CRUEL
- January 9, 2025
- James Dornan
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"CRUEL is a single-player Action game with outstanding mechanics and good graphics, dropping you into a terrifying hotel where you must battle bloodthirsty enemies in 10 dynamic levels. Quick reflexes are essential as the environment constantly shifts, and collecting cans for upgrades can provide a much-needed edge. The heart-pounding electronic soundtrack enhances the intense, surreal atmosphere."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The gameplay is fast-paced and satisfying, with smooth movement and responsive controls.
- The art style and soundtrack are excellent, enhancing the overall experience of the game.
- The game offers a unique blend of mechanics, such as kicking enemies out of windows and a fun parry system.
- The game feels short and lacks content, with limited map variety and upgrades.
- Some mechanics, like the melee hit detection and enemy spawning, can feel frustrating and unfair.
- The roguelike elements could use more depth, as the upgrades often feel underwhelming and repetitive.
- gameplay66 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay is widely praised for its addictive core loop, satisfying mechanics, and fast-paced action, often compared to classic titles like Hotline Miami. Players appreciate the tight controls, engaging combat, and the challenge of mastering various weapons and abilities, although some express concerns about the repetitiveness and certain mechanics feeling out of place. Overall, the game delivers a fun and rewarding experience, particularly for fans of roguelike shooters.
“The core gameplay loop is addicting to say the least; I love the old school 2.5D graphics and models.”
“Incredible core gameplay; not a very long game or one with much content though.”
“Extremely satisfying gameplay loop with a gorgeous art style and serviceable soundtrack.”
“Dustborn has ugly and hateful characters, a story that contradicts its own message 'against' bullying, stale combat with a mechanic that uses the 'power of words', and music that murders your brain cells.”
“I really like the style of this game and the mechanics, but it feels like a majority of my deaths aren't my fault. Either my melee just doesn't collide properly, I somehow accidentally destroy my healing, or one of the enemies will get up after taking a couple of shots and then kill me from behind after it seemed like I killed them.”
“It's a fine game, plays alright, but it's not really doing anything interesting apart from being able to type the name of someone you want to kill at the beginning, but it doesn't seem to do anything with that mechanic, which is a shame.”
- music47 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives high praise for its energetic and engaging soundtracks, often described as "banging" and fitting well with the gameplay. While some reviews mention a desire for more variety and content, the overall consensus highlights the music as a standout feature that enhances the gaming experience, with many players expressing a wish for a downloadable soundtrack. The combination of great music, smooth gameplay, and stylish visuals contributes to a highly enjoyable atmosphere.
“I love the soundtrack and retro graphics!”
“The music, the feel, the art style is all amazing.”
“The soundtrack is fantastic, and I will definitely be losing more time to this game.”
“Dustborn: has ugly and hateful characters, a story that contradicts its own message 'against' bullying, stale combat with a mechanic that uses the 'power of words' and music that murders your brain cells.”
“Music is a bit lacking in comparison to the banger of that game, but at least it has variety.”
“Overall a great little game with good soundtrack (downloadable steam OST would be nice).”
- graphics33 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their unique art style, blending 2D and 3D elements with a retro aesthetic reminiscent of classic PS1 visuals. Players appreciate the smooth animations, vibrant character and weapon designs, and the overall dark, cartoonish atmosphere that enhances the fast-paced gameplay. Many reviews highlight the game's stylish visuals and satisfying feedback, contributing to an engaging and immersive experience.
“Basically, it's an awesome game: pristine graphics, with 2D blending perfectly with the 3D world and its 'wobbly' effect, frantic gameplay where the fastest gets the reward and the rushed gets the game over screen.”
“The game play is super smooth and the game oozes style with visuals and music.”
“Looks amazing, might be my favorite 3D low-res art style out there.”
“The graphics have that classic PS1 look to them, with a somewhat dark cartoonish horror.”
“Both have immaculately tuned fast action/shooting mechanics that reward mastery, and feature stylish low-res visuals.”
“It's like Post Void with aesthetics inspired by Blood; it's peak.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its solid replayability due to its simple yet engaging concept and appealing visual style. However, many players express a desire for additional content, features, and game modes to enhance the replay value further. While the foundation is strong, there is a consensus that more variety and options could significantly improve the experience.
“This has the formula... it's short, sweet, with excellent replayability.”
“Simple concept with high replayability and a visual style to die for.”
“Still very fun and for me worth the money, but please add more fun and chaotic perks, and let me choose at least three perk options per floor; I think it can add a lot more to the replay value.”
“It's replayable, but I still hope to see a lot of updates and new game modes.”
“Solid foundation, but needs some more content and replayability.”
“Both leave you wishing that the devs added just a few more features to increase replayability.”
- humor6 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness and absurdity, contributing to an overall fun and fast-paced experience. Players appreciate the comedic elements woven into the core premise and ending, as well as the quirky interactions, such as typing anything to defeat enemies. Overall, the game's humor enhances its enjoyable atmosphere, making it a standout feature.
“Although I do think more weapons in the future would be nice, I also think it's funny that you can type anything you want to kill. Overall, 9 out of 10 game.”
“The core premise and ending are very funny.”
“Overall, it's a very fun and ultra fast-paced 'keep moving or you die' game with a wicked sense of humor.”
“Although I do think more weapons in the future would be nice, I also find it funny that you can type anything you want to kill. Overall, 9 out of 10 game.”
“The humor in this game falls flat; the jokes feel forced and often miss the mark.”
“I expected a lot more laughs, but the humor is stale and repetitive.”
- story5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The story in Dustborn is criticized for featuring unlikable characters and contradicting its anti-bullying message, while the gameplay is described as lacking depth. Despite its short length, some players enjoyed the plot twist and found the overall experience entertaining, though it may not satisfy those seeking a rich narrative or character development.
“Hopefully a story-driven FPS as crazy as this one, maybe even crazier.”
“Loved the plot twist at the end too, lmao.”
“Dustborn has ugly and hateful characters, a story that contradicts its own message against bullying, stale combat with a mechanic that uses the 'power of words,' and music that murders your brain cells.”
“If you're looking for a long in-depth roguelike game with a story or extensive character building, this game isn't for you.”
“But overall, for how short this is, I very much enjoyed Cruel. It's got a great art style, fun gameplay, and the soundtrack kicks ass, but there's not really much going on with the story, and that doesn't really matter.”
- stability3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users report mixed experiences with stability; while some find the game runs smoothly and feels great, others have encountered significant freezes and stutters during subsequent playthroughs.
“Runs great.”
“Runs great and feels great.”
“Running the game a second time has introduced some of the most atrocious freezes and stutters.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
“I experienced constant lag and frame drops, which ruined the overall experience.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game successfully captures a retro occult atmosphere, combining engaging gameplay with great music and humor, resulting in an overall enjoyable and immersive experience.
“Amazing fun, great tunes, funny, awesome atmosphere.”
“It nails a retro occult atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking any real immersion.”
“Despite the setting, the atmosphere fails to evoke any sense of tension or excitement.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players express a determination to continue grinding, indicating a commitment to overcoming challenges and progressing in the game despite the repetitive nature of the task.
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is well-optimized, receiving positive feedback across various aspects including design, aesthetics, pace, and gameplay.
“Pretty good in almost every aspect; game design, aesthetics, pace, gameplay, and optimization.”
“The game runs poorly on mid-range hardware, making it frustrating to play.”
“Despite its potential, the optimization issues lead to frequent frame drops and stuttering.”
“I was disappointed to find that the game is not well-optimized, resulting in long loading times and lag.”
