From the gimp's pit - Editorial:
Are Game Critics Finally Going POSTAL, Too?

A strange and apparently inexplicable phenomenon has begun to occur which has left the members of the RWS family utterly speechless – we've suddenly begun getting fair and favorable reviews for P2: Apocalypse Weekend . After years of serving as the official whipping boy for violence in videogame – after getting rated zero out of 10 in one particularly self-serving, holier-than-thou "critique" – the P2 series seems to have suddenly penetrated the game playing community at large, making them abruptly aware of the fact that there's a damn good GAME – several, in fact – amidst all the piss, blood and controversy. POSTAL2 and its various add-ons are products that designer Steve Wik and the demented RWS Dev Team sweated blood over, so it's only natural that some of it would seep into the software.

Okay, so we don't have the largest marketing department in the business and I'm limping along as editor of The Urinal on pure fear. But just to prove I'm not making this up, check the main page on the site for a story about a very positive and fair review that somehow slipped through the cracks. And after you've read that, then check out these comments from Justin Leeper on the G4 site.

In case you're the lazy type, here are a few quotes:

" There's a 99.8 percent chance something in Apocalypse Weekend will offend you. Crack pipes act as health power-ups; animals of all sizes and shapes are "euthanized"; you can expel waste liquids at will; and there are more F-words than in Webster 's dictionary. The box itself proclaims this game has a "broken sense of humor," and that is truly honesty in advertising. However, if you can remember that it's just a game, you have a good chance of actually enjoying yourself--provided you possess a little moral flexibility."

"Even disregarding the insanity of the missions, Apocalypse Weekend doesn't play like your typical PC first-person shooter. You'll often be platforming, exploring the vast, character-filled environment, and engaging in some item collecting. This unconventional approach is refreshing, and one can't help but think that, if it had its druthers, Running With Scissors would've rather released this game on PS2 or Xbox. It still controls like an FPS, though, and does so well."

" Postal 2 is the equivalent of an independent slasher flick, and not just in content. It's obviously been made with a small group of developers on a tight budget. You'll see crashes, a lack of checkpoints, and some other spots where polish could've come in handy."

" Postal 2: Apocalypse Weekend relies on shock to get attention, but there's substance to it, too. With smartly designed levels and a variety of tasks, there are much worse ways to spend a weekend. Don't expect the trimmings of a big-budget title, but it's a bloody, twisted good time to those who are neither squeamish nor easily offended."

And it doesn't even stop there. Mac fans are getting all excited over the arrival of the series on their computers. Doubt me? Then visit Mac Companion for yet another fair and reasonable evaluation of the game.

The latest of these inexplicable reviews was passed along to us by Phil Parker and can be found in its totality at the Cosmos Gaming site and enjoy!

I don't know – could we possibly, by accident, have done something… right?

*

Meanwhile, welcome to our annual Animal Issue, dedicated to the kind folks who rescue starving and abused animals. Remember, the only place violence belongs – whether it's people or animals – is in fiction and in electronic games.

Now hand me that cat, I need a silencer for my shotgun…

--The Gimp
Editor, The Urinal