Now on some errands you have to cross the entire town, which means you'll have to go through 3 or 4 load sections before you reach your goal, and go through 3 or 4 load sections to get to the next. But there is one HUGE problem with this game, that makes it almost unplayable and that is the loading times between different sections of the map. The errands themself are all quite original and funny and do make you wonder at times how the programmers really think. The basic premise of the game is you have certain errands to run each day (things like pick up the milk, cash your pay check, urinate on your fathers grave, that sort of thing), but unfortunately things always go wrong (like being attacked by the parents against video games, just after you have been fired from your job with a Video games developer). BUT after the novelty wears off, what are you left with? Not a lot. And yes it's even funny hearing people (and your character) swearing all the time. Yes it's funny to be able to shoot the c**p out of religious fanatics, rednecks, tree loving protesters and parents against video game violence. Yes it's funny to be able to stuff a cat on the end of your shotgun and use it as a siliencer. Yes it's great fun being able to urinate on people and watch them throw up. The real selling point of this game, is it's non politically-correct attitude, other than that there's nothing else to this game. But when a title is built on a foundation of discrimination and political incorrectness, it has a problem and 'Postal 2' simply goes too far, too often, and offers little else.But after a couple of hours the novelty wears off and what your left with, is a standard FPS game. If sales of 'Grand Theft Auto: Vice City' are any indication, many adult gamers probably would concede that there's nothing wrong with a little violence, sex or profanity in a video game. The game was tested on three different computers but the technical problems persisted. This seriously detracts from the pacing of the game. For example, players have sit through about four progress bars just walk between the their former company and the bank - and the two locations are only a couple of blocks apart. The length and frequency of load times between levels is the biggest problem. If the controversial content isn't enough to turn off players, the game's annoying technical problems will. Other than exploring to find secret areas and power-ups, the gameplay is typical of every other shoot-em-up out there. Other tasks include being treated for a sexually transmitted disease, returning an overdue book to the library and getting an autograph from child star Gary Coleman, who makes a forgettable cameo in the game.Д®ventually, weapons are drawn and 'Postal 2' turns into a traditional 3-D shooter, where the goal is to kill or be killed.

Players walk around the fictional 3-D town of Paradise, Arizona, completing menial tasks before losing it and going 'postal.' These tasks include picking up a paycheck at work (only to learn you've been fired), dealing with an annoying teller at the bank and waiting in line to buy milk for your trailer park. 'Postal 2' is played from a first-person perspective. To be fair, the game's developer (aptly named Running With Scissors) says 'Postal 2' can be completed without pulling a trigger, but this means running away every time a gunfight breaks out, which is unlikely and would make the game dull. Similar to its 1997 predecessor 'Postal,' this sequel places the player in the shoes of a 'Postal Dude' who is pushed too far and inevitably resorts to shooting everyone in sight.

For example, police officers can be decapitated with shovels, some arcade games in Paradise include slurs against gays and lesbians, Middle Eastern men are shown perusing bomb-making and terrorism books at the library (before opening fire with a machine gun), and the lead character can unzip his pants and mark his territory on just about anything. 'Postal 2' offends many groups because of its disturbing content. It makes 'Vice City' look like a Disney cartoon.Д¬ontroversy is the name of the game in 'Postal 2.' It's shocking and offensive, but not much else. Parents, politicians and religious leaders who say Rockstar Games' best-selling 'Grand Theft Auto: Vice City' video game crosses lines of decency and good taste with excessive violence, sex and drugs will be just as unhappy, if not more so, with 'Postal 2.'

В• Sounding the alarm on video game ratingsД®ditor's Note: The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of Marc Saltzman, a freelance technology journalist whose reviews also appear on the Gannett News Service.

Postal 2 all weapons