E3 2002Postal 2 impressions

Running With Scissors dropped by GameSpot's booth today with a laptop loaded with a build of Postal 2, and we were able to get a good look at some of the game's general gameplay.

As was mentioned in our first preview of the game, Postal 2 revolves around a series of menial tasks, such as a trip to the store to buy some milk or picking up and cashing your paycheck. The entire game is AI-driven, so it is entirely possible to perform these tasks without resorting to violence. But Running With Scissors has really pulled out all the stops to ensure that you'll be forced to go postal. For example, that simple trip to the bank could involve a 20-minute wait to get to the teller, who may decide to go for a cigarette break just as you get there.

The Postal 2 gameworld is pretty large, and every character has his or her own AI and general routine. So if you wanted to, you could stalk that bank teller, wait for her to get home, and then attack her. It's entirely up to you. There are plenty of other options as well. We were shown a marching band, complete with elephants, and when we set a blazing fire in front of them, the elephants started a stampede, running over anything in their path. The people ran for their lives as the fire consumed them, and even after they've collapsed on the ground, the bodies continue to smolder, twitching occasionally.

You'll have a complete arsenal of weaponry, ranging from a shotgun and a pistol to a machine gun and a tank of gas (with lighter). These weapons will typically be found in places that make sense. In our demo, we were shown how you can find the house of an ATF agent, where you'll discover a cache of gasoline and a number of machine guns.

The dark humor of the developers is evident in every part of the game. We were shown how you can pick up a cat and use it as a living silencer. After sticking it on your gun, each time you fire a little blood spatters, and after nine shots the cat gets launched along with the bullet (although it can come wandering back to you). The more powerful the gun, the bigger the cat's projectile arc. Other instances include the ability to urinate on people and a group of protesters against video game violence, which can be found outside the virtual Running With Scissors office (in the game, you work for the company, although you get fired early on).

Postal 2 is in development at Running With Scissors using the Unreal Warfare engine, and it should be released later this year.