls it off with decorations rather than letting its tracks do loops or bends.
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