When I first played Cruelty Squad, I was pretty sure that it would fit into that odd little category of "W H A T" games, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Kenji Eno's D2 and Goichi Suda's Killer7. Games that defy standard conventions and are basically impossible to narrow down into just one or two genre labels. Basically stuff that's like, really out there, dude...

And on the surface, yes, Cruelty Squad is certainly "out there", with it's visual aesthetic being intentionally garish and a-typical, but underneath this neon pink and green skin sits a clean cut immersive sim, and a really good one at that. The game is very segmented. Each mission being it's own separate level with the goal of each basically being "Find and eliminate the target(s) and escape" (think Hitman), but the game really leaves you to your own devices. It allows you to really EMERGENT your GAMEPLAY as much as possible within these large, open levels. This corporatist hellscape is your oyster, and repeated playthroughs are encouraged through the scattering of secrets and new navigational paths that can be unlocked through new upgrades one can purchase after completing levels.

I think there are a fair few people out there that were put off by the game largely in-part due to the purposefully grotesque visuals, offbeat UI design, and some of the more odd design choices in-regards to the controls. For instance, you have to hold the right mouse button and drag your mouse down in order to reload, rather than pressing a singular button like a good 99% of shooters, with the exception of another immersive sim classic, System Shock, which I believe this game shares a lot of DNA with, probably more than any other immersive sim (save for it's more Deus Ex-inspired, multi-pathed level design structure). Which is a shame, because once one gets past these small quirks, the game is as fluid as any of the classics, at least in my humble opinion.

There are folks who have deconstructed the gameplay beats and overall message of Cruelty Squad better than I ever could, like Super Bunnyhop and Leadhead, but I'd just say that if you are looking for a surprisingly competent game with a fair amount of variety and replay value with a subversive edge, give Cruelty Squad a go. The game has an "Overwhelmingly Positive" score on Steam for reasons beyond just a mass collective troll ♥♥♥♥♥ and giggles.

When I first played Cruelty Squad, I was pretty sure that it would fit into that odd little category of "W H A T" games, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Kenji Eno's D2 and Goichi Suda's Killer7. Games that defy standard conventions and are basically impossible to narrow down into just one or two genre labels. Basically stuff that's like, really out there, dude... And on the surface, yes, Cruelty Squad is certainly "out there", with it's visual aesthetic being intentionally garish and a-typical, but underneath this neon pink and green skin sits a clean cut immersive sim, and a really good one at that. The game is very segmented. Each mission being it's own separate level with the goal of each basically being "Find and eliminate the target(s) and escape" (think Hitman), but the game really leaves you to your own devices. It allows you to really EMERGENT your GAMEPLAY as much as possible within these large, open levels. This corporatist hellscape is your oyster, and repeated playthroughs are encouraged through the scattering of secrets and new navigational paths that can be unlocked through new upgrades one can purchase after completing levels. I think there are a fair few people out there that were put off by the game largely in-part due to the purposefully grotesque visuals, offbeat UI design, and some of the more odd design choices in-regards to the controls. For instance, you have to hold the right mouse button and drag your mouse down in order to reload, rather than pressing a singular button like a good 99% of shooters, with the exception of another immersive sim classic, System Shock, which I believe this game shares a lot of DNA with, probably more than any other immersive sim (save for it's more Deus Ex-inspired, multi-pathed level design structure). Which is a shame, because once one gets past these small quirks, the game is as fluid as any of the classics, at least in my humble opinion. There are folks who have deconstructed the gameplay beats and overall message of Cruelty Squad better than I ever could, like Super Bunnyhop and Leadhead, but I'd just say that if you are looking for a surprisingly competent game with a fair amount of variety and replay value with a subversive edge, give Cruelty Squad a go. The game has an "Overwhelmingly Positive" score on Steam for reasons beyond just a mass collective troll shits and giggles.