Postal 4 brings the rude, crude and downright wrong back into your homes as the Postal dude returns for this latest installment. With the design and story coming back from Postal 2, we pick up where we left off, finding ourselves in a new town with new challenges. Together with our trusty companion Champ, explore the town of Edensin, taking any work we can take make ends meet. Whether it be tracking down the neighborhood pets, cleaning out some pipes, or working as a prison guard, we’ll take anything we can get to scrounge together a meagre existence and start our life over.

If you played Postal 2, you know exactly what your getting, as Postal 4 plays almost exactly the same. For those who haven’t, it plays like crap. But that isn’t what attracts so many people to the Postal series; it’s the dark and messed up humor that brings it all together. Controls are standard for anyone who has ever played an FPS game, and even more so for those who have played a previous Postal title. If you need a reminder though, Postal 4 will give you a quick reminder when you first start the game.

Given Postal 4 is in its “Janky Alpha Build,” much of the playable area feels incomplete and the graphics are lacking to say the least. The Postal games were never going to win an award for graphics, but we expect a little more in this day and age. Having said that, the town is still large enough that you will find a use for an electric mobility scooter, something much more satisfying than casually strolling around the streets like the other peasants living in Edensin.

This preview gives us access to three playable missions and a handful of weapons we can try out, carelessly left around the town by their previous owners. You’ll find conventional weapons, like shotguns and pistols, but also some outrageous items such as a super soaker that can be filled with either water, vomit or gasoline; the later working in a similar way to a flame thrower. My personal favorite is the new pigeon bomb, a weapon that unleashes a flock of killer pigeons on those unfortunate enough to cross your path.

Even in its Alpha stage, Postal 4 treats us to some humorous cut-scenes. Done in a less than serious cartoon manner, I found them thoroughly enjoyable and was surprised to find that the player character was voiced by the one and only Jon St.John. With a long list of games he has voiced, including Duke Nukem, Jon lends his badass voice to our protagonist and provides an abundance of satirical one liners

Memories of Postal 2 back came flooding back while testing out this new installment; With its crude humor and open world game play, it’s nice to finally see a sequel that we deserve. Based on what we’ve seen so far, it looks like we’ll be getting a game that is far superior to its predecessor, but with its current lack of content and only three missions available, I would recommend holding off, particularly if you’re after something complete. If you’re a die hard fan, however, it is certainly worth looking into, and I very much look forward to giving it a go once it’s completed.

Written by: Simon Hayward