View source for Postal 4: No Regerts

{{Short description|2022 video game}}{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Postal 4: No Regerts
| image = Postal 4 cover art.jpg
| developer = [[Running with Scissors (company)|Running with Scissors]]
| publisher = Running with Scissors
| series = ''[[Postal (franchise)|Postal]]''
| engine = [[Unreal Engine 4]]
| platforms = {{ubl|[[Windows]]|[[PlayStation 4]]|[[PlayStation 5]]}}
| released = '''Windows'''<br>April 20, 2022<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gematsu.com/2022/03/postal-4-no-regerts-launches-april-20 |title=POSTAL 4: No Regerts launches April 20 |first=Sal |last=Romano |date=March 28, 2022 |website=Gematsu |access-date=March 29, 2022 |archive-date=March 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328170015/https://www.gematsu.com/2022/03/postal-4-no-regerts-launches-april-20 |url-status=live }}</ref><br>'''PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5'''<br>March 21, 2023
| genre = [[First-person shooter]]
| modes = [[Single-player]]
}}
'''''Postal 4: No {{notatypo|Reg|erts}}'''''{{efn|The word "regrets" is misspelled intentionally.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/video-games/3588946/postal-dude-returns-postal-4-no-regerts/ |title=The Postal Dude Returns in 'Postal 4: No Regerts'! |first=Mike |last=Wilson |date=October 15, 2019 |website=[[Bloody Disgusting]] |access-date=March 17, 2020 |archive-date=October 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191022085535/https://bloody-disgusting.com/video-games/3588946/postal-dude-returns-postal-4-no-regerts/ |url-status=live }}</ref>}} is a 2022 [[first-person shooter]] game developed and published by [[Running with Scissors (company)|Running with Scissors]]. It was released on October 14, 2019, for [[Windows]] through [[Steam (service)|Steam]]'s [[Early access#Steam Early Access|Early Access]] program, a decision which was made to acquire public funding for the project and to involve the ''Postal'' community in the game's development process.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/postal-4-announced-and-launched-on-steam-early-access-today/ |title=Postal 4 announced and launched on Steam Early Access today |first=Lauren |last=Morton |date=October 14, 2019 |magazine=[[PC Gamer]] |access-date=October 14, 2019 |archive-date=October 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191014215036/https://www.pcgamer.com/postal-4-announced-and-launched-on-steam-early-access-today/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Running with Scissors described the game as the "true sequel" to ''[[Postal 2]]'', contrasting it with ''Postal 2''{{'}}s unsuccessful 2011 sequel ''[[Postal III]]'', which was strongly panned by critics and players. ''Postal 4'' was released on April 20, 2022 to largely negative reception, with multiple reviewers criticising the game's performance, poor gameplay, and dated humor.<ref name="hardcore"/> The game was released for [[PlayStation 4]] and [[PlayStation 5]] on March 21, 2023.
== Synopsis ==
Set several years after the events of ''Postal 2''{{'s}} second expansion, ''Paradise Lost'', the Postal Dude and his pitbull terrier, Champ, emigrate to the fictional town of Edensin, Arizona. On the way there, the Dude's car is stolen, forcing him to take on several jobs to make ends meet in the unfamiliar town, with the end goal of getting his car back.
== Gameplay ==
''Postal 4'' borrows many of its gameplay features from its predecessor, ''Postal 2''. The game is centered around different "errands" that The Postal Dude must complete each day, which include being a prison guard, a sewer worker, and an animal catcher on Monday, a variety of tasks for a gang from "South of the Borderland" on Tuesday, such as border smuggling and turf tagging, working for the mayor of Edensin on Wednesday, including a successor to the petition errand from ''Postal 2'', working for the local mafia on Thursday, with tasks including testing prototypes for video games and rigging an election, and working for the enigmatic kingpin controlling Edensin on Friday, including raiding an ancient temple, dealing with a mercenary militia at the local mall, and plugging a dam before a doomsday cult can use it to contaminate the town's water supply.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Postal 4: No Regerts Review - Nothing But Regrets |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/postal-4-no-regerts-review-nothing-but-regrets/1900-6417864/ |access-date=2023-05-25 |website=GameSpot |language=en-US}}</ref> It also returns the series to a first-person perspective, which was eschewed by ''Postal III'' in favor of third-person, though a update later gave players the option to switch to a third-person at any time. Planned gameplay elements include additional weapons, optional "side errands", different outfits for the Dude, and [[Cooperative video game|cooperative multiplayer]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=POSTAL 4 - Early Access Roadmap {{!}} Trello|url=https://trello.com/b/r6OgwR1j/postal-4-early-access-roadmap|access-date=2022-02-14|website=trello.com|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112024039/https://trello.com/b/r6OgwR1j/postal-4-early-access-roadmap|url-status=live}}</ref>
Dude was first announced as being voiced by [[Jon St. John]], however, later in development, an option was added allowing players to choose between St. John, original ''Postal'' voice actor Rick Hunter, Corey Cruise, who voiced ''[[Postal III]]'''s iteration of Dude, and [[Zack Ward]], who played the live-action rendition of Dude in the [[Postal (film)|series film adaptation]].
== Reception ==
{{Video game reviews
| MC = 30/100<ref name="metacritic"/>
| GSpot = 1/10<ref name="gamespot"/>
| IGN = 2/10<ref name="ign"/>
| HCG = 3/5<ref name="hardcore"/>
| SN = 4/10<ref name="shacknews"/>
}}
According to review aggregator [[Metacritic]], ''Postal 4: No Regerts'' received "generally unfavorable reviews",<ref name="metacritic"/> ranking worst out of 824 games rated in 2022.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/browse/games/score/metascore/year/all/filtered?year_selected=2022&distribution=&sort=desc&view=detailed&page=8 |website=metacritic.com |access-date=5 February 2023|title=Best Video Games for 2022 }}</ref><ref name="metacritic2"/> Multiple publications criticised the game's unentertaining gameplay, frequent bugs and performance issues, and poorly executed and dated jokes.<ref name="gamespot"/><ref name="ign"/><ref name="shacknews"/> ''[[GameSpot]]'' reviewer Richard Wakeling called it a "genuinely awful experience that should be avoided at all costs".<ref name="gamespot"/>
The story and writing was widely criticised by gaming publications. ''Hardcore Gamer'' reviewer Chris Shive stated that the game "plays it too safe" with humor resembling "a parody of what was edgy in 2003", but ultimately still enjoyable by the series' fanbase.<ref name="hardcore"/> Conversely, ''[[IGN]]'' and Wakeling described the game's jokes as poorly written and reliant only on shock value. Writing for the former, reviewer Travis Northrup stated he felt that unlike media such as ''[[South Park]]'' and ''[[Grand Theft Auto V]]'', the provocative humor was not backed up by intelligent writing, leading to a game that he described as having the "subtlety and nuance of an enraged ape throwing its dung".<ref name="ign"/><ref name="gamespot"/>
The gameplay was also heavily criticised by multiple reviewers. Wakeling referred to the game's AI opponents as "dumb and outright broken at times", and its overall gameplay as a "monotonous chore".<ref name="gamespot"/> ''IGN'' called the weapons "terrible to fire", and noted that "there's no reason to think at all during combat" as the player reappears immediately where they left off after dying.<ref name="ign"/> Chris Jarrard criticised the behaviour of the game's [[Non-player character|NPC]]s in his review for ''[[Shacknews]]'', saying that they "just wander around the town with no real purpose or agency". ''Hardcore Gamer'' was more positive, describing the mechanics as "janky" and "mediocre".<ref name="hardcore"/>
A large portion of reviewers frequently experienced errors and poor performance during gameplay, sometimes impeding their progress. Jarrard stated he "experienced multiple hard crashes" and described the game as a "stutter fest".<ref name="shacknews"/> Northrup stated that he experienced "people phase through the environment and important objectives disappear until I reloaded my save file", and Wakeling called it "riddled with technical issues" to the point of being unable to complete one available ending, with many bugs remaining from the game's [[early access]] period.<ref name="ign"/><ref name="gamespot"/>
== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}
== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="ign">{{cite web |last1=Northup |first1=Travis |title=Postal 4: No Regerts Review |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/postal-4-no-regerts-review |website=IGN |access-date=20 April 2022 |language=en |date=18 April 2022 |archive-date=April 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220423025229/https://www.ign.com/articles/postal-4-no-regerts-review |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name="shacknews">{{cite web |last1=Jarrard |first1=Chris |title=Postal 4: No Regerts review - Nothing but regerts |url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/129853/postal-4-no-regerts-review-nothing-but-regerts |website=Shacknews |access-date=20 April 2022 |language=en |date=18 April 2022 |archive-date=April 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220420064028/https://www.shacknews.com/article/129853/postal-4-no-regerts-review-nothing-but-regerts |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name="metacritic">{{cite web |title=POSTAL 4: No Regerts Critic Reviews for PC - Metacritic |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/postal-4-no-regerts/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |website=Metacritic |access-date=20 April 2022 |archive-date=April 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421155006/https://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/postal-4-no-regerts/critic-reviews |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name="metacritic2">{{cite web |title=The 10 Worst Video Games of 2022 |url=https://www.metacritic.com/pictures/worst-games-of-2022/10 |publisher=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=13 December 2022}}</ref>
<ref name="hardcore">{{cite web |last1=Shive |first1=Chris |title=Review: Postal 4: No Regerts |url=https://hardcoregamer.com/reviews/review-postal-4-no-regerts/421582/ |website=Hardcore Gamer |access-date=20 April 2022 |date=18 April 2022 |archive-date=April 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220420064029/https://hardcoregamer.com/reviews/review-postal-4-no-regerts/421582/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name="gamespot">{{cite web |last1=Wakeling |first1=Richard |title=Postal 4: No Regerts Review - Nothing But Regrets |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/postal-4-no-regerts-review-nothing-but-regrets/1900-6417864/ |website=[[GameSpot]] |access-date=20 April 2022 |date=18 April 2022 |archive-date=April 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220423162612/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/postal-4-no-regerts-review-nothing-but-regrets/1900-6417864/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}
{{Postal}}
[[Category:2022 video games]]
[[Category:Early access video games]]
[[Category:Open-world video games]]
[[Category:Postal (franchise)]]
[[Category:Single-player video games]]
[[Category:Video games developed in the United States]]
[[Category:Video games set in Arizona]]
[[Category:Video games set in Mexico]]
[[Category:Windows-only games]]
[[Category:Windows games]]
[[Category:Unreal Engine 4 games]]
[[Category:Satirical video games]]
[[Category:Black comedy]]