Uninspired Prince of Persia clone
If this game looks strangely familiar, then there's a good reason for it as it's basically an almost exact copy of the slightly better known classic platformer, Prince of Persia. The game hails from Israel, a country not known for its videogames, but while it strongly resembles Prince of Persia in its appearance, it sadly lacks everything that made that game great. Cruel World changes the exotic visuals (to Western eyes at least) of its inspiration slightly, with the hero now a bland, blonde haired, blue eyed studmuffin who wanders around dungeons half dressed. The faceless character has been imprisoned for a crime he did not commit and must now escape from his prison, by running, jumping and fighting with its various denizens, including skeletons and the like. Throw in a few environmental puzzles to test your mind as well as your reactions and you have pretty much got everything covered. While Cruel World certainly cannot be commended for its originality, it does at least provide a certain amount of entertainment. The platforming action is reasonably fun and shares the appeal of Prince of Persia to a certain extent but as this is a clone, everything feels soulless and uninspired. The controls are implemented well enough, but the combat is lacklustre with the elegance of the original's sword fighting being replaced by punching and kicking which just feels awkward. The graphics are no more than fair, with smoothly animated sprites but little else standing out. As with most clones, it is difficult to recommend the copy over its inspiration, so check that out first as well as other more innovative and enjoyable titles like Rick Dangerous.
