Postal: Brain Damaged is very different than the traditional Postal formula. There is still an abundance of humor and violence sprinkled throughout the title but the context, level design, and enemies are downright strange. Players will still control "Postal Guy," but this time must battle against the demons, creepy crawlies, and strange people that call his brain home. Brain Damaged sees players sifting through the ruthless killer's psyche and dealing with all sorts of crazy situations and entities.
Players that want to battle back against the crazed thoughts and make it through the experience alive have a long road ahead of them. There are a lot of dangers lurking in Postal Dude's head, and Brain Damaged is by no means an easy shooter. Here's a look at some tips and tricks players can use to survive the adventure.
Don't Be Afraid To Play On Easy
Postal: Brain Damaged is very much a Doom-esque adventure, featuring fast-paced gameplay with tons of enemies on screen and punishing foes that can hit players accurately from quite a distance away. Those that aren't used to playing games like Quake, DOOM, and Castle Wolfenstein may have a hard time adjusting to the speedy movement-based shooting mechanics.
Even on Normal difficulty, Postal: Brain Damaged can be a punishing experience. It's entirely possible for new players to find themselves starting over from their last checkpoint on the first level alone, and it only gets much more difficult as the stages progress. Players will soon find themselves inundated with tons of enemies, some of which can take quite a bit of firepower to eliminate. There is definitely no shame in playing through the release on Easy to start.
Always Be Moving
One of the biggest keys to success in Postal: Brain Damaged is to always be moving. Players that sit still for too long will be punished by highly-accurate A.I. The enemies hit incredibly hard in the recent release, even on Normal difficulty. Being stationary in one spot for too long is the fastest way to end up with a Game Over. There are a lot of weapons that reward movement, including the Super Hooker Shotgun, which uses a grappling-hook-like secondary attack that can pull players towards enemies to allow better shots and movement when dealing with hordes.
Players should get used to running and gunning as quickly as possible if they want to survive the later levels of Postal: Brain Damaged.
Search Every Nook And Cranny
Although Postal: Brain Damaged can be a bit linear at times, it opens up with a large level that is teeming with secrets and explorable areas. There will be many levels throughout the adventure that feature a multitude of hidden things just begging to be collected. Not only are there secret areas and collectible objects, but there are also containers and hidden passageways that lead to some valuable loot.
Players should be sure to take their time at the start and search through every possible corner to ensure they don't miss out on ammo, health, collectibles, and armor pieces. These things will come in handy during the more difficult encounters in each level. Stages can always be repeated later on if players are looking to nab a better clear time.
Slide Jump Often
Partway through the tutorial level, players will find out about the "slide: mechanic. This gives players the ability to dodge incoming enemy fire but it actually has a much better use, increasing momentum. As players progress through each stage, they will come across gaps that would be impossible to cross utilizing a normal jump. Luckily, by sliding and jumping during the animation, players can greatly extend how far Postal Dude moves.
In addition to this, players can jump often and create a "bunny hop." By doing this in succession towards a specific direction, players will begin to pick up speed. Mastering these two techniques can help players dodge enemies easier and reach seemingly impossible areas.
Don't Worry So Much About Ammo
It's not that players shouldn't worry about ammo so much as they shouldn't worry about "holding on to powerful ammo." By the second or third stage, Postal Dude will have already amassed multiple weapons, each with their own ammo type. Players may be tempted to hold onto this ammo to prepare better for difficult rooms and enemy encounters. While this is a good idea in practice, players will soon find themselves inundated with strong enemies around every corner.
Being too "frugal" with ammunition can lead to an early grave, and make certain encounters much more difficult to overcome. Players should try to balance their ammo whenever possible, using larger more punishing guns when needed.
Keep Tabs Via The Pause Screen
There is a lot to uncover in each level. Players will encounter tons of enemies, find secrets, and nab collectibles. It can be difficult to know exactly what's waiting during each section but, thankfully, there is a counter. If players pause the game during a given level they will be shown how many secrets and enemies are around, as well as the collectibles needed. Those that are attempting to finish the game 100 percent will want to keep a close eye on this counter as it's paramount to getting the best grade possible in each location.
Players will need to slay all the enemies, find all the secrets, and pick up all the collectibles in each zone.
Look Before You Leap
In order to make it through most of Postal: Brain Damage, players need to balance speed and wits. It's not simply about making it through each level as quickly as possible when players first go through Postal Dude's brain-bending adventure. Instead, they should learn where enemies are and try to figure out what each encounter will be like before they engage in it. Rushing into rooms, running past enemies, and alerting hordes of baddies is sure to find players overrun in a matter of seconds.
Some players will be stationary and shoot, but there are a lot of aggressive and quick enemies that will chase players and harass them, which can quickly add up if players are running too quickly through an area.