<s>
Cruelty	B-Application
Squad	I-Application
is	O
a	O
tactical	O
first-person	O
shooter	O
developed	O
by	O
Finnish	O
studio	O
Consumer	O
Softproducts	O
managed	O
by	O
artist	O
Ville	O
Kallio	O
and	O
released	O
in	O
early	O
access	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
on	O
4	O
January	O
2021	O
and	O
fully	O
released	O
on	O
15	O
June	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
notable	O
for	O
its	O
surreal	O
aesthetic	O
,	O
inspired	O
by	O
the	O
likes	O
of	O
LSD	B-Application
:	I-Application
Dream	I-Application
Emulator	I-Application
and	O
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
64	I-Application
,	O
complete	O
with	O
wobbly	O
,	O
low-poly	O
3D	O
models	O
,	O
psychedelic	O
color	O
palette	O
,	O
low-quality	O
distorted	O
audio	O
,	O
grotesque	O
depictions	O
of	O
augmentations	O
,	O
bizarre	O
cacophonic	O
music	O
,	O
and	O
pixelated-looking	O
,	O
unfiltered	O
textures	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cruelty	B-Application
Squad	I-Application
is	O
set	O
in	O
a	O
dystopian	O
corporatocracy	O
where	O
corporations	O
possess	O
overwhelming	O
influence	O
over	O
police	O
and	O
government	O
affairs	O
;	O
technological	O
advances	O
allow	O
people	O
to	O
be	O
resurrected	O
after	O
death	O
,	O
rendering	O
much	O
of	O
humanity	O
immortal	O
and	O
cheapening	O
the	O
perceived	O
value	O
of	O
life	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Corporate	O
contract	O
killings	O
are	O
handled	O
in	O
part	O
by	O
Cruelty	B-Application
Squad	I-Application
,	O
a	O
wetwork	O
security	O
company	O
working	O
under	O
the	O
umbrella	O
of	O
a	O
large	O
conglomerate	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
being	O
discharged	O
from	O
the	O
"	O
SEC	O
Death	O
Unit	O
"	O
,	O
the	O
unnamed	O
protagonist	O
receives	O
a	O
phone	O
call	O
from	O
his	O
enigmatic	O
handler	O
,	O
who	O
offers	O
him	O
employment	O
within	O
Cruelty	B-Application
Squad	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cruelty	B-Application
Squad	I-Application
was	O
produced	O
within	O
the	O
Godot	B-Application
game	I-Application
engine	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
fully	O
released	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
on	O
16	O
June	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prior	O
to	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
Cruelty	B-Application
Squad	I-Application
,	O
lead	O
developer	O
and	O
artist	O
Ville	O
Kallio	O
created	O
and	O
exhibited	O
multiple	O
artistic	O
works	O
consisting	O
of	O
comics	O
and	O
video	O
art	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
installations	O
and	O
standalone	O
artworks	O
for	O
galleries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
of	O
these	O
previous	O
artworks	O
contain	O
allusions	O
to	O
video	O
games	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
many	O
ideas	O
that	O
would	O
later	O
become	O
parts	O
of	O
Cruelty	B-Application
Squad	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
than	O
gallery	O
pieces	O
,	O
Kallio	O
has	O
produced	O
many	O
video	O
projects	O
before	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Cruelty	B-Application
Squad	I-Application
,	O
such	O
as	O
and	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
also	O
a	O
component	O
of	O
a	O
multimedia	O
art	O
exhibition	O
hosted	O
at	O
the	O
SIC	O
Gallery	O
in	O
Helsinki	O
,	O
Finland	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cruelty	B-Application
Squad	I-Application
received	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
"	O
reviews	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
James	O
Brod	O
of	O
Third	O
Coast	O
Review	O
described	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
"	O
grislier	O
than	O
Hotline	B-Application
Miami	I-Application
"	O
and	O
recommended	O
it	O
to	O
fans	O
of	O
"	O
old	O
school	O
tactical	O
shooters	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jake	O
Tucker	O
of	O
NME	O
declared	O
Cruelty	B-Application
Squad	I-Application
to	O
be	O
the	O
"	O
most	O
compelling	O
game	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
"	O
,	O
awarding	O
it	O
five	O
stars	O
out	O
of	O
five	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2021	O
,	O
the	O
protagonist	O
of	O
Cruelty	B-Application
Squad	I-Application
was	O
added	O
to	O
the	O
video	O
game	O
Brigador	B-Application
as	O
a	O
playable	O
character	O
,	O
under	O
the	O
name	O
"	O
MT	O
Foxtrot	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
