As is the tradition at this point, the rumblings of the FPS community led to my discovery of what truly stands as 2021's GOTY (so far). Cruelty Squad is by far one of the most mechanically dense, insanely replayable, and utterly demented shooters I've played in a while. This "Broken Reality crashed headfirst into copies of classic Rainbow Six and Deus Ex" experience is certainly not for everyone, but this game becomes a surreal masterpiece the more you play it.

To say I was utterly enamored with Cruelty Squad would be a severe understatement. Cruelty Squad's garish visuals pair wonderfully with its quick-witted gameplay, creating something rather unique in the modern shooter market. The overall presentation of Cruelty Squad certainly acts as a major turnoff for some, but those more familiar with the genre should know what they're getting themselves into when booting up this game for the first time.

What you will receive once you start up Cruelty Squad is... something else entirely. The speed of shooters like QUAKE, the ferocity of Rainbow Six, and the stealth and level design inspirations from Deus Ex (and other immersive sims, of course) crafts a wonderfully unique genre-melding; if that sounds even remotely interesting, you'll have a blast with Cruelty Squad.

As fun and engaging as Cruelty Squad can be the majority of the time you're playing it, you're bound to deal with rather obnoxious hurdles to truly keep that divine link intact. This, unfortunately, means that the player will be doing much more than the standard Hitman-esc contracts during missions, which may prove fun for some, and a major progression roadblock for others. Cruelty Squad knows this and has fun with that idea. If you're not willing to put your all into this game, you're not going to receive much out of it. Never have I seen a game that wants you to hate it as much as Cruelty Squad does; judging by the game, itself, and the Twitter account of developer Consumer Softproducts, this game is ultimately a shitpost. In a way, creating a highly technical shooter, bound with secrets and interesting economic mechanics just for it to be a shitpost is rather artful, yet that has its downsides, too.

If you're really not in the mood to push through seriously difficult trials to hit that "CEO mindset," you will hate this game. If you want a far easier experience to casually stroll along to, you'll hate this game. Honestly, multiple factors would reasonably lead someone to hate this experience. Consumer Softproducts is clearly aware of this through the amount of shitposting they do online, but that's just the Cruelty Squad experience: a flawed masterpiece.

If you think you have the patience for the sometimes crushing difficulty, as well as the eventual fishing grind you're going to go through, Cruelty Squad is a game you should not miss.

(I am writing this review as of the point of having only finished the game's main campaign. No extra or secret content has been completed yet).

I'm not really sure if there's really a way to adequetly describe Cruelty Squad. I'm sitting here behind my desk after having just played 5 hours of the game and finishing its main campaign, and I'm still at a loss for words, I don't even know what I'd rank it. How do you give a star rating to a game like this??? I feel like I've barely scratched the surface of this game and its intricacies. Like I've only truly explored the smallest fraction of it.

Talking about the game itself, once you get past the fact that it looks like the result of someone violently shitting on Microsoft Paint, and that the game has one of the most confusing control setups I've ever seen, and the most intentionally confusing and unintuitive UI imaginable, you'll start to realize that the movement is incredibly fluid and solid, the guns feel good to shoot, and that the game, despite everything, is a rather fun and challenging stealth-based shooter with surprising mechnical depth on all fronts. When I booted this game up, the last thing I expected to be doing was gaming the fucking stock market, but there I was.

Perhaps I'll have a better idea of what to rank this game if I come back to it later, explore the levels some more, get better ranks, find more guns, get more augments. There's just so much to unpack and I've only just started.

Even outside of gameplay, the game uses its whacked out aesthetic to its advantage to create a truly grimy and disgusting cyberpunk, hyper capitalist dystopia which is genuinely one of the most hellish interpretations of the idea I've ever seen. The game's topical, and has quite a lot to say about capitalism and its failings.

For now, I'll stick it with 3 and a half stars. A game that's certainly not for everyone, but if you can get past the filter of literally just playing the fucking game, I think you'll find SOMETHING to enjoy.

(EDITS: upgraded review to 4 stars, also added more meat to review)

SWAT 5 but instead of copaganda its a Francis Bacon painting with a biopunk filter. This shit is the most arresting video game I've played since...I don't know when. I really hate to throw this in the 'needs a write-up' pile but there's so much to gush about here. The instant quotables ("I've been getting really into "hell". Both as a mindset and as something to strive for, in an organizational sense."), that OST, the gunplay that perfectly emulates the old skool tacticool FPS games, the level design, the secrets (did you know there's an additional hard mode that has rare enemies, new sections, & additional targets?!), the implants, the cryptic but emotionally evocative storytelling, both the LIFE and the Entrapment cutscenes, and just the whole indescribable aesthetic of the game. I've seen and experienced a lot of media that takes comfort in being dark, disdainful, and dreary, and indeed have the same emotional arc as this, but none do it with the quite the same balance of levity, futility, mania and malice like Cruelty Squad does.

Edit: So I saw that the dev retweeted this excellent video review of the game, which touches upon the actual themes of this game, which is something I neglected to mention in my gushing here.

I'm not a big Bataille fan, but this game inspired me to take a second look at his work, particularly the Accursed Share, and I'm finding his words increasingly compelling. There's something so...accurate about the way Bataille describes capitalistic societies as being excessive growth & energy without any tension release. The "growth" of Capital, and the resulting inequality, is like an endless edging session that has turned the temporary delay of gratification into an eternal permanence of longing, a longing of gratification that is never coming (haha penis). Gone are the days of the potlach, Bataille notes, in which inequality was solved in a cathartic day of gift-giving and redistribution ( and maybe some orgies ;) ); what we have instead in capitalistic societies is that the wealth is concentrated into luxuries, with redistribution being only done "as necessary" through welfare. The excess & inequality is entrenched in the capitalistic system.

What gives me hope, and what gave Bataille hope, and what ultimately Cruelty Squad is hoping for, is that the growth will overflow at some point. A potlach is just a sexier, voluntary revolution--one of the capital P Points of The Accursed Share is that the excess growth in any economy must be dealt with; the problem with capitalistic societies is that the recursive spending on luxury and the restrictive spending on welfare isn't really dealing with the issue of growth. The excess growth, if never dealt with, will spawn its own revolutionary growth that'll find itself amongst society's most spited and downtrodden. For Bataille (and for me), this was American Descendants of Slavery; for Cruelty Squad, it's the gig worker. It's not just some 'le random xd' moment that Cruelty Squad Man begins his journey waking up from a depression nap in his small weak-ass apartment; it's recognition that the revolution will find its strongest energy in the depressed, the marginalized, the unlucky, and the unloved. The final text of Cruelty Squad is a quote from Bataille emphasizing the inevitability of this revolutionary energy; this era will collapse or it will burst, whichever comes first.

And after that?

G O L D E N A G E

The first terminally online game that also manages to be a good tactical shooter. Behind the shitty AI there is a lot of janky depth hidden in this game will all the gun types, implants, and hidden passages. The graphics are beautiful with every area being filled with memorably surreal oddities and a consistent attention to making details as repulsive as possible without making the game unplayable. Sure at first you'll be slowly sneaking around corners sniping enemies while hanging on for dear life. but with a few implants and guns the game opens up. Secrets permeate every aspect of the design. When it comes to concepts alone Cruelty Squad might be the most creative shooter in a decade.

The story is fun but the satire is a little straightforward compared to the aesthetics and gameplay. Someone talking about excess violent and consumerism can't compare to painting a face covered house with the blood of mutants. The writing is filled with online references like funk pops, Nick Land, and Curtis Yarvin. Along with more conventional rich targets like Elizabeth Holmes and Elon Musk. This creates a strange satire where the caricatures are quite simple but made biting by their inclusion in this world. The strangest bit about the story is when the endings somehow manage to get even more surreal then the main game with even more abrasive visuals and gnostic references, but of these and other philosophical references feel quite shallow next to /biz/ memes.

Cruelty Squad is a shitpost game but it's also one of the most inventive FPS's I've played in a while.

seems like it wants very badly to be more than it is. Makes gestures at grander ideas but never fully explores them, and instead sits in the "comfortable" space of shooting guys when it could more fully embrace its immersive sim inspirations. When it makes a good aesthetic choice, it does it very well, however, and the core gameplay loop, while perhaps uninspired, is relatively fun.
EDIT: Giving this one an extra half-star for being boldly ugly. Always gotta appreciate a game that goes out of its way to look messed up and weird.

This happened to my buddy E̷̡̢̧̡̨̡̧̧̡̢̛̛̠̺̜̞̬̗̥͔̦̻̬̝̼͕̬̝͎̬̥͇̻̫͕͚͕͎̟̫̫̪̰͍͓̺̳̜͚̩̞̳̦̱͈͈͈͈̹͍̰̝̬̥͇͙̰͕̱͚̣̤̟͚͔̯̩͙̙̤̮̠̪͎̖̤̞͚̘̱̖͓̙̦̱̻͚̟̤̠̼͉̥͍̤̟͔̰̣̗͕͖͎̣͕̥̺͓̹̟̲̫̮̩̱̰͖̱͍̬̪̫͔͕̣̖͓̖̺͈͇̮̪̺̫̯̘̫̣͓̪͉̟̳͍̟̹̺̣͖̹͉̣͙̜͎̎̀̈́̉̅͛͑̿͛̈́͒̈́̊̎͑̂͌̈́̐͂̀͐̎̍͐̊͌̾̓̊̿̇̽͊͗̊̌̋͌̏̈́͋̽̽̿͋͘͘͘͘̕͘̚͜͜͝͝ͅr̷̢̧̡̡̢̧̨̨̨̡̡̧̢̨̢̢̢̧̛̛̛̛̛͕̙͔̞̳̰̘̞͖̥͈͔̙̦̱͙̤̱̹̱̲͓̗̭̜̫̝̣̘̥͖͖̹̻̯̬̩̞͕͙̣̥̻̼̺͇̳͈̥̹͈̩̖̯̼̜̳̬̮̟̬̦͈̗̥̥̼̰̞̮͖̫̥̘͈̱͙̥͕̤̰̝̳̘͔͔͚͉̻̩̣̺̯̙͈̮͈͔͕͇̪̙͍̹̲̤͔̼̺̲͇̩͕̺̲̤̲͍̩̭͖̬̜̺̹̭̟̜͚͈̰̮͚̣̱̠̖̝͎̠̲̘̣͕̼̪͉̞̣̩͙͙̺͈̭̣͖͖͖̣̘̤̥͙̩̼̭͔͈͈̯̼̲͎͙̖͚̯͙͖̠͔̼̖̞͙͙̟̬̫̙͎̤̥̻̭̞̰̫̠̯̮̻̯͉̪͕̼͈̮͈̤̘͖̩̼̫͈̈̋̌͗͊͑̆́̈́̍̂͂̉͗͑͛̉́̂̾̂̇̅͌̈́͆̂̊͊̇̊͐̈͌̅̅́̏͒̿́̆̏̊̄̋̓͌̒͐̊̂͑̅̈́̌̏̿͋̍̑̃͊́̂̔̾̓̒̑̎̑̂̽̋̈́͒͋͒̽̓̔͊̎͆́̐̃̑͋̌͐̉̀̒̈́̿͐̓̒͑̀̍̅̐͛̀͌̓̾̓͗́̏̿̂͗͗͐͋͌̃̉̇͂̋̂̄̍͆͂̿̽̏́͋̄̈́͊̈́́̋̑̎̈́̀̉͊̑̈̃̎̂̈́̇̒̊́̿̽̍̉̾̎̓͋̒̀͗̀͗̽̑̈́̒̔̿̔͑͊̔̀̆̐͑̓̈́̍̀̑͌̅̇̿̒̒̊̿̍̿̈͘͘̚̕͘̚̕͘̚̕͘͘̚͘͜͜͜͝͝͝͝͠͠͠͠ͅͅͅͅͅi̵̡̧̧̧̧̢̢̧̢̛̛̛̛̛̛͚̘̮̥̘̳̰̮̮̺̪̟̙̻̟͈̪͍̹͉̘̥͚̤͎̗̭̤̙͇̲̦̰̳̗̯̮͕̳̟̹̥̣͈͓̠̰̦͓̩̰̘̰̠̗̠̪̘̣̲̺̗̩̬̠̺̻̮̙̟̟̼̞͉̲̯̣̗̹̜̤̰̹̗̰͍͙̣̩̙̜̘̩̣̙̰͍̺̮̖̹̟̞̝̫̱͋̓̅̈́͆̏́̿̈̾̆̅́͋̄͆̄̈̐͋̅́̇͂̾̎͗̎͆̃̓̋͛̉̔̏͆̾̏̃͊͑̉̈́̓̎̋̀̅̈́̈͛̈́̑͂̐͒̄̅͑̉͊̔̑̿̅̈́͗͛̈́́̄̓̀̏͋̿́̌̅͆̈̇̆́̽́̋̋̐̉̓̏̊̇̑͗̋̒͊̉͐̓̈͒̂̀͑͗̐̉̆́̈́̊̂̂̈́̄͌̎̅̌̎̈́̊̏͊́̈́͌̄̆̈̂͌͒̿͒̓̋̎̔͂͊͛̊̌͑̒͑̒̂͑̏̌͐̈͂̽̽̓͆̉̀̓̎͒̿̊̄̋̎̽̅͛̈̃́͗̒͒͐͋̆́̐̎͐̀̃̊̀̌͊͊͑̽̌͒̌͌̾͆͘͘̚̚͘͘̕͘̚̚̚̚̕͜͜͝͠͠͠͠͝͝͝͠͠͠͝͝͝͝ͅc̷̨̧̨̢̢̧̡̨̨̢̨̢̢̡͈̗̰͖̤̦̖̘̪̼̩̰̻̗̲̖̤͚̝̼̲͔̟̪̺͖̲͔̫͖͙̹̦̩̝̩̣̪̜̝̖̺͍̹͕͓̭̦̥̫͈͇̦̤̝͔͕̝̠̻̝̳̳̠̣͉̘͉̘̻̗̙̫̘̻̺̥͉͍͕̯̻̻̖͖͓̙̲̞̠̫͉̠̭̼̲͖͎̝̱̣͙̘̪̯͔̲̬̳̘͉̳͔̭̝̘̖̫̣͍͇̥̦̩̱̺͙̳̱̤̗̝̩̞̩͚͕̳̼̙̰̰̙̝̺̪̜̖̲̹͔̯̝̻̼̹̺̖̭̱̦͗̈͐̽̇̒̓̿̽́̐̉͌̽̔̅̀̓̾̏̾̒̏̄͂̿̿͗̋͒͋͛͊́̑͂̋̑̀͂̃͑͒̂͋̄͌͆̆̋̾̈͆̍́̇͐̐̓͆̆̅́̋̓́̾̍̓̏́̓͌̆̇̂͛̂̃͗̽̀͗̏̒̍́́͑͗̈́̌̂̅̅̊̑̽̓̍̉̆̔̓̃̏͐̑̄̈́̇̐̌̀̉̚̕͘̕͘̕͘͘̚͘͘̕͘͘͜͜͜͜͜͝͝͝ͅͅͅͅ

Wanted to finish this and gave it a few honest tries, but, yeah. I think I get it, thanks.

Tons of exciting and unexpected ideas, but the essentially trial-and-error gameplay sucks. I was and am truly interested in seeing everything this game has to offer but I don't have much patience for games that are deliberately annoying. And I mean in the gameplay design, not the UI or whatever.

Whoever made the reload mechanic should be in jail. Full star off just for that.