September 5th 2025.
Cronos: The New Dawn – Bloober Team's Return to Form
The release of the Silent Hill 2 remake had many fans skeptical of Polish developer Bloober Team's ability to handle such a beloved project. Their previous games, like Layers Of Fear and Observer, didn't leave much of an impression, and their homage to Silent Hill, The Medium, was widely considered a disappointment. However, they proved us wrong with their stellar remake, which not only did justice to the original but also improved upon it. This success put immense pressure on their first new project since the remake, Cronos: The New Dawn, which unfortunately launched right after the highly anticipated Hollow Knight: Silksong.
While the release date may have been poorly chosen, the real issue with Cronos: The New Dawn lies within its lack of originality. Although Bloober Team has created mostly original content, their games often feel like knock-offs of other, more famous titles. In this case, the main inspiration appears to be the sci-fi horror game Dead Space. From the clunky sci-fi suit to the grotesque monsters, the similarities are evident. However, Cronos is not a mere clone, and it has its own unique twist on the genre.
The game follows an unnamed time traveler on a mission to find a cure for a deadly pandemic that has turned humans into monstrous creatures known as Orphans. The protagonist travels back in time to an alternate version of 1980s Poland to gather the essence of unaffected individuals in hopes of finding a cure. However, like most time travel stories, the plot can be confusing and lacks a sense of direction. Additionally, the main character's lack of personality and hidden face make it challenging to connect with her.
The Orphans are reminiscent of the creatures in The Thing, with their writhing tentacles and spider-like limbs. They have a unique ability to absorb the remains of their fallen brethren, making them bigger and more powerful. While this is an interesting concept, it doesn't add much variety to the gameplay. It's relatively easy to prevent them from merging, and flamethrowers can effectively stop them. The combat itself is lackluster, with the boss battles being the only highlight. Unlike Dead Space, there are no special techniques for dealing with the Orphans, and the gameplay feels more like a generic action game.
The game does have some intriguing time-traveling puzzles, but they don't contribute much to the combat. The environments are beautifully crafted, but the game fails to create a sense of fear and tension. While there are jump scare moments, the overall atmosphere is disappointingly tame. The game also lacks the gore and violence expected from a horror game, with an age rating of just 16.
In the end, Cronos: The New Dawn is a functional survival horror game, but it doesn't bring anything new to the table. It feels like a mash-up of different games and movies, without capturing the essence of what made them great. Bloober Team has proven to be a talented studio, but it seems their skills shine best when working on remakes. Their upcoming remake of Silent Hill 1 has high expectations, given their success with the sequel. However, their original IPs continue to fall short.
In summary, Cronos: The New Dawn is not Bloober Team's worst game, but it's far from their best. It has some interesting environments and boss battles, but the combat is unexciting, and the characters are dull. The game lacks originality and fails to deliver a truly terrifying experience. It's a game that doesn't stand out among the many others in the genre, and it's clear that Bloober Team's strengths lie in remakes rather than original IPs.
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