How CRUELTY SQUAD Desensitizes you (and Why)

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 พ.ค. 2024
  • This is the 'Cruelty Squad' (2021) of life.
    ------------------------------------------------------
    Index:
    00:00 - Humble Beginnings (Mission Briefing)
    02:30 - Trauma Loop: Cruelty begets Cruelty (Part 1)
    03:45 - The bit where I say Cruelty Squad is ‘More Cyberpunk than 2077’
    03:59 - Trauma Loop: Cruelty begets Cruelty (Part 2)
    07:45 - Absurd(ist) Beauty; or: The Sun Smiles at You with Eternal Malice
    14:13 - Sins perpetrated from the Gaming Chair
    ------------------------------------------------------
    Recommended Reading:
    - gameverse.com/2021/10/12/crue...
    - lvl3official.com/ville-kallio/
    - Brandon Bryant
    #life
    Leave a comment if you didn't know I met pyrocynical in a death grips concert in 2018
  • เกม

ความคิดเห็น • 452

  • @SteffyCush
    @SteffyCush  2 ปีที่แล้ว +380

    *_you gain corporate insight with each rewatch._*
    will you find all the *_secrets_* ? !

    • @Rensence
      @Rensence 2 ปีที่แล้ว +22

      3:40 LIFE in the right bottom corner

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Good eye! However, there's more of that :P

    • @Rensence
      @Rensence 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      @@SteffyCush I'll be posting a new comment for every time I find another secret then

    • @unoriginalperson72
      @unoriginalperson72 2 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      Secrets/notable things I found
      0:27 seth here
      0:31 company dagger
      0:39 pizza
      1:19 ceo bullcrap
      1:48 worms
      2:25 casual liver-stealing
      2:54 liver-stealing subliminal messaging
      2:59 hl1 gib sound
      3:34 strange gremlin punting
      3:55 steffycush cush steffy
      4:00 groundhog day
      4:03 top gear be like
      4:08 RYS (?)
      4:17 gremlin duels gravity...and loses
      4:40 "just another day in paradise" which is the opposite of chaos and punishment
      5:08 Tom clancy
      5:16 smug
      5:32 this woman, muscle, monster, thing?
      7:16 idk
      7:20 brain Griffin + thing again
      7:37 LowTeirGod
      7:51 the game is ugly but beautiful
      8:11 detroit every 1 nanosecond
      8:37 the creature again
      8:42 life with the world's hottest man
      9:00 fortune 500
      9:05 history of sexuality?
      9:29 consooming...
      9:33 a "funny" wojak meme
      9:34 Satan's house
      9:41 2022 world Cup winning kick
      9:43 death grips fan
      9:47 yeah
      9:54 thing again
      10:30 we stan blurpo
      10:32 ayo the pizza here
      10:49 9th circle of hell visualized
      11:14 it hurts
      11:39 Time is an NFT lmao
      12:04 thing again
      12:28 some text in a single frame
      12:47 death surgery
      14:38 life
      14:52 the discord mod explaining why the age of consent should be 1 second old
      15:39 gandalf did not say that
      16:00 epic CoD montage
      16:44 steffy misspelled hell

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  2 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      @unoriginal person WOW, superb . . . there are more tho :)

  • @mohamedmaatougui2469
    @mohamedmaatougui2469 ปีที่แล้ว +781

    The most unrealistic thing about this game is that the stock market is not a complete gamble

    • @ichijo5312
      @ichijo5312 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +62

      nah, we can spin it into a realistic matter cause some stocks are actually influenced by the completion of some missions
      that shit insider trading

    • @see.eye.2361
      @see.eye.2361 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +20

      I just copy whatever Nancy Pelosi is doing, works every time.

    • @TunaCanGuzzler
      @TunaCanGuzzler 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +14

      It's realistic, just like how insider trading isn't a gamble.

    • @theGrymer
      @theGrymer 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

      The stock market was never that hard for those with corporate insight ;)

    • @simonkoeman3310
      @simonkoeman3310 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I thought it was and didn't invest in any stocks. Luckily I found a good farming method and managed to get the house

  • @seangiglio
    @seangiglio ปีที่แล้ว +256

    One little detail I love in this game is in the first mission, Pharmetokenisis, whenever you are spotted by an enemy, the music shifts to a more frantic and fast-paced track to emphasize the danger of being caught and potentially dying. This is the only mission in the game with this feature, because in future levels you become accustomed to the fact that Death has very little consequence and you become more reckless and careless with your actions as time goes on. Only then is when the true game begins.

    • @RickTheSmugLord
      @RickTheSmugLord 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +16

      Or the Dev just didn't feel like adding progressive music to every level as it would take way too long.

    • @vogonp4287
      @vogonp4287 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      ​@@RickTheSmugLordOr, both.

    • @spaceghostmiid
      @spaceghostmiid 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      i never even noticed this because as soon as i could i started playing full stealth lmfao

    • @NiphanosTheLost
      @NiphanosTheLost 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      It's something special the Handler put in your Combat Cocktail (it's the name of the track)

  • @comrade3813
    @comrade3813 ปีที่แล้ว +588

    one of my favourite jokes from this game is that the easiest way to completely break the games economy is to buy stock, complete mall madness and then afk until you possess enough money to buy everything and actually access the complete ending. But there's no indication this will happen, and many players may miss it entirely by going straight to the next mission. Therefore, the only way to "beat" the system is by knowing this is going to happen, which wont happen unless you replay the game. Insider trading is literally encoded as the most powerful method to beat the game

    • @icantread1058
      @icantread1058 ปีที่แล้ว +25

      Holy shit youre right

    • @lordcrusader861
      @lordcrusader861 ปีที่แล้ว +26

      Or... just fish in the casino.

    • @Liz-xd3ed
      @Liz-xd3ed ปีที่แล้ว +30

      (There's also $1,000,000 in Neuron Activator)

    • @jasonjr376
      @jasonjr376 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I'm gonna buy the game and try this

    • @diegoolivares1081
      @diegoolivares1081 ปีที่แล้ว +51

      @@lordcrusader861 there's only two ways to beat the sistem. One is corporate insight and manipulation of the market, and the other is fish. Truly the gorbinos quest of trading

  • @Jolfgard
    @Jolfgard 2 ปีที่แล้ว +427

    The fact that this thing was programmed in Godot just adds to the overall impression.

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  2 ปีที่แล้ว +64

      FOSS 4 LYF

    • @keltzar1
      @keltzar1 ปีที่แล้ว +73

      It does my heart good to know such an anticapitalist game was made in a FOSS engine.

    • @mistry6292
      @mistry6292 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@keltzar1 cs? Ancap? If that's all you got out of it thwn you're ngmi. Brainlet take.

    • @elixxon
      @elixxon 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +25

      One of the NPCs even rant about the engine being shit and refusing to use a "better" one.
      Ville Callio is really self aware and even self deprecating.

    • @Mikshvert
      @Mikshvert 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      with the recent unity charging fees to install Godot is the way
      @@elixxon

  • @tayslaywift9361
    @tayslaywift9361 2 ปีที่แล้ว +418

    "640x480 resolution was passed down to us by God"
    So Terry Davis is still programming in heaven, huh

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  2 ปีที่แล้ว +84

      his will be done (in only 16 colours!)

    • @tayslaywift9361
      @tayslaywift9361 2 ปีที่แล้ว +34

      @@SteffyCush based non-glow-in-the-dark internet guy

    • @DustinRodriguez1_0
      @DustinRodriguez1_0 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      I wasn't sure if that was just a coincidence or if it was a reference, but Terry's name got mentioned in one of the endings. The author knew who he was. RIP.

  • @Wander01390
    @Wander01390 ปีที่แล้ว +173

    I always found the smiley faces in the walls/guns/ammo in the game creepy,
    but now I realize that the smiley faces in ads in real life are just as creepy.

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  ปีที่แล้ว +21

      4 real

    • @spacebassist
      @spacebassist 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

      I keep getting this ad for Belvita I think where a woman bites into it in slowmo and her expression is *meant* to turn into joy but she opens her eyes too wide and she looks like she's being held hostage or there was something in that biscuit.
      Makes me feel like I'm gonna own nothing, be happy etc. Fuck ads

  • @skrappr3649
    @skrappr3649 ปีที่แล้ว +65

    cruelty squad is the most realistic representation of real life's scariest attributes

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  ปีที่แล้ว +10

      in which its most profound beauties are hidden

  • @majorghoul9017
    @majorghoul9017 2 ปีที่แล้ว +143

    500 bucks for a revival fee is actually a really good deal

    • @desperado3347
      @desperado3347 ปีที่แล้ว +24

      probably not in a world where death is in, around, above and below every corner

    • @SoManySkinks
      @SoManySkinks ปีที่แล้ว +8

      That's just your company policy deductible

    • @majorghoul9017
      @majorghoul9017 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      ​@@desperado3347 true, but the fact that you can fully restore a person from ground beef at such a price is impressive

    • @DustinRodriguez1_0
      @DustinRodriguez1_0 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

      That's the reason so much is different and life has no value. Everyone is practically immortal. Death is what gives live any value and determines a good deal of its meaning. If you didn't mind death because it was just a temporary and you could easily be brought back, almost everything you think has "inherent value" right now would cease to mean anything. Oh, that thing is food and the other is poison? So? Both are just sensations, neither means any substantially different future. Oh, you shot me or I shot you? Meh, we'll be regenerated soon enough. Let's cut each other up and swap kidneys, just see what happens. We've got painkillers, anti-coagulants, genetically-customized anti-rejection drugs, and if it goes wrong well... how bad can it go? We die? So?
      This is not a scenario where nothing has value or meaning. It is simply the inevitable result of the things we currently, in 2023, grow all meaning from, being different. The values that grow out of that would be entirely different. It's vaguely similar to a prehistoric tribe that we once discovered which did not understand that sex causes pregnancy and birth (this is far more difficult for a group of people to figure out than you might suspect). They thought it was just something fun you did with friends for bonding. They did it in public, did it with acquaintances, whatever. Eating, however, they only did alone or with their married partner. They thought it was obscene and immoral to eat with their friends, much less eat out in the open where everyone can see. The constraints of our biological realities determine and direct our value systems. Humans are stupendously flexible in terms of the perspectives we are able to take.

    • @majorghoul9017
      @majorghoul9017 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@DustinRodriguez1_0 exactly. In this world, not even the soul is immune to economic inflation

  • @wouju9600
    @wouju9600 ปีที่แล้ว +55

    Funnily in a painful way, Cruelty Squad is more cyberpunk than cyberpunk 2077, modern deus ex and so on
    Today’s cyberpunk media often has its ideas and messages it attempts to convey overshadowed by the cool fancy technology, such as being able to jack in into the matrix, or cool ass mantis blade for arms, being able to punch through walls etc.
    Which is why im very glad Cruelty Squad is so disgusting and repulsive with its sounds, visuals and design. All the fancy tech (grapple hooks, double jumps, being able to move very fast, being able to see people ((if one can call people in the cruelty squad world human anymore, which is a topic that I dont see touched on in other cyberpunk medium too often, what counts as human)) and of course revival tech) sounds and seems cool, but things change when the grapple hook is actually your intestines, or the double jump uses your excrements (probably)
    Tl;Dr cruelty squad made it very clear that its world isnt one you would want to live in, by making its technology as repulsive, as the corporate controlling system within that world

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  ปีที่แล้ว +16

      the latter aspect of the 'high tech, low life' genre has never been probed as intensely as this game does

    • @MarquisLeary34
      @MarquisLeary34 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      @@SteffyCush And I especially appreciate Ville reminding us that your chromed up killing machine is not some badass cowboy anti-hero, but a depressed and soul damaged loser chasing his own tail, and that's far more believable.

  • @shobooknight
    @shobooknight 2 ปีที่แล้ว +183

    Ville Kallio is an artist first and a game developer second. I think you managed to relate that fact in this video better than any other I've seen without it feeling hamfisted at all. Cheers.

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  2 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      thanks man this means a lot, the idea with this vid was to explore the implications of all the games' mechanics/scenarios rather than just describe them so im happy it's being appreciated

  • @KingKalashnikov
    @KingKalashnikov 2 ปีที่แล้ว +87

    Impressive. Very nice. Let's see Paul Allen's video essay.

  • @trumanandnoahproductions1159
    @trumanandnoahproductions1159 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +22

    this game is truly one of th best pieces of art ive come across in my life time. a true poetic experience with each and every design choice pulling you into the twisted and perverse world

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  9 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      100% agree. ive said it a million times and ill say it a million more: the worldbuilding and theming is *airtight*.

  • @Tocroach22
    @Tocroach22 2 ปีที่แล้ว +213

    For what it’s worth, I’d love to see your thoughts on the Gnostic themes in this game. I was like, tensely waiting for it. But your gut was right, doing so could have spiked the pacing of the video. I never comment on videos so, great job bud!

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  2 ปีที่แล้ว +43

      Hey! Thanks for watching and reading my lil' message.
      My original idea was to outline the key overt references to Gnosticism that exist in the game (ie. Abraxas etc etc). I'd then use them to suggest this lens of divinity further develops the overarching critique of materialism and hyper-consumerism. It circles back to the innately demiurgic concept of the physical world as one which is inherently bad/flawed.
      Also, Love this comment-- thank you for letting me peer into the viewer mindset, having these thoughts laid out clearly is so helpful as I make these vids. I've also been thinking a lot lately about how much I think the 'I don't usually comment' comments are super awesome to get and definitely something to cherish. TY 4 watchin!

    • @spoopy6781
      @spoopy6781 2 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      @@SteffyCush I would have loved to see a more theological stance on cruelty squad, especially with your in depth explanations. I absolutely loved the video and can't wait for more. But if you still have those parts of the video it would be great if you uploaded them separately on your second channel(if you have one). Sorry if this seems demanding I just love your content and can't wait to see more.

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  2 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      @@spoopy6781 thank you so much this is one of the loveliest comments ive ever had. i think a lot of the stuff i say in the vid i HAD the theological stuff in mind but didnt wanna outright say that it was very spiritual-- idk if it would have sat well with some ppl. with regards to the cut parts, they never ended up being fleshed out for spoken voice-over but here's a quick cleaned up part of rough notes from the original script notes:
      Trauma loop's mission briefing as 'disable the archon grid' alludes to the Archons of Gnosticism and similar beliefs: they are the creators of the physical universe. Just as excess profit bequeathed suffering, the Archons here serve the role as being the creators of matter, an inherently malevolent phenomenon (this is, of course, in line with both the game's anti-materialism theme well as traditional spiritual viewpoints)
      I may actually see to some secondary channel so i can try out fun things with no 'stakes' or pressure or anything lol. thank you so much for your feedback, this is the most important thing EVER. i cherish it and do not take it lightly

    • @spoopy6781
      @spoopy6781 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@SteffyCush Amazing I love your explanation on the Archons, maybe they somehow relate to the 4 CEO's you kill in the mission office. But don't be afraid to upload on the main channel if you ever do decide on making a second, you have a real talent for video making. Keep up the good work I'm excited for what comes next.

    • @Tocroach22
      @Tocroach22 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@SteffyCush I came to similar conclusions about Cruelty Squad as well. I’d love to see it fleshed out!

  • @jabba1001maplestry
    @jabba1001maplestry 2 ปีที่แล้ว +68

    A warm thanks to the many members of the Stef Guild, generously funding and bankrolling all those videos. You are all truly wonderful, have a good one.

  • @smallasaurus4200
    @smallasaurus4200 ปีที่แล้ว +51

    At first I didn't like Cruelty squad because it felt like Max0r editing, the video game; but as I see more and more of it, I'm beginning to like it. It goes way deeper than "put every asset and texture we have in the game and just say it's got a deeper message" which was my original impression.
    I'm glad to say I was wrong, for once.

    • @thegroi
      @thegroi ปีที่แล้ว +11

      It goes deeper to the point you can only say "black men twerking" each time you play

    • @pleaseenteranamelol711
      @pleaseenteranamelol711 ปีที่แล้ว

      Then you BECOME a black man twerking.

  • @mrreemann8313
    @mrreemann8313 2 ปีที่แล้ว +171

    I get that Cruelty Squad is commentary on the awful nature and very likely near future of our world. That the excess of stuff in the world has corrupted and drained this world of meaning, of worth.
    I still don't believe that if I had eternity, I would grow sick and bored of life. There is so much I want to see and do, and the fact that I have limited time does not spur me to action, or sweeten the experience, but sour and taint everything I have done, and will do.
    I think that these despairing views and commentaries are, well, way too depressing. And also kind of just desensitizing. You get used to playing Cruelty Squad. You get used to the suffering. You get used to living.

    • @NXTangl
      @NXTangl ปีที่แล้ว +38

      My read is that, like everything in capitalism, the resources exist to make people a lot healthier and happier, but we've sacrificed any concept of using our wealth to do anything but obtain more wealth...

    • @Faunarr
      @Faunarr ปีที่แล้ว +15

      at some point it seems that everything has its limit. Can you even comprehend an eternity? at some point things reset to make space for something new.

    • @xlixity
      @xlixity ปีที่แล้ว +15

      @@NXTangl Huh, kinda like collectors who obtain large quantities of specific items not to use or enjoy them, but to hoard them and only focus on collecting more.

    • @magpineapple
      @magpineapple ปีที่แล้ว +1

      if i had a way to end it it would be fun so when all my fun is had i can become nothing

    • @slurmygunch6010
      @slurmygunch6010 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +9

      don't forget that the world you live in is much better than Cruelty Squad's. sure, immortality on earth as-is wouldn't be so bad. but immortality in that detached hell? nothing worse.

  • @maiIman
    @maiIman 2 ปีที่แล้ว +70

    this is so incredibly good. will watch forty more times. Engaged and Shared

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      thank you for clicking buttons and audience retention.

  • @Akarayad
    @Akarayad 2 ปีที่แล้ว +63

    I loved this video, and I appreciated the way your tone and organization sort of mirrors the attitude of the game. I would love to hear more of your thoughts on the gnostic elements as it was something I was immediately drawn to.
    The concept of archons trapping human souls in the material realm is something I think is present with the idea of the Archon Grid/Grid of Death, and the more general ideas of human life being used and reused in the service of powerful entities.
    Likewise the Divine Link mirrors the gnostic idea of the divine spark, and the fact that it can be stripped from humans and apparently commodified in some way is horrific on another level from other elements of Cruelty Squad, especially given that characters mention losing their faces when the link is severed, an idea that echoes the concept of the Image of God imprinted onto humans. Related to this is, when your Divine Link is severed, the game mockingly tells you that you are now simply a flesh automaton animated by neurotransmitters-an obliteration of your inner divinity and a reduction to empty, evil matter for use of gods and demons inhabiting the world.

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Thank you for watching! And yeah thanks for noticing the thing with the tone lol, was fun writing exercise to mimic the Handler's irreverent, flippant dialogue and then evolve into the less silly stuff when the tonal shift called for it
      I've replied to some of the other comments here with a brief cleaned-up version of the Gnosticism tangent I cut from the video-- if you can find it I think it's a pretty sufficient if not perfunctory summation of my immediate findings/research
      I *MAY* do an alternate write-up of this game in a short essay form which I will link to when/if it ever gets made; I may have another go at talking about the Gnosticism without needing to pull any punches
      Also, that last sentence of yours really sums it up yeah, the notion of easily being able to mindlessly throw away your humanity for job security-- just keep your head down and don't question the systemic cruelty you're being implicated in
      thanks again for watchin'!

  • @TRECTADACTYL
    @TRECTADACTYL 2 ปีที่แล้ว +40

    i would be 100% interested in any cut content from this video my dude, youve already earned my sub

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      the Gnosticism part was gonna be an extension of the 'divinity as a filter' point I made, highlighting how the physical-world-as-inherently-bad sentiment of spirituality lends well to the main theme of critiquing materialism
      thanks for the sub! thats what brian boitano would do

  • @thenerd1153
    @thenerd1153 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    truly the gorbino's quest of cruelty squad reviews

  • @skwtch44
    @skwtch44 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    This game and its whole universe became my favorite things in one hour of playing. Now I'm quite addicted to it, so much things to do, so much ways to play it. Probably one of the best game ever made, I think

  • @GridCrab
    @GridCrab 2 ปีที่แล้ว +37

    Masterpiece of a video!

    • @skullempty5851
      @skullempty5851 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      hi grid crab

    • @GridCrab
      @GridCrab 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@skullempty5851 hello!

  • @connielonske9839
    @connielonske9839 2 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    Came for the cute Knifer thumbnail, stayed for the detailed and concise analysis. Very good stuff.

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      thank you!

    • @wownelly3831
      @wownelly3831 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      that's a double entendre for anyone who's seen the full drawing

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  ปีที่แล้ว

      @@wownelly3831 😳

    • @knocked_for_six
      @knocked_for_six ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@wownelly3831 Would it be possible as to ask for the source of it?

    • @wownelly3831
      @wownelly3831 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@knocked_for_six It's currently the 35th most highest voted post on the cruelty squad subreddit

  • @sketchedbees7445
    @sketchedbees7445 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I appreciate your permission, and will loop this audio-only as I do 100 sit-ups.

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  4 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      do us proud

  • @moth_in_dark
    @moth_in_dark ปีที่แล้ว +12

    That drone overlay at the end reminds me of the crosshairs used in Cruelty Squad. Great job on the vid, brother. I've been trying to understand this game for a while now and I'm a bit closer now to that goal. Time to do my 100 sit-ups.

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  ปีที่แล้ว +5

      That drone footage at the end has also been used in one of the CruS creator's previous works 'DRONEWORLDZ' (worth a watch!)
      Sounds like you're on a self-defined path to being the true CEO of the self-- I wish you all the best and you are a good example to others, namaste

  • @blindbat2020
    @blindbat2020 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    this is just like gorbino's quest. this is the gorbino's quest of life.

  • @DiamorphineDeath
    @DiamorphineDeath 2 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Was not expecting a Baudrillard reference here; started Steve Redheads “Baudrillard Reader” today, so it’s nice to see him get some mention in relation to this game, which I can’t play without thinking of him in some way. After the chunkopop section, I went onto TH-cam to see what that culture is actually like, and it’s right out of a Baudrillard critique....brands, icons, and logos being slathered onto precut figures, adorning ones bedroom and reorientating it into one massive advertisement for “consumption of product.”
    This game hits all the proper notes of what it is to exist in such a momentary world. Appreciate the video dude

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      i cant help looking at stuff thru baudrillardian lens since i got into his writing a few yrs ago, like half my vids rn have a Baudrillard mention in them lol-- thanks for watching man

  • @emiliojurado5069
    @emiliojurado5069 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Playing this game with mr bungle album at the back should be the most bizarre and delicious experience.

  • @DPedroBoh
    @DPedroBoh 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    He leaving hopping and gunking away after murdering the governor is so funny and kinda encapsulates the cruelty squad experience.

  • @babymanjones
    @babymanjones 2 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    Incredible video... thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. I appreciate the amount of effort that must've gone into this

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      thanks sm man. working on this was a bit torturous yeah haha

  • @MAxAMILLIoN757
    @MAxAMILLIoN757 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Fantastic video, flowed like poetry. I like how you've left it open ended to a degree, makes it all the more unsettling...

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      thanks for watching brother, thanks for digging the flow i was v obsessive abt making it not clunky

  • @JamesJamesJamesJames-lb1ut
    @JamesJamesJamesJames-lb1ut 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Glad I grew old waiting for this, great vid Stef

  • @PlanetBobstar
    @PlanetBobstar 2 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    A video as amazing as it is passionate. I'm going to find all the secrets; I'm going to find me

  • @wirowacz3452
    @wirowacz3452 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    this video and the game both deserve far more attention

  • @ratmilk7304
    @ratmilk7304 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Dude your vocabulary is fucking great, I’m actually a little demoralized knowing that even though I take pride in my writing abilities, I couldn’t output as you do.

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      thank you so so much man. completely empathise-- I love writing but I feel I'm nowhere near reaching my full potential or writing anything 'worthwhile' yet, videos like this have been a great way to funnel my writing style and feelings into something that I know will reach people. This is the type of thing that I plan to continue because the reception has been so wonderful. I recommend doubling, no, *tripling* down on all the unique parts of your writing style: your quirks and your -isms. I got so lucky here because I knew from the moment I saw this game that I'd have a lot to say about it so it gave me all the more motivation to go all out on the script. Thanks for watching, and thanks so much for your comment!

    • @ratmilk7304
      @ratmilk7304 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@SteffyCush You seem like a great content creator, and a great person based on the feedback and product. Going to subscribe and stay tuned, and I hope the reception stays positive and helps you earn the growth you deserve. Thanks for the tips on writing. I’ll be trying to employ that advice.

  • @magpineapple
    @magpineapple ปีที่แล้ว +4

    honestly the best essay about cruelty squad

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      thank u so much killa appreciate it.

  • @heronoverdose
    @heronoverdose ปีที่แล้ว +3

    One of my favourite games of all time, I found it all so comforting.

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  ปีที่แล้ว +2

      i feel the same way, reminds me of just chilling out in old games like mario 64-- this game is intensely adrenalised and overstimulating but it's also really chill

  • @oglightexcalibur
    @oglightexcalibur ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Honestly, this video game just sorta amazes me. It borders the line between complete insanity and planned insanity. It makes me wonder if he has something to say based on pure coincidence or purpose. Everything said by this game fully makes me believe he knows exactly what he's doing, but makes it completely absurd so that people don't have an existential panic about the meaning of life and can simply say "oh, its a crappy game made on Godot". In a way, no matter what your thoughts on the game might be, it has a near 100% chance of being exactly how the game predicted you'd react to it.

  • @boiled_walrus6960
    @boiled_walrus6960 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    This is the coolest video I’ve seen in a long time. So interesting and extremely well made.

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      thank you so much! really happy you appreciate it, making this vid was super stressful at times because I wasn't super organised so I'm happy it was worth it!!

  • @dtbjason
    @dtbjason ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Thank you I needed the right way to explain this awesome gem to someone else

  • @BudderCobi
    @BudderCobi ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Wasn't expecting that footage at the end.
    Had me in the first half ngl.

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      thats how us (me) at SteffyCush like to do it :)

    • @BudderCobi
      @BudderCobi ปีที่แล้ว

      @@SteffyCush We do indulge in a very minor sense of tomfoolery.

  • @MorroTreece
    @MorroTreece 2 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    This is a great review and analysis of this bizarre game, it needs more views.

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Thank you so much!!

    • @MorroTreece
      @MorroTreece 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@SteffyCush One of the best descriptions I got for this game before I bought it was, "This is like if a Death Grips song was a video game."

  • @Darkmage1293
    @Darkmage1293 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I think the best part was that Cruelty Squad went out of its way to NOT glorify all this. Its hideous, garish, chaotic dissonance....and the MOMENT you grasp it, the lack of human value, the CEO grindset mindest, capitalism at its true nature......that lack of charm becomes its greatest charm, even though you still SHOULD find it ugly.....it's a paradox of a game.

    • @xlixity
      @xlixity ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Capitalism in it's true nature is not depicted in CS.
      Avarice has tainted everything in CS's world. Sleep schedules are no less "true nature" than capitalism is in CS.
      Capitalism is not about hoarding every valuable resource for oneself. Hell, most books on capitalism forbid it and encourage company dismantlement/splits when they become a majority/monopoly in order to keep competition alive and thus the market healthy. It's human greed that allows for corruption to seep in and erode the security measures that prevent corporate greed.
      "But if it can be corrupted and used for evil, should it have any right to exist?" Sure it can, because any idea amd action is subject to that same corruption, but it's prevailing over it that makes the difference and justifies it's existence, just like the protagonist of CS does.

  • @Kishy
    @Kishy 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    This was a really great watch. Loved it

  • @Belle_Excentrique
    @Belle_Excentrique 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    favorite vid essay on one of my favorite games. thank you for your work

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      thank you so much!! this is massive to hear, thanks for commenting-- this makes it all worthwhile for me

  • @laughingstock7638
    @laughingstock7638 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    this video has inspired me to feed my resume to the screaming thousand eyed dying god

  • @syawali
    @syawali 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    oh god, the artstyle is unspeakably unspeakable, also thanks for making this vid

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      ikr lol-- thanks for watching :)

  • @MarquisLeary34
    @MarquisLeary34 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Calling it now; this game will stand the test of time and be worth philosophically mining decades from now when AAA titles sit forgotten.

  • @albertstrauss8287
    @albertstrauss8287 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    The game desensitizes you because the world and its people are desensitized. It’s shown in the very first scene when the handler calls you and you talk over the phone while there’s a mass shooting in the streets bellow. Death is meaningless when you’ve discovered immortality and the people no longer fear death knowing it costs 500 dollars or less to be revived. There’s even a mission where you are paid by a man to hunt him down and kill him because he wants a “thrill.” You simply become immersed in the world and become a part of the game.

  • @ScorpiaShark
    @ScorpiaShark 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Amazing video, steff!!

  • @tyguyvods2910
    @tyguyvods2910 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    imagine not being here for the live premiere

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      it was so fun, deffo doing em from now on

  • @sonic2003albe
    @sonic2003albe 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Matpat is SHAKING

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      showing this video to the Pope

  • @tandeath.
    @tandeath. 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    haven't seen a video this good in a while, subbed

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      thanks king, enjoy your stay

  • @Kizunaut
    @Kizunaut 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    One of the best videos about the game. Good job.

  • @payasofo5342
    @payasofo5342 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    11:12 like reading the lovechild of Bataille and Land. Good video.

  • @HamidKarzai
    @HamidKarzai 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Referencing CBoyardee's "Dehumanize Yourself and Face To Bloodshed" scene is highly appropriate for this game and also a sure fire way to get me to subscribe as it tells you have great taste

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      which came first: ranch, or cool ranch ?

  • @sssparda9065
    @sssparda9065 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    The Michel Foucault knowledge drop 😳 yio know your shit man!!! great video

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  4 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      thank u brotha 🙏🙏

  • @alexlokanin3312
    @alexlokanin3312 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I love this video and the way you talk about the game's world

  • @dullxdaggers
    @dullxdaggers 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    not knowing the difference between what is edited and what is raw gameplay is my favorite part about being a normy.

  • @KingKalashnikov
    @KingKalashnikov 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    ive been needing to do some situps thanks chief

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      thank you for reporting in for Day One

  • @Uuuuuumarill
    @Uuuuuumarill 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    i let this video play as audio and just did 100 situps in one take. good stuff

  • @JustSomeLint
    @JustSomeLint ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Well thanks for the workout motivation boss.

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      thank you for making good on that opportunity, makings of a CEO go-getter. i dig that big time

  • @ThatStenGuy1941
    @ThatStenGuy1941 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    The internet in one game 😱

  • @SteffyCush
    @SteffyCush  9 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I Met Pyrocynical In A Death Grips Show In 2018

  • @commanderfoxtrot
    @commanderfoxtrot ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I’ve seen the thumbnail image in full. It’s satisfactory.

  • @sonic2003albe
    @sonic2003albe 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Matthew Patrick of the Game Theorists on suicide watch

  • @skullempty5851
    @skullempty5851 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    this is an amazing video!

  • @FriendlyKillbot
    @FriendlyKillbot 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    I want to see the Gnostic stuff

  • @Sufjan__
    @Sufjan__ 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    AMAZING video!!!

  • @stephenspielgirth6764
    @stephenspielgirth6764 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This was a great video essay.

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  ปีที่แล้ว

      thank you so much for watching!

  • @jetther
    @jetther 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I think I saw that thumbnail somewhere...
    I've been in places 🥺

  • @cbass7283
    @cbass7283 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I would actually like a movie based off of cruelty squad

  • @tannernelson9522
    @tannernelson9522 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Nice video man

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      thank you captain 🖖

  • @WiresDawson
    @WiresDawson ปีที่แล้ว

    that was a fantastic video.

  • @XxX_KeithMason69_XxX
    @XxX_KeithMason69_XxX 2 ปีที่แล้ว +24

    Great video! Probably one of the better video explaining or giving an idea of what this game message means. Personally, I love the artstyle and gameplay in CS. Not the hidden (or obvious) message/politics, honestly I don't like hidden messages, cause every media now has a hidden meaning. The whole trope of "capitalism is bad" is an overused and dried trope in media. It makes me cringe every time because movies and other forms of media, while the same companies that produce these media are also getting paid and using capitalism for their own benefits. Cruelty Squad did it different where it's not the same copy and paste "capitalism is bad" and explore more in depth of other similar topics (companies are new foams of governments, murder is an everyday cycle, etc). Not gonna ramble anymore... again great video.

  • @SteffyCush
    @SteffyCush  5 หลายเดือนก่อน

    thanks for 80k !

  • @KingKalashnikov
    @KingKalashnikov 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    kino alert

  • @flump_0
    @flump_0 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    good stuff!

  • @d_trich
    @d_trich ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Clicked because of the sexy thumbnail, stayed for the commentary

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

  • @samlevy9897
    @samlevy9897 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    This is the Gorbino’s Quest of CS analysis videos

  • @angelhill8170
    @angelhill8170 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This game fucked me up in the most beautiful way possible. Great video.

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  ปีที่แล้ว +2

      me too, my DNA is irreversibly scarred w/ Cruelty Squad to an extent i have yet to fully discover, thanks for watching captain >:)

  • @hughmann981
    @hughmann981 19 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    2:38 was that a hylics 2 reference?

  • @treevsy
    @treevsy 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Considering the last few days, this really is gorbinos quest times

  • @zeallust8542
    @zeallust8542 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Welp, this just brought me to your channel (just got into the game a couple weeks ago) guess I have a new channel I can listen to in the background for hours.
    Edit: Nvm, you dont upload many of these :(

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      thank u so much bro. im actually working on several more that i'm intending to fit the Background Audio vibe like a glove :) stay tuned and get channel updates by clicking whichever buttons u need to, more is on the way!

  • @Pinned2Five
    @Pinned2Five 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    9:01 Well, now, there's a rabbit hole! Also, does anyone know about the major bomb dropped in the case between Coca Cola and Cleo Cola?

  • @beastmonsterthing3
    @beastmonsterthing3 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    great video :D

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      thank youuu!! :D

  • @togeluga_the_cat
    @togeluga_the_cat 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    ive watched the funny tv head man video for about half an hour and now im on the cruelty squad rabbit hole, getting recomended great videos about the game (including this one) and its wacky movement based shooter that sems like quake if it took LSD, battery acid, bleach and cocaine put it in a bleender and drank it somehow managing to make one of the best drinks ever
    i think im now contractualy obligated to buy the game when i get the chance

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      you gotta pick this up when you can! brilliant game, one of my abso faves ever.
      P.S. Thanks pyro for allowing this vid to reach the ppl who wanted to see it (p.s.s. i met pyro in a death grips show in 2018 which i tell people about every day)

  • @robocrab5811
    @robocrab5811 ปีที่แล้ว

    awesome vidya bro!! But,, could you pls send me the link to the original biomodded woman artwork in preview?? it looks vry curious :0

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  ปีที่แล้ว

      on the r/ by user 'bigjonlive', sort by top, all time

    • @robocrab5811
      @robocrab5811 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@SteffyCush original user was deleted but i did find it thank you bro!

  • @guisampaio2008
    @guisampaio2008 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I probably killed millions in videogames.

  • @VivaLaRazsa
    @VivaLaRazsa ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I love the surreal nature of this game. reminds me of hotline miami

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  ปีที่แล้ว +2

      deffo in the pantheon of aesthetically watertight goated indie games

  • @mattymclaughlin5900
    @mattymclaughlin5900 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I fell asleep to this video. Now I wake to this video. True story.

  • @motboy8
    @motboy8 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    good vid I wanna check this game out but I feel like I gotta finally beat Deus Ex first B)

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      not a complete requirement before trying CruS but yeah deffo good to get as much Deus Ex 1 in as possible lol -- thx 4 watchin :)

  • @sadmedia3002
    @sadmedia3002 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This video reminded me of that one level in gorbinos quest

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Gorbino or Gohome

  • @Brobro7SF
    @Brobro7SF 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I also think that armored core is another game that is more cyberpunk than cyberpunk.

  • @vrojak7636
    @vrojak7636 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I love the fact that the thumbnail is one of the like 3 existing rule34 "artworks" of this game

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  ปีที่แล้ว

      i like the fact that it is actually also cool as hell in its own right separate from that

  • @somethingorother99
    @somethingorother99 ปีที่แล้ว

    longest 17 minutes of my life, in the best way

  • @Lt_Beam
    @Lt_Beam 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Does anyone happen to have the source of the image on the thumbnail?

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      jonlive on the crus r/. sort by highest of all time and a few pages in

  • @thezambambo2184
    @thezambambo2184 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    That thumbnail got me actin UNCRUEL

  • @nullifier_
    @nullifier_ ปีที่แล้ว +1

    is there a way to place your voice acting in the game? that's pretty spot on 6:50

    • @SteffyCush
      @SteffyCush  ปีที่แล้ว

      too much slurpcore dialogue for one .wav file