Man, I don't fucking know. I like weird games, I like tactical shooters, I like immersive sims, but I don't like this. I gave it a good 2 hours and 5 levels until I threw in the towel, which I feel is fair all things considered.

The visual style is definitely doing... something. But whatever it is I don't find to be particularly clever or enjoyable. That music too... wack. Also for something billed as an immersive sim it sure feels pretty restrictive in how you tackle objectives. You die so quickly and with no checkpoints that's pretty hostile towards any sort of experimentation. I also feel like this game's humor is kinda lost on me, which may be a result of coming to this thing 3 years late but like... ok the jokes are that the NPCs say nonsense and that there's a stock market for wacky things like fish and livers. wooooooow

I'm angry at this game because I should love it but I don't and it's pissing me off. Maybe I'll return to this some day, but for now I feel like I'm being left out of the cool kids club on this one.

*Note I haven't done ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING yet but I've done most of the secret levels save for House and Trauma Loop and thats just because they require a fuckton of grinding for money and idk when if I'll ever get it done.

Yeah this game is really fuckin good and I wish I wasn't such a jackass about it years ago.

When a game looks like cruelty squad you're essentially fighting an uphill battle with me, and it didn't help this came out next to a lot of other low effort cashgrab "retro indie boomer shooters!!!" that would fill the weaker sections of Realms Deep streams didn't help one bit. From what I saw this game was just a giant ironic shitpost somehow masquerading as some stupid fake deep "we live in a society" bullshit.

Not the case at all.

Cruelty Squad is unconventional. Very unconventional. But it rides the line so thin that almost everything is still readable, and the gameplay behind all that is addicting as shit.

The game is objectively ugly on purpose. But everything on the hud is still readable and you can easily understand what's going on. Yes, I'll admit some of the bright colors did get to me and gave me a headache after a bit at points but again it surprisingly didn't bug me as much over time.

If I were to describe this game, it would be "first person hitman with deus ex powers for schizos". You have targets on your hud, and you're tasked with killing them. How? Doesn't matter, just get it done. With a few exceptions Cruelty Squad's levels are exactly what make imsims so special, and the powers and weapons you obtain are just the cherry on top. It's funny, this game has a lot of stealth elements, but at the same time I wouldn't even totally call it a stealth game with how many points you'll probably just end up gunning people down. But you gotta go a certain way about it. You can't just play this like a doom game, you gotta be precise, take cover when it matters, go for headshots. It's incredibly satisfying and the short completion times for each levels help encourage replayability all the more.

My only real complaints if anything is that noticing enemies can be a bit hard I feel sometimes? At least in crowded areas where so many people look the same so that got annoying sometimes. The last level also felt really obtuse and bad for the sake of it. That was entirely the point I'm sure but it just felt like a slog to get through.

Finally not sure if it's like this for anyone else but this game has some weird performance degradion over time for me, at least on my system (GTX 3060). Like, when I'll boot the game up, everything is a rock solid 60+ like it should be, but usually after like 9 level loads/retries the framerate dips into the 40s and I don't know why. I THINK its because the game is still trying to process stats of NPCs after their death on top of things like the stock markets? But I don't know, maybe this is just a me issue or something.

Other then that this has to be one of the most fun indie fpses I've played this year and I'm really upset at myself I didn't try it sooner. If you're still turned off because of the visuals or fans like I was, at least give it a try with an open mind. In terms of raw gameplay, this is a must-play for imsim fans as far as I'm concerned.

Cruelty Squad offers a unique and engaging experience for players who enjoy collecting Chunkopops. While the $11 price tag may initially seem steep, the game's community and the connections you can make with fellow Chunkopop enthusiasts make it a worthwhile investment. The game's world and characters are rich and diverse, providing a memorable experience that you won't find elsewhere. Whether you're a seasoned collector or just starting out, Cruelty Squad offers something special for all Chunkopop enthusiasts.

Score: 9/10

o texto desse jogo tem tanta carga vinda das consequências de se viver em um capitalismo-tardio-pré-apocalíptico que eu não conseguiria discorrer apropriadamente sobre ele mesmo se eu me colocasse nessa função. tudo que eu sei é que eu gosto que Cruelty Squad é um immersive sim estilo Thief (com foco em assassinato e ações perturbadas). a gente precisa de mais jogos estilos Thief. eu gosto das vibes horrendas e do design de fases que consegue incentivar exploração e ao mesmo tempo me punir por enfiar meu nariz em lugares estranhos. o melhor de tudo é que essa contradição funciona dentro do loop de gameplay (já que você nunca perde muito progresso morrendo) e nunca se torna frustrante demais.

é um daqueles jogos que usam a dificuldade e seu design como uma piada feita às custas de quem o joga, e quer saber? é uma boa piada. são múltiplas boas piadas. eu gosto da fase que tem um trampolim insanamente forte no meio de um prédio que te atrapalha pra entrar na sala importante mas que te oferece uma ótima forma de escapar do caos causado por suas ações. amei bastante. um dia eu faço o conteúdo pós game.

Cruelty Squad is something else to say the least. You may look at this game and think it was made by someone who abuses drugs for a living, and that's what the developer was going for. This game can get difficult at times and forces you to use strategy to get through certain levels, which can include stealth in certain moments. This game does take some inspiration by Cyperpunk, as you can get implants into your limbs that can make your playthrough easier and more fun to explore. There are plenty of weapons to unlock, implants to use, levels to play, and fish to catch as well. Don't let the visuals fool you, as this game is a lot more fun than it looks like.

not really a tactical stealth game, or an immersive sim, but some unknown third thing. sadly did not click with me as much as I'd hoped, trying to give it some more of my time with the hard difficulty and end game stuff but unfortunately the squishiness of your character makes it really hard to mess around with this game. I hate that the main way of getting upgrades is a completely random stock mechanic, I get how it links to the games themes, and it links to them very well, but god I just don't have the time or wherewithal for it! There's a lot I like in this game writing and presentation, it's a very smart very sharp game, but god I can barely engage with 90% of the gameplay. having to walk on eggshells cuz of the speed at which your character can be turned into paste just does not make for a fun gameplay experience. Bleh, wish I liked it more.

haha pyrocynical ga- A point in the horizon, a melting scene from your childhood. Your mortality is showing. A frantic drift towards nothing, biology doomed to an infinite recursive loop. Teeth with teeth with teeth. Take a bite. Serene scent of a coastal town, warmth of the sun. Bitter tears. Lust for power. This is where you abandoned your dreams. You are a high net worth individual, an expanding vortex of pathetic trauma. Finally a beautiful fucking nerve ape. A pure soul is born, its neurotransactions stutter into being. 30583750937509353 operations per nanosecond. Beauty eludes your porous mind.