Postal III

About

Postal III is a single player open world shooter game with a comedy theme. It was developed by Zoom Platform and was released on February 17, 2012. It received negative reviews from both critics and players.

Postal III is a single-player, comedy open-world game set in the town of Catharsis, where players control the "Postal Dude" and make choices that determine if they are "good or insane." The gameplay has been criticized for its grindiness and bugs, but it does have a good soundtrack. However, it is missing optimization and is full of technical issues, which significantly impact the overall experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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39%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,744 reviews

humor288 positive mentions

story98 negative mentions

The game has a unique art style and some decent music.
Corey Cruise's voice acting as the Postal Dude is well-received.
Some players find moments of dark humor and absurdity that can be entertaining.

The game is riddled with bugs, crashes frequently, and has poor AI.
The gameplay is linear and lacks the open-world freedom that previous Postal games offered.
The morality system is poorly implemented, punishing players for going 'Postal' in a Postal game.

story
520 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
70%
19%
The story of "Postal III" is widely criticized for its incoherence and lack of depth, often described as a disjointed collection of absurd missions that fail to engage players meaningfully. While some appreciate the satirical humor and branching paths that allow for different moral choices, many find the execution lacking, with repetitive and poorly designed missions, buggy gameplay, and a linear structure that detracts from the franchise's open-world roots. Overall, the narrative is seen as a weak point, overshadowed by technical issues and a failure to capture the charm of its predecessors.
- “The story and humor of this game is on point with the series; it is everything that you come to expect from a Postal game and is not for those who can't take a joke and get offended easily.”
- “I like the story and characters, and they're all very in-depth.”
- “The branching storyline and good versus bad system allows you to replay the game and encounter new levels, alternative scenes, and it even allows you to complete the objectives differently.”
- “The game's storyline is disjointed and lacks any meaningful direction.”
- “The story is one of the most stupidest stories I've experienced; I know the series isn't known for it, but this was probably the worst.”
- “The plot is paper thin and incoherent; it is mostly a shooter on rails with no real open world sandbox.”
humor
308 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
94%
6%
The humor in "Postal 3" has received mixed reviews, with many players feeling it falls short compared to its predecessor, "Postal 2." Critics note that while the game attempts to replicate the outrageous and dark humor of the series, it often comes off as forced, crass, and outdated, relying heavily on shock value rather than clever writing. Some players appreciate the absurdity and occasional funny moments, but overall, the humor is seen as inconsistent and lacking the charm that made earlier entries in the franchise memorable.
- “For fans who appreciate the series’ controversial humor and are willing to look past the technical and design flaws, the game still offers moments of dark comedy and bizarre scenarios that align with the franchise’s legacy.”
- “The humor is good ol' Postal, so if this is the selling point you're looking for, that might be enough.”
- “Postal 3 has a way of poking fun at everything and everyone while maintaining a light-hearted tone, effectively balancing between controversial humor and pure hilarity.”
- “Bugs, crashes, horrible writing, unfunny garbage that tries way too hard.”
- “It's not funny bad, it is just bad.”
- “The jokes however are painfully unfunny.”
gameplay
258 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
57%
29%
The gameplay in Postal 3 has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players criticizing its clunky mechanics, poor AI, and numerous technical issues such as crashes and glitches. The shift to a third-person perspective has been particularly unpopular, as it detracts from the fluidity and enjoyment of combat, which is often described as shallow and unsatisfying. While some players find moments of fun and humor, the overall experience is marred by linear mission design, a lack of engaging gameplay elements, and a frustrating morality system that limits player freedom.
- “The gameplay mechanics in Postal 3 are solid, offering a mix of open-world exploration, mission-based objectives, and sandbox-style chaos.”
- “One of Postal 3's greatest strengths is its open-world, sandbox-style gameplay that grants players freedom to tackle objectives in their unique way.”
- “The sheer variety of weapons, from mundane to utterly absurd, provides endless amusement and keeps the gameplay fresh throughout.”
- “NPC AI is horrible, the game crashes, hit detection is atrocious, gameplay is boringly linear, in contrast to the open world of Postal 2.”
- “The gameplay is completely broken.”
- “This is a god-awful continuation of the Postal series plagued with terrible load times, AI that simply doesn't work, boring linear missions, cover mechanics and regenerating health that don't belong in a game like this.”
stability
178 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
99%
The stability of Postal 3 is widely criticized, with numerous reviews highlighting its extreme bugginess, frequent crashes, and game-breaking glitches that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players report frustrating experiences, including unresponsive missions and performance issues, making the game feel unfinished and poorly optimized. Despite some finding enjoyment in its chaotic nature, the overwhelming consensus is that the game's instability detracts from the overall experience, rendering it nearly unplayable for many.
- “Not buggy at all, I swear.”
- “The game runs smoothly without any crashes.”
- “I've experienced zero issues with stability during my playtime.”
- “This game being 'buggy' is an understatement; it's just straight torture.”
- “Postal 3 is a complete mess of broken mechanics, terrible writing, mind-numbing gameplay, and enough bugs and glitches to make you want to punch a hole through your monitor.”
- “The game is buggy, broken, and sometimes unplayable.”
music
143 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
39%
12%
The music in Postal 3 receives mixed reviews, with many players praising the soundtrack as one of the game's few redeeming qualities, describing it as "great" and "kickass." However, some users criticize the sound design, noting inconsistencies in volume and the presence of poorly fitting tracks, particularly in cutscenes. Overall, while the soundtrack is highlighted as a standout feature, it is often overshadowed by the game's numerous flaws.
- “The soundtrack for the most part is great.”
- “The only good things about this game are the models, the voice-acting (mostly Corey Cruise), and the music.”
- “The soundtrack is also really good!”
- “The cut scenes and the music for this game are also just not good.”
- “Sound design fares little better: ambient sounds are sparse, weapon effects are underwhelming, and the soundtrack is forgettable.”
- “The soundtrack in this game is weird as hell; one of the weirdest I've ever heard in a video game. It's all over the place, the song and the opening section is awful. What a bad way to start the game.”
graphics
128 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
53%
19%
The graphics of Postal 3 receive mixed reviews, with some praising its vibrant and cartoonish art style that complements the game's humor, while others criticize the visuals as outdated and poorly optimized, often likening them to early 2000s standards. Despite some players finding the graphics decent for their time, many express disappointment over technical issues, such as bugs and performance drops, which detract from the overall experience. Overall, while the art direction has its fans, the execution leaves much to be desired, leading to a consensus that the graphics are a significant step down from its predecessor, Postal 2.
- “Firstly, the graphics are absolutely splendid; they look lifelike, it's truly magnificent.”
- “Postal 3 adopts a vibrant and cartoonish art style, which enhances the game's humorous undertones.”
- “Visually, Postal 3 may not boast cutting-edge graphics, but its stylized art direction fits perfectly with the game's satirical tone.”
- “Graphically, Postal 3 is outdated even for its release period.”
- “The graphics are mediocre at best, with poor textures and low-quality character models that make the game feel outdated and unpolished.”
- “The graphics engine is Source but bad and very poorly optimized.”
optimization
81 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
41%
47%
The optimization of the game has been widely criticized, with many users reporting severe performance issues, including frequent crashes, frame rate drops, and bugs that hinder gameplay. While some players noted that the game runs adequately on modern systems with certain tweaks, the overall consensus is that it is poorly optimized, making it frustrating and often unplayable. Despite occasional patches, the game's technical shortcomings remain a significant drawback.
- “After trying the game, it's an absolute masterpiece. During my playthrough, I didn't have any bugs or crashes, the performance was great, and the graphics were absolutely fire. The gameplay is also insane, adding a lot of cool weapons like the M60, and the gunplay is so satisfying.”
- “But on a base level, the game functions and runs well on modern systems, so I can't say it wasn't entirely optimized.”
- “The patch removes the DRM and fixes several bugs and crashes, as well as boosting performance.”
- “Clunky third person mode, cheesy dialogues; and on the technical side, horrible optimization and frequent crashes.”
- “The performance is horrible, hit detection for melee weapon sucks and the game crashes all the time.”
- “This is a badly optimized, poorly designed game with atrociously bad quests, and is just not worth anybody's time.”
grinding
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and frustrating, with many players describing it as a painful experience that detracts from overall enjoyment. Reviewers note that the gameplay is marred by repetitive tasks, poor balance, and numerous bugs, leading to a sense of futility and annoyance. Overall, the grinding mechanics are seen as a significant flaw that makes the game difficult to recommend.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It can be a bit grindy sometimes.”
- “Possibly the most painfully un-fun and tedious game I've ever played.”
- “These issues make it difficult to enjoy the game and often result in a frustrating and tedious experience.”
- “It didn't, and Akella and Trashmasters are now dead as a result. Postal III clearly explains why; it's a broken, buggy, and tedious mess that nobody should bother trying, even for a joke. It's just not worth wasting time on.”
replayability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
65%
20%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the branching paths and morality system that offer different missions and endings, others find it linear and repetitive with limited replay value. Choices can significantly alter the experience, making subsequent playthroughs feel fresh for some, but technical issues and a lack of engaging content detract from the overall replay potential for others. Overall, the game has some replay value, particularly for those interested in exploring different story outcomes, but many players feel it falls short of being truly engaging.
- “I really like how it has replay value, as your choices change the story so you can replay and try other things.”
- “The freedom to make choices and the multitude of unpredictable consequences add an immense level of replayability, making each playthrough a fresh and captivating experience.”
- “It's fun, brutal, mayhem and I love every second of it, not to mention the branching paths and choices offer massive replay value.”
- “- it has no replay value”
- “- so no replayability value”
- “It's extremely linear, very repetitive with little replay value besides going through both the good and bad paths.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
20%
50%
The atmosphere of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its varied soundtrack and free-roaming elements, while others criticize it for being lackluster and linear compared to previous titles. Many feel that the game fails to capture the eerie and comedic essence of its predecessors, with dated humor and intrusive cutscenes detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the consensus suggests that the atmosphere does not live up to the expectations set by earlier installments in the series.
- “The atmosphere of this game is really cool, but the gameplay not so much.”
- “The soundtrack varies from catchy and upbeat tunes to eerie atmospheric music that complements the game's changing moods.”
- “Some of the public-release story information (such as its cutscenes) makes this mod seem more doomed from a storytelling and atmospheric level than the game it aims to repair.”
- “The comedy is a bit dated and hasn't aged as well as Postal 2's, and it lacks the subtle creepy atmosphere from the previous titles (something I was a big fan of).”
- “Atmosphere—lackluster.”
- “As I purchased and installed this game, I found the free-roaming atmosphere that left the world open in the previous game, where choice was key to story progression, had been replaced with a small linear map that pushed obnoxious cutscenes in our face with a voiceover that screams 'I'm trying to sound like Duke Nukem.'”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
88%
13%
The emotional impact of the game is profound, with many players expressing intense feelings such as tears and dizziness during pivotal moments, particularly at the end. The narrative is described as beautifully written and heart-wrenching, evoking strong reactions that resonate deeply with players. However, there are contrasting opinions, with some finding the story lacking in engagement.
- “After beating the game on the evil route, I can say this is the best Postal game ever made. I cried tears when the end credits rolled because of this beautiful game.”
- “The story was extremely well written, dramatic, and heart-wrenching.”
- “The ending made me cry, being the most beautiful work of art I have ever seen.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express dissatisfaction with the monetization strategy, indicating that while the advertising may have been appropriate, the overall experience of the game is severely lacking.
- “The monetization system feels exploitative and heavily favors players who spend money.”
- “I can't enjoy the game without being bombarded by ads and constant prompts to buy in-game currency.”
- “The prices for in-game items are outrageous, making it impossible to progress without spending real money.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is marked by over-the-top and distinctive designs that make characters memorable and recognizable. The bizarre and quirky aesthetics, combined with exaggerated animations, contribute to a unique charm and enhance the game's comical nature.
- “The character designs are over-the-top and distinctive, making them memorable and instantly recognizable.”
- “The bizarre and quirky character designs add a unique charm to the world, and the exaggerated animations further enhance the comical nature of the game.”