Polish Indie developer Bloober Team has come a very long way since its debut in the gaming world in 2010. Bloober has gone from releasing a handful of middling DS games in the early 2010s, to making some promising but flawed horror titles in the late 2010s, to remaking one of the most beloved survival horror games of all time and earning critical acclaim for doing so. AndBloober Teamisn’t going to let this newfound momentum slow down, withCronos: The New Dawnalready slated for a 2025 release.
Announced just nine days afterSilent Hill 2 Remake’s launch,Cronos: The New Dawnwill be another third-person survival horror game from Bloober Team. But unlike many of Bloober’s past forays into horror,Cronoswill feature a Sci-Fi theme and aesthetic. As is the case with many Sci-Fi horror game announcements,Cronos: The New Dawnwas quickly compared toDead Space, but those comparisons might not be a bad thing right now.
Released on October 17,Cronos: The New Dawn’s announcement trailerfeatures some very similar imagery to theDead Spacefranchise.Cronos' playable protagonist is shown wearing a bulky, cumbersome space suit with a heavy industrial aesthetic, similar to Isaac Clarke’s iconic RIG. This playable character is also shown to wield some kind of heavy pistol, which can transform into a high-tech knuckle duster. This weapon transformation bears some similarities withDead Space’s shifting Plasma Cutter.
Cronos' trailer also shows a few brief glimpses of the game’s pale, monstrous, humanoid enemies, whose bodies appear to be contorted in an unnatural way, stirring up memories ofDead Space’s Necromorphs. In general, the trailer also evokedDead Spacevibes with the game’s overall visual design and art direction, with some very familiar lighting effects being used to illuminateCronos' monsters.
In a recent interview with IGN,Cronos: The New Dawn’s co-director, Jacek Zieba, was asked about the inspirations behind the studio’s new game. Zieba responded with, “Dead Spaceis there because of the protagonist and stuff.” Zieba also mentioned, “Just likeDead Spacehas the cut off the limbs mechanic, we also have something we will share later.”
In the same interview,Cronos: The New Dawn’s other co-director, Wojciech Piejko, also mentioned that the game is “not only run and gun but you need to think. We put a little more strategy in the combat.” A common criticism of Bloober Team’s past horror titles has been lackluster gameplay, so it’s great to see the game’sDead Spaceinspirationsinspire more strategic combat inCronos: The New Dawn.
While comparisons in the world of gaming often come with negative connotations, that doesn’t need to be the case withCronos: The New Dawnand its clearDead Spaceinspirations.2023’sDead Space Remakewas a hit with critics and fans alike, but according to reports from industry insiders like Jeff Grubb and Jason Schreier, the game may have underperformed in regard to sales.
As such, there are currently no plans for aDead Space 2Remake, or any kind of direct successor to EA Motive’s remake. That leaves a sizable void in the Sci-Fi survival horror market, one thatCronos: The New Dawncould fill nicely.
Cronos: The New Dawn
WHERE TO PLAY
Set in a grim world where Eastern European brutalism meets retro-futurist technology, Cronos: The New Dawn lets you experience a gripping story that straddles the line between past and future.In the past, you will witness a world in the throes of The Change, a cataclysmic event that forever altered humanity. Meanwhile, in the ravaged wastelands of the future, every moment is a fight for survival against dangerous abominations that will test both your reflexes and your tactical thinking.You are a Traveler acting as an agent for the enigmatic Collective, tasked with scouring the wastelands of the future in search of specific time rifts that will transport you back to 1980s-era Poland.Harvester of SoulsYour mission is to locate key people from the past who perished in the ensuing apocalypse. Using your all-powerful Harvester, you can extract their Essences and have them accompany you into the future.Plan Every MoveIn a desolate world filled with ever-present danger, your survival hinges on your ability to strategize and plan ahead. The enemies you’ll encounter are nightmarish creatures, born from the remnants of humanity – defeating them will require you to make full use of your arsenal. During battle, quick decisions can mean the difference between life and death.
