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{{short description|2003 video game}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{Confused|Portal 2}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Postal 2
| image = Postal 2 cover.png
| developer = [[Running with Scissors (company)|Running with Scissors]]
| publisher = Whiptail Interactive
| series = ''[[Postal (video game series)|Postal]]''
| engine = [[Unreal Engine 2]]
| platforms = {{Unbulleted list|[[Windows]]|[[Mac OS X]]|[[Linux]]}}
| released = {{Unbulleted list|'''Windows'''|{{Video game release|NA|April 14, 2003<ref name="NA release">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/04/04/postal-2-goes-gold|last=Butts|first=Steve|title=''Postal 2'' Goes Gold|work=[[IGN]]|date=April 4, 2003|access-date=November 18, 2024}}</ref>|EU/JP|April 17, 2003<ref name="EU release">{{Cite web|url=https://www.awn.com/news/whiptail-interactive-delivers-postal-2|last=Baisley|first=Sarah|title=Whiptail Interactive Delivers ''Postal 2''|work=[[Animation World Network]]|date=April 16, 2003|access-date=November 18, 2024}}</ref>}}|'''Mac OS X'''|{{Video game release|WW|December 9, 2004<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.macworld.com/article/1041347/postal2.html|last=Cohen|first=Peter|title=''Postal 2'' now available for Mac|work=[[Macworld]]|date=December 9, 2004|access-date=November 20, 2024}}</ref>}}|'''Linux'''|{{Video game release|WW|February 4, 2005<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.linuxgamepublishing.com/oldnews.php#1107542605|title=Fri, February 4 2005|publisher=[[Linux Game Publishing]]|date=February 4, 2005|access-date=November 18, 2024}}</ref>}}}}
| genre = [[First-person shooter]]
| modes = [[Single-player video game|Single-player]], [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]]
| director = Michael J. Riedel
| producer = {{Unbulleted list|Vince Desi|Michael J. Riedel}}
| designer = {{Unbulleted list|Michael J. Riedel|Nathan Fouts|Steve Wik}}
| programmer = Michael J. Riedel
| artist = {{Unbulleted list|Josh Leichliter|Geoff Neale}}
| writer = Steve Wik
| composer = Christian Salyer
}}
'''''Postal 2''''' is a 2003 [[first-person shooter]] video game developed by [[Running with Scissors (company)|Running with Scissors]] and published by Whiptail Interactive. It is the sequel to the 1997 game ''[[Postal (video game)|Postal]]'' and was released for [[Microsoft Windows]] in April 2003, [[macOS]] in April 2004 and [[Linux]] in April 2005. ''Postal 2'', as well as its predecessor, has received notoriety for its high levels of violence, stereotyping, and [[black comedy]]. Unlike the first installment, ''Postal 2'' is played from a first-person perspective, rather than an isometric perspective. The game is the first in the series to feature an [[open world]].

Set in the fictional [[Arizona]] town of Paradise, ''Postal 2'' follows the life of "The Postal Dude", who must carry out mundane tasks throughout an in-game week, with the player deciding how violently or passively he will react to various situations. The player navigates the game's map to carry out his errands, with player choice having an effect on the setting.

The game received a mixed reception from critics upon its release and has gained a [[cult following]]. It has received several [[expansion pack]]s, and in December 2003, a [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]] expansion was released, titled ''Postal 2: Share the Pain''. ''Postal 2'' remains continually updated, with a new expansion pack titled ''Paradise Lost'' released in April 2015.

The game received attention for its violent gameplay, and was responsible for multiple controversies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/30/nz_postal_2_ban/|publisher=The Register|author=Tony Smith|title=New Zealand censor pulls Postal 2|date=2004-11-30|access-date=2019-12-17|quote=New Zealand has banned gory first-person shooter ''Postal 2'', declaring the game not only illegal to sell but to own.}}</ref> It was followed by a sequel, ''[[Postal III]]'', in December 2011, and another, ''[[Postal 4: No Regerts]]'', in April 2022.

==Plot==
In ''Postal 2'', the player takes on the role of the Postal Dude, a tall and thin red-headed man with a [[goatee]], sunglasses, a black leather trench coat, and a T-shirt with a grey alien's face printed on it. Postal Dude lives in a dilapidated [[Caravan (trailer)|caravan trailer]] on land behind a house in the small town of Paradise, Arizona, with his nagging wife, who is identified in the credits as simply "The Bitch". The game's levels are split into days of the week starting Monday and finishing Friday. (Unless the player chooses the "A Week In Paradise" mode in which you play the week starting Monday and ending on Sunday.

At the beginning of each day, Postal Dude is given several tasks to accomplish, such as "get milk", "[[confessional|confess sins]]", and other seemingly mundane tasks. The objective of ''Postal 2'' is to finish all of the tasks throughout the week, and the player can accomplish these tasks in any way they wish, be it as peacefully and civilly as possible, or as violently and chaotically as possible. It is possible, if occasionally difficult, to complete most tasks without engaging in battle, or at least, harming or killing other characters, as evidenced by the game's tagline: "Remember, it's only as violent as you are!" The daily tasks can be accomplished in any order the player desires, and the game also includes one task that is activated only when Postal Dude urinates, in which the player is tasked with getting treatment for [[gonorrhea]] after Postal Dude discovers he has the infection.

Throughout the course of the game, Postal Dude must put up with being provoked by other characters on a regular basis. He is [[finger (gesture)|given the finger]], mugged, attacked by various groups of protesters, and is harassed by an obnoxious [[convenience store]] owner/terrorist and his patrons who cut before Postal Dude in the "money line". During the game, Postal Dude also encounters a [[marching band]], a murderous toy mascot named Krotchy, the Paradise Police Department and its [[Special Weapons and Tactics|SWAT]] team, overzealous [[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives|ATF]] agents, the [[Arizona Army National Guard|National Guard]], an eccentric religious [[cult]], cannibalistic butcher shop workers, fanatical [[al-Qaeda]] terrorists (including [[Osama bin Laden]]), and former child actor [[Gary Coleman]], among many others.

By Friday afternoon, the final day in the game, the [[apocalypse]] occurs and [[societal collapse]] soon follows, with all law and order breaking down. Cats begin to fall out of a darkly-colored sky, and almost everyone in town becomes heavily armed, with random gun battles breaking out in the streets. Despite this, Postal Dude returns home to his trailer as normal, where he then gets into an argument with his wife, who demands that Postal Dude explain why he never picked up the "[[Rocky road (ice cream)|rocky road]]" she asked for at the beginning of the game. ''Postal 2'' then ends with a gunshot being heard, before being kicked to the end credits.

==Gameplay==
[[File:Postal2 01.jpg|thumb|left|Interacting with a resident of Paradise]]

One of the major concepts of ''Postal 2'' is that it is meant to be a "living world", a simulation of a tongue-in-cheek off-kilter town. Game characters live out their lives completely separate from the actions of Dude—walking around town, buying and selling merchandise, and even engaging in random shootouts with each other and the police.

The town features many cars but they are all "useless exploding [[Theatrical property|props]]", according to Dude, and cannot be driven, although they can be blown up and sent flying into the air. In addition to cats and dogs, elephants are present; these animals can be shot or set on fire—or simply annoyed by the player walking into them—causing them to trumpet with rage and attack anyone within stomping distance. A peculiar feature is the ability to pick up cats as an inventory item. When used, The Postal Dude shoves the barrel of the currently equipped firearm into the cat's rectum (cats can only be used while equipped with a shotgun or assault rifle) as a "[[Silencer (firearms)|silencer]]". Every time a shot is fired, the cat meows in apparent agony, and the gunshot is muffled. After nine shots, the cat has run out of lives and it will fly from the end of the weapon. Most dogs have the ability to befriend the Dude if he feeds them a continual supply of dog biscuits or feeds them any other food (pizza, donuts, fast food). Once a canine's loyalty has been earned, the dog will attack anyone who attacks the Dude, or alternatively, anyone whom the Dude attacks. Dogs will also chase and kill cats, and play fetch with the Dude's inventory items and severed heads. There were also going to be cows included in the game, but they were left unimplemented. They did appear in ''Apocalypse Weekend'' and the ''A Week in Paradise'' modification.

The game also features a cameo by [[Gary Coleman]], acting as himself, who appears early on as the objective of one of the game's tasks (travel to the local shopping mall to get Gary's autograph). The player can choose to fight and kill Coleman or simply have the book signed peacefully (after enduring a long line-up). The Dude twice mistakes Coleman as having starred in ''[[What's Happening!!]]'' and ''[[The Facts of Life (TV series)|The Facts of Life]]'', when he actually starred in ''[[Diff'rent Strokes]]''. Regardless of the Dude's actions, the police storm the building in an attempt to arrest Gary Coleman and a gunfight ensues which invariably results in Coleman's apparent demise, with or without the player's help. Later on in the game he can also be seen in the Police Station, when the player escapes from his cell he also frees everyone else—including Coleman, who can be seen running alongside Krotchy. Coleman apparently survives as he can be seen in the ''[[Postal 2: Apocalypse Weekend|Apocalypse Weekend]]'' expansion, bandaged up in the hospital (various evil Gary Coleman clones also serve as recurring enemies during Postal Dude's constant hallucinations).

== Development ==
{{section-stub|date=June 2025}}

=== Release ===
''Postal 2'' was the first release by Whiptail Interactive, a publisher based in [[West Chester, Pennsylvania]]. The game was [[released to manufacturing]] in early April 2003 and shipped later that month in North America and Europe.<ref name="NA release" /><ref name="EU release" />

===Sales===
[[File:Postal 2 E3 2003.jpg|thumb|Promotion of ''Postal 2'' at [[E3 2003]], featuring [[Gary Coleman]], who appears in the game as a character.]]
''Postal 2'' became [[Linux Game Publishing]]'s fastest selling game in its first month, and contributed greatly to the continuing profitability of the company.<ref>[http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2009/08/25/lgp-history-pt-3-the-long-haul/ LGP History pt 3: The long haul] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713212323/http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2009/08/25/lgp-history-pt-3-the-long-haul/ |date=July 13, 2011 }} Linux Game Publishing Blog, August 15, 2009</ref>

=== Expansions ===

====''Share the Pain''====
An updated edition of the game, entitled ''Postal 2: Share the Pain'', included a [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]] mode. The Macintosh and Linux versions of ''Postal 2'' shipped only as ''Postal 2: Share the Pain''.

''Share the Pain'' received an average score of 59 out of 100 based on 10 reviews on [[review aggregator]] website [[Metacritic]], indicating "mixed or average reviews".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/postal2sharethepain |title=Postal 2: Share the Pain (pc: 2003): Reviews |access-date=May 23, 2008 |publisher=[[Metacritic]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080524063335/http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/postal2sharethepain |archive-date=May 24, 2008 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

====''Apocalypse Weekend''====
[[File:Postal2-Apocalypse- Weekend-Boxart.png|thumb|upright|left|''Postal 2: Apocalypse Weekend'' cover]]
''Postal 2: Apocalypse Weekend'' is an [[expansion pack]] to ''Postal 2'' released by Running with Scissors. As a result of issues with publisher Whiptail Interactive, the expansion pack was originally released in Russia on August 1, 2004.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-12-30 |title=Игра |url=http://ru.akella.com/Game.aspx?id=30 |access-date=2024-03-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111230100211/http://ru.akella.com/Game.aspx?id=30 |archive-date=December 30, 2011 }}</ref> In the USA and other countries the expansion pack was released on May 31, 2005 for [[Microsoft Windows]], and September 28, 2005 for the [[Mac OS X]] and [[Linux]] versions. ''Apocalypse Weekend'' expands the reaches of Paradise with new maps and missions, set on Saturday and Sunday, adds new weapons and foes, and raises the gore and violence to an even greater level. It was later included in both the ''Postal Fudge Pack'' and ''Postal X: 10th Anniversary'' compilations alongside ''Share the Pain'' and several fan produced [[Mod (computer gaming)|mods]], including ''A Week in Paradise'' which allows content from ''Apocalypse Weekend'' to appear in the original game as well as allowing the expansions levels to be played as part of the original five-day campaign.

''Apocalypse Weekend'' begins Saturday morning, with the Postal Dude waking up in the hospital, his head bandaged from a near-fatal gunshot wound. While the ''Postal 2'' ending leaves it ambiguous as to whether or not the Dude shot his wife or if his wife shot him, after he wakes up in the hospital he finds a card from his wife saying that she is leaving him. It was later revealed on the official website that the Dude shot himself due to his wife nagging him.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071014115345/http://postalnation.net/0701_articles/DudeHistory.php The Secret History of the POSTAL Dude ] ([[Wayback Machine|Archived]] from the [http://postalnation.net/0701_articles/DudeHistory.php original] on October 14, 2007.)</ref> The Dude's ultimate goal is to recover his trailer and his dog Champ, and to this end, escapes from the hospital.

With the exception of the [[zombie (fictional)|zombies]] that appear later in the game, it would appear the madness depicted at the end of Friday on the previous game has petered out. The Dude proceeds through several missions including assignments from his former employers, Running with Scissors, encounters with [[mad cow]] [[Tourette syndrome|tourette]] [[zombie (fictional)|zombies]], as well as confrontations with terrorists and the military. Periodically, the Dude's head wound causes him to enter a nether realm where he is attacked by Gary Coleman clones. Throughout the weekend, the Dude fights off hordes of zombies, [[Taliban]] and the [[National Guard of the United States|National Guard]] until he finally faces a zombified Mike Jaret, an employee of Running with Scissors. Once the Dude destroys it, he leaves Paradise in his car with his dog and his trailer while Paradise explodes due to a massive nuclear warhead he "borrowed" to destroy a rival video game development and publishing company. The Dude's last words of the game are "I regret nothing".

While gameplay is similar to its parent ''Postal 2'', ''Apocalypse Weekend'' is not as open-ended. The gameplay is more linear in design, with the player mostly forced to follow a certain path to complete the game—typical of most first-person shooter games. In addition, the player cannot play as a pacifist and is forced to kill animals and zombies in order to progress in the game. Unlike the main game, ''Apocalypse Weekend'' also includes several "boss monster" encounters. All normal cats are also replaced with "dervish cats", which spin in a manner similar to that of [[Looney Tunes]] [[Tasmanian Devil (Looney Tunes)|Tasmanian Devil]], attacking any nearby character when agitated. Dervish cats can also be collected and, in addition to muffling guns, can be thrown at NPCs to attack them.

''Apocalypse Weekend'' received an average score of 45 out of 100 based on 4 reviews on Metacritic, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/postal2apocalypseweekend/ |title=Postal 2: Apocalypse Weekend (pc: 2005): Reviews |access-date=May 23, 2008 |publisher=[[Metacritic]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080524215643/http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/postal2apocalypseweekend |archive-date=May 24, 2008 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

==== ''Corkscrew Rules!'' ====
''Postal 2: Corkscrew Rules!'' ({{langx|ru|Postal 2: Штопор жжот!|Shtopor zhzhot!}}) is an official [[spin-off (media)|spin-off]] and expansion to ''Postal 2'', developed by Avalon Style Entertainment, and released in 2005 by [[Akella]]. The plot concerns a man called Corkscrew ({{langx|ru|Штопор|Shtopor}}), who wakes up to find that his penis has somehow been amputated and goes on a mission to find it. The game was released only in Russia and Japan (under the title "ポスタル2 ロシアより愛をこめて" which translates to "From Russia with Love"). In 2017, an English version of the game was made available for free through the [[Steam Workshop]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=954344759|title=Steam Workshop::Corkscrew Rules [Game]|website=steamcommunity.com}}</ref>

====''Paradise Lost''====
''Postal 2: Paradise Lost''<ref>{{cite web|title=Paradise Lost|url=http://runningwithscissors.com/main/index.php?topic=1934.0|work=[[Running with Scissors (company)|Running with Scissors]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812060954/http://runningwithscissors.com/main/index.php?topic=1934.0|archive-date=August 12, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref> is a downloadable content pack for ''Postal 2'', announced for [[Steam (service)|Steam]] at [[E3]] 2014 with a teaser trailer.<ref>{{cite video|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptJcEQqEeCk|work=[[YouTube]]|date=July 4, 2014|title=Postal 2: Paradise Lost - Teaser Trailer|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307212916/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptJcEQqEeCk|archive-date=March 7, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref> It was released on April 14, 2015.

''Paradise Lost'' takes place 11 years after ''Apocalypse Weekend'', the Postal Dude awakens from his 11-year radioactive-induced coma, the same amount of time between ''Postal 2''{{'s}} release and the release of ''Paradise Lost'', only to find his dog Champ is missing and has to go back to his home town of Paradise, which is now a post-apocalyptic wasteland. ''Paradise Lost'' also [[Retroactive continuity|retcons]] ''[[Postal III]]'' as it was revealed that the events of that game were just a nightmare that the Postal Dude had during his coma.

Returning to Paradise, Dude allies with factions whom he had encountered in the previous games, including RWS, Al-Qaeda and the Kosher Mad Cow Tourettes Zombies. They attempt to help him find Champ. Near the end of the game, Dude has to go to Hell and battle Champ and his now-ex-wife, who has turned into a demon. Returning to Earth, he finds out that all the factions have gone to war and gives himself a choice: return to each faction and defeat its leader or leave the town. Eventually, he and Champ leave Paradise for the last time.

''Paradise Lost'' includes various characters based on real people, including former child actor [[Gary Coleman]], a returning character from ''Postal 2''<ref name="Martin2015">{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Michael |title=Postal 2: Paradise Lost Expansion Releasing 12 Years Later |url=https://au.ign.com/articles/2015/04/17/postal-2-paradise-lost-expansion-releasing-today |access-date=27 August 2019 |work=IGN |date=18 April 2015}}</ref> as well as Canadian actor [[Zack Ward]] who had previously depicted the Postal Dude in the [[Postal (film)|2007 ''Postal'' film]].<ref name="Schwartz2008">{{cite news |last1=Schwartz |first1=John |title=Call Uwe Boll the Worst Director (Then Duck) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/movies/18schw.html |access-date=27 August 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=18 May 2008}}</ref> Former tech journalist and media personality [[Milo Yiannopoulos]] also had a less prominent role in the game as an NPC able to be found at the 'Fire in the Hole' club from Thursday onwards.<ref name="Mailberg2015">{{cite news |last1=Maiberg |first1=Emanuel |title=New GamerGate Favorite 'Postal 2: Paradise Lost' Is a Golden Shower of Bad Ideas |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/new-gamergate-favorite-postal-2-paradise-lost-is-a-golden-shower-of-bad-ideas/ |access-date=27 August 2019 |work=VICE |date=25 April 2015}}</ref> All three of these characters were played by their real life counterparts - Coleman's dialogue was re-purposed from ''Postal 2'' due to his death five years earlier.<ref name="GCimdb">{{cite web |title=Gary Coleman |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0171041/ |website=IMDB |access-date=27 August 2019}}</ref><ref name="ZWimdb">{{cite web |title=Zack Ward (I) |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0911933/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1 |website=IMDB |access-date=27 August 2019}}</ref><ref name= Mailberg2015 />

=== Compilations ===
On November 13, 2006, RWS Released a compilation of ''Postal - Classic and Uncut'', ''Postal 2: Share the Pain'', ''Apocalypse Weekend'', ''A Week in Paradise'', and ''Eternal Damnation'', along with extra content (Postal Babes and video clips from "their cutting room floor") as the ''Postal Fudge Pack'' on a 3-way hybrid DVD for Windows, Linux, and the Mac. Recent copies of the Fudge Pack also include a Steam key for ''Postal'', ''Postal 2 Complete'' and ''Postal III''.

The ''Postal X: 10th Anniversary'' edition contains all the content from the ''Postal: Fudge Pack'' as well as introducing new content such as a cereal box, ''A Very Postal Christmas'', ''Music to Go Postal By'', and previews for both ''[[Postal III]]'' and the [[Postal (film)|''Postal'' film]].<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.wired.com/2007/10/special-edition-2/ | title=Special Edition Marks Postal's Tenth Anniversary | access-date=June 17, 2011 | date=November 29, 2007 | magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621092229/http://www.wired.com/2007/10/special-edition-2/ | archive-date=June 21, 2015 | df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.kotaku.com.au/2007/10/postal_celebrates_10_years_of_/ | title=Postal Celebrates 10 Years Of Debauchery | access-date=June 17, 2011 | date=November 30, 2007 | publisher=[[Kotaku]] | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111205203939/http://www.kotaku.com.au/2007/10/postal_celebrates_10_years_of_/ | archive-date=December 5, 2011 | df=mdy-all }}</ref>

''Postal 2 Complete'' is an online compilation containing ''Postal 2: Share the Pain'' and its expansion ''Apocalypse Weekend'' which is available from both the [[Desura]] platform for Linux, Mac and Windows and from [[GOG.com]] for Windows. The Linux version available from Desura was newly updated for its release on the digital distribution platform.<ref name=ubuntuvibes>{{cite news|title=Postal And Postal 2 For Linux Now Available On Desura|url=http://www.ubuntuvibes.com/2012/01/postal-and-postal-2-for-linux-now.html|access-date=January 19, 2012|newspaper=Ubuntu Vibes|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121061518/http://www.ubuntuvibes.com/2012/01/postal-and-postal-2-for-linux-now.html|archive-date=January 21, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The pack was made available through [[Steam (service)|Steam]] on November 2, 2012, after successfully getting [[Steam Greenlight|Greenlit]] by the community.<ref name=postalsteam>{{cite news|title=Postal 2 Confirmed for Steam|url=http://valvetime.net/threads/second-batch-of-greenlit-games-announced.231416/|access-date=October 15, 2012|newspaper=ValveTime|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130505103321/http://www.valvetime.net/threads/second-batch-of-greenlit-games-announced.231416/|archive-date=May 5, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In November 2017, Running with Scissors released ''Postal XX: 20th Anniversary'', a compilation of all ''Postal'' titles and the ''Postal'' film.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.postalgames.com/pd-postal-xx-20th-anniversary-edition.cfm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714214841/https://www.postalgames.com/pd-postal-xx-20th-anniversary-edition.cfm|url-status=dead|title=Postalgames.com|archive-date=July 14, 2018}}</ref>

In March 2024, the Fudge Pack was reissued as a Blu-ray data disc, containing all ''Postal'' titles released up to that point, the ''Postal'' film and several bonuses.

=== Mods ===
The game shipped with a level editor based on [[UnrealEd]] called POSTed, which allows for the creation of new levels, scenarios and cutscenes. Later releases of the game also come with support for submitting custom content to the [[Steam Workshop]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-12-14 |title=Postal 2 receives first major update in 10 years as a thank you to Steam Greenlight |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/postal-2-receives-first-major-update-10-years-thank-you-steam-greenlight |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=PCGamesN |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-05-02 |title=POSTAL 2 - Steam Workshop has Launched! - Steam News |url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/223470/view/2892956030579194675 |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=Steam |language=en}}</ref>

=== ''Eternal Damnation'' ===
''Postal 2: Eternal Damnation'' is a [[total conversion]] of ''Postal 2'' by Resurrection Studios, released as a free download in 2005 and in the ''Postal Fudge Pack'' a year later. The plot concerns a man called John Murray, who is in a mental asylum after having killed a man who tried to hurt his girlfriend. Weapons created for the mod are used in ''Postal 2 Complete''. Character Murray is also seen in ''Postal 2: Paradise Lost'' at the asylum location as an Easter egg.

==Controversies==
[[File:Postal2 02.jpg|thumb|Urinating on dismembered bodies in a [[terrorist training camp]]. This scene caused a great deal of controversy in New Zealand as graphic depictions of urination are deemed obscene in New Zealand, even though the game has no scripted scene of this; this is a purely optional act for the player.]]
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Postal2-Jesus-Rank.png|thumb|Final score for a non-violent game of ''Postal 2'']] -->

In 2004, the [[Office of Film and Literature Classification (New Zealand)|Office of Film and Literature Classification]] banned ''Postal 2'' in New Zealand, citing high levels of violent content and animal violence. Distribution or purchase for personal use is a criminal offense, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $50,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/news301104postal2nz|title=New Zealand bans Postal 2|work=[[Eurogamer]]|first=Tom|last=Bramwell|publisher=[[Gamer Network]]|date=November 30, 2004|access-date=July 10, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Plain English guide to offence provisions in the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993 and its Regulations|url=http://www.classificationoffice.govt.nz/PDFs/plain-english-guide-to-the-offence-provisions.pdf|website=OFLC|publisher=New Zealand Office of Film & Literature Classification|access-date=October 24, 2015|ref=OFLC|page=3|quote=131A|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160121225856/http://classificationoffice.govt.nz/PDFs/plain-english-guide-to-the-offence-provisions.pdf|archive-date=January 21, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref> In Australia, the game was banned by the [[Australian Classification Board]] in October 2005, but the ban was quietly lifted in October 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.refused-classification.com/censorship/games/p.html|title=Games: P {{!}} Censor|publisher=Refused-Classification.com|format=Scroll down and view the listing for "Postal 2: Share the Pain"|access-date=July 10, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/1406-cb-22-009-combined-document-pack-redacted.pdf|title=CB22-009 Postal 2 Share the Pain|publisher=Department of Infrastructure|date=17 June 2021|accessdate=21 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Gillooly|first1=John|title=Refused Classification game Postal 2 appears on Steam|url=http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/322139,refused-classification-game-postal-2-appears-on-steam.aspx|publisher=PC Authority|access-date=9 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130527152810/http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/322139,refused-classification-game-postal-2-appears-on-steam.aspx|archive-date=27 May 2013|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> In Sweden, the [[Chancellor of Justice (Sweden)|Chancellor of Justice]] took the local distributor of the game to court. He was prosecuted with "illegal depiction of violence", a crime falling under the Swedish freedom-of-speech act. The court dismissed the case on December 12, 2006.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.dn.se/spel/spel-hem/importor-av-valdsamt-datorspel-friades/| title = Importör av våldsamt datorspel friades| first = Cecilia| last = Klintö| date = December 13, 2006| work = {{Lang|sv|Dagens Nyheter}}| language = sv| access-date = October 25, 2009| url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110611170722/http://www.dn.se/spel/spel-hem/importor-av-valdsamt-datorspel-friades| archive-date = June 11, 2011| df = mdy-all}}</ref> In May 2016, the game was removed from the German version of [[Steam (service)|Steam]] because it is on the [[Federal Agency for Child and Youth Protection in the Media#The List of Media Harmful to Young People|list of media harmful to young people]] which means that it may only be offered and sold to adults after age verification (Steam does not offer age verification that is valid under German law).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.neowin.net/news/27-games-get-pulled-from-steam-in-germany-likely-for-being-controversial/|title=27 games get pulled from Steam in Germany|work=[[Neowin]]|publisher=Neowin, LLC|first=Usama|last=Jawad|date=May 31, 2016|access-date=July 10, 2020}}</ref><ref>Entscheidung Nr. 6451 (V) vom 8.7.2003 bekannt gemacht im Bundesanzeiger Nr. 140 vom 31.7.2003</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wurm |first=Gerald |title=Indizierung - Postal 2 (Schnittberichte.com) |url=https://www.schnittberichte.com/svds.php?Page=IndexDocs&ID=15730&idid=636 |website=www.schnittberichte.com |language=de}}</ref>

Regarding his views on the subject, [[Linux]] and [[Macintosh]] developer [[Ryan C. Gordon]], who ported the game to those platforms, stated that he feels that the game holds a mirror to the worst aspects of modern society, saying in an interview that the game is a "brilliant caricature of our mangled, disconnected, fast-food society, disguised as a collection of dirty jokes and ultraviolence."<ref>{{cite web |work=Macologist |date=November 10, 2004 |url=http://www.macologist.org/viewtopic.php?t=607 |title=Interview with Ryan Gordon: Postal 2, Unreal & Mac Gaming |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050309061407/http://www.macologist.org/viewtopic.php?t=607 |archive-date=March 9, 2005 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Michael Simms, founder of [[Linux Game Publishing]], also at one point commented on the matter, stating that "although I wasn't a fan of the gameplay in ''Postal 2'', I loved the message that the company was trying to put out. Because you can play ''Postal 2'' in the most violent and graphic way, but you can also play it without hurting a single person. I don't know anyone who's played it like that, but I like that the people who made ''Postal'' are saying you can get through this game without any violence."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/bringing-windows-games-to-linux-622659?artc_pg=1|title=Bringing Windows games to Linux|work=[[TechRadar]]|date=August 10, 2009|first=Graham|last=Morrison|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716202434/http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/bringing-windows-games-to-linux-622659?artc_pg=1|archive-date=July 16, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In January 2008, three nineteen-year-olds were arrested following a three-week-long arson and theft spree in [[Gaston County, North Carolina]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=January 7, 2008|title=Police Say Violent Video Game Inspired Teen Arson Spree|work=WSOCTV Eyewitness News|url=https://www.wsoctv.com/news/14998918/detail.html|url-status=dead|access-date=August 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080113065253/https://www.wsoctv.com/news/14998918/detail.html|archive-date=January 13, 2008}}</ref> Police claimed that the spree was inspired by actions that could be carried out in ''Postal 2''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/postal-2-blamed-for-arsons/1100-6184415/|title=Postal 2 blamed for arson|work=[[GameSpot]]|publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]|first=Brendan|last=Sinclair|date=January 8, 2008|access-date=July 10, 2020}}</ref>

==Reception==
{{Video game reviews
|title=
|MC = 50/100<ref name="Postal 2 pc: 2003: Reviews">{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/postal2 |title=Postal 2 (pc: 2003): Reviews |access-date=May 23, 2008 |publisher=[[Metacritic]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080518054308/http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/postal2 |archive-date=May 18, 2008 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
|GI = 7.5/10<ref name="gameinformer">{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Game Informer]]|title=Postal 2|date=June 2003|page=116}}</ref>
|GSpot = 4.8/10<ref name="GS">{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/postal-2-review/1900-6025142/|title=Postal 2 Review|work=[[GameSpot]]|publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]|first=Erik|last=Wolpaw|date=April 15, 2003|access-date=July 10, 2020}}</ref>
|IGN   = 5.5/10<ref name="IGN">{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/04/03/postal-2-review|title=Postal 2 Review|work=[[IGN]]|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|first=Ivan|last=Dullic|date=April 3, 2003|access-date=July 10, 2020}}</ref>
|EuroG  = 3/10<ref name="EG">{{cite web|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_postal2_pc|title=Postal 2|work=[[Eurogamer]]|publisher=[[Gamer Network]]|first=Martin|last=Taylor|date=May 6, 2003|access-date=July 10, 2020}}</ref>
|PCGUS = 79/100<ref name="PCG">{{cite magazine|title=PC Gamer (US)|issue=111|date=June 2003|magazine=[[PC Gamer]]|publisher=[[Future plc]]|page=74}}</ref>
}}
''Postal 2'' received "mixed or average reviews" according to [[review aggregator]] website [[Metacritic]].<ref name="Postal 2 pc: 2003: Reviews"/> Some of the game's better reviews came from ''[[PC Gamer]]'' and ''[[Game Informer]]''.<ref name="gameinformer"/><ref name="PCG"/> On the other end of the spectrum, ''[[GMR (magazine)|GMR]]'' and ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'' (''CGW'') both gave ''Postal 2'' scores of zero,<ref>{{cite magazine|title=GMR Magazine Issue #6|magazine=[[GMR (magazine)|GMR]]|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|date=July 1, 2003|page=73}}</ref> with ''CGW'' deriding ''Postal 2'' as "the worst product ever foisted upon consumers."<ref name="CGW">{{cite web | title =Postal 2 PC Review | publisher =[[Computer Gaming World]] | url =http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3103345 | access-date =January 7, 2007 | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070927191932/http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3103345 | archive-date =September 27, 2007 | df =mdy-all }}</ref> In response, negative quotes from ''Computer Gaming World'''s review ended up being proudly displayed on the box art of the ''Postal Fudge Pack''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://runningwithscissors.com/product/postal-fudge-pack/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191005223746/https://runningwithscissors.com/product/postal-fudge-pack/|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 5, 2019|title=Postal Fudge Pack|publisher=[[Running with Scissors (company)|Running with Scissors]]|access-date=July 10, 2020}}</ref> [[CNN]] journalist Marc Saltzman wrote that the game was "more offensive than fun" and concluded that "it simply goes too far, too often, and offers little else."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2003/TECH/fun.games/06/05/postal2.game/|title=Review: 'Postal 2' more offensive than fun|publisher=[[CNN]]|first=Mark|last=Saltzman|date=June 6, 2003|access-date=July 10, 2020}}</ref>

''[[GameSpot]]'' criticized the game's loading times, graphics and gameplay, and the gore was called "surprisingly subdued" in comparison to contemporary games like ''[[Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix]]''.<ref name="GS"/> In a middling review for ''[[IGN]]'', author Ivan Sulic disliked the game's crude and childish humour, and dismissed the setting of Paradise as "bland".<ref name="IGN"/> ''[[Eurogamer]]'' similarly attacked the game for being immature.<ref name="EG"/> Ivan Deez from ''IGN'' says that Postal Dude has a "sick mind", when referring to the source of some of the errands he has to complete.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://au.pc.ign.com/articles/392/392215p1.html|title=Postal 2 Review|author=Deez, Ivan|date=April 3, 2003|publisher=[[IGN]]|access-date=October 10, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100514113112/http://au.pc.ign.com/articles/392/392215p1.html|archive-date=May 14, 2010|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Macdonald and Rocha from [[Canada.com]] describe Postal Dude as a man whose "raison d'être was to eliminate anyone - man, woman and child - with a dizzying arsenal of weapons", but at the same time as "a misunderstood and ostracized man who takes his revenge on the world with a killing spree."<ref name="Montreal">{{cite web | url=http://www.canada.com/topics/news/features/dawsonshooting/story.html?id=434963ad-d55d-4ba4-a6e9-349db0387e65&k=82668 | title=Montreal gunman admired violent video-game character | author1=Macdonald, Don | author2=Rocha, Roberto | name-list-style=amp | publisher=[[canada.com]] | date=September 15, 2006 | access-date=November 30, 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090208234218/http://www2.canada.com/topics/news/features/dawsonshooting/story.html?id=434963ad-d55d-4ba4-a6e9-349db0387e65&k=82668 | archive-date=February 8, 2009 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref>

==In other media==
Scenes of the game can be seen in the music video of the [[Black Eyed Peas]] single "[[Where Is the Love?]]" where children were shown playing the game.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://pcgames.gwn.com/news/story.php/id/2010/Postal_2_Features_In_Music_Video.html | title=Postal 2 Features In Music Video | access-date=June 16, 2011 | date=July 17, 2003 | publisher=Gameworld Industries | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930062040/http://pcgames.gwn.com/news/story.php/id/2010/Postal_2_Features_In_Music_Video.html | archive-date=September 30, 2011 | df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name="cnn">{{Cite web |last=Gross |first=Doug |date=2013-08-26 |title=10 most controversial violent video games {{!}} CNN Business |url=https://www.cnn.com/2013/08/26/tech/gaming-gadgets/controversial-violent-video-games/index.html |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=[[CNN]] |language=en}}</ref> Running with Scissors stated in 2021 that they were paid for the use of the game's footage.<ref name="rwsblackeyedpeas">{{Cite tweet |number=1450910361972998145 |user=RWSstudios |title=absolutely, they even paid us a small amount of money to use it! :) #whereisthelove |date=2021-10-21 |access-date=2023-04-13}}</ref>

==Film adaptation==
{{Main|Postal (film)}}
Although acknowledged as an adaptation of the first ''Postal'' game, the 2007 film adaptation [[Postal (film)|of the same title]] directed by [[Uwe Boll]] borrows many elements from ''Postal 2'', including the Krotchy doll, the trailer park, the cat silencer, The Lucky Ganesh convenience store, the terrorists, and Uncle Dave and his compound, among others. Gary Coleman was not involved in this film; instead [[Verne Troyer]], appearing as himself, fulfilled Coleman's function in the movie.

In 2013, Boll announced the second ''Postal'' film. In August 2013, Boll announced he was funding production of ''Postal 2'' through [[Kickstarter]], but the project was cancelled in October 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/postal-2-strike-uwe-boll-cancels-kickstarter-campaign-to-bring-controversial-videogame-labelled-8868560.html|title=Postal 2 strike: Uwe Boll cancels Kickstarter campaign to bring controversial videogame labelled 'digital poison' to silver screen|date=October 9, 2013|website=The Independent}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{official website|http://www.postal2.com/}}
* [http://store.steampowered.com/app/223470/ Steam store page]

{{Postal}}
{{Linux Game Publishing}}
{{Video game controversy}}

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