Cronos: The New Dawn is one of the most anticipated horror games at the moment. After managing the seemingly impossible by doing a Silent Hill 2 remake justice, developer Bloober Team is following up its success with an original project. Cronos: The New Dawn teases a story of horror-filled time travel, and based on early footage, it wears its influences on its sleeve.
The tiny glimpses of gameplay footage offered in the announcement trailer showcase a terrifying and eerie cosmic atmosphere reminiscent of some of the industry’s most popular third-person survival horror titles. In a recent interview with MP1st, game director Wojciech Piejk confirmed that the combat for Cronos: The New Dawn takes a page out of Dead Space and Resident Evil‘s books.
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Cronos: The New Dawn Will Need More Than Silent Hill 2’s Goodwill to Succeed
Cronos: The New Dawn has a spotlight on it thanks to the Silent Hill 2 remake and will be a true test of what Bloober can accomplish with a new IP.
Cronos: The New Dawn Takes Its Combat Mechanics From Some of Gaming’s Best Horror Titles
Confirmed Features and Mechanics For Cronos: The New Dawn
- Over-the-shoulder third-person perspective
- Similar limb dismemberment to Dead Space
- Resident Evil-inspired combat mechanics
- Inspiration from Alan Wake 2‘s flashlight mechanic
While Piejk made sure to keep many of the details vague, there was clear insight into how much Conos: The New Dawn has been inspired by some of the industry’s best horror games. The mysteries surrounding Cronos: The New Dawn and its time-bending story make it that much more appealing, but Bloober Team’s planned gameplay features are also a natural stepping stone from Silent Hill 2. When footage of Silent HIll 2‘s remake was first revealed, many were surprised to see its use of an over-the-shoulder third-person camera, which caused quite a stir. Many long-time fans of the original Silent Hill 2 were skeptical, with some claiming the remake looked too similar to Resident Evil. Thankfully, Bloober Team proved that the difference in camera angle still kept its atmosphere intact.
Now that Cronos: The New Dawn is reusing this camera angle, it’s clear that Bloober Team is using what it learned from the Silent Hill 2 remake to inform the former’s mechanics, alongside other horror heavy-hitters. Pjiek confirmed that Resident Evil and Dead Space are big combat inspirations, but he also wanted to make it clear that Bloober Team are “still storytellers at heart, so please also expect a strong emphasis on story and atmospheric exploration.”
Bloober Team is also working on a secretive title codenamed “Project M” for the Nintendo Switch.
Bloober Team Has Proven That It Has a Serious Talent For Horror
Silent Hill 2 was a huge success story this year, but Bloober Team is no stranger to horror. While its previous projects, like Layers of Fear and The Blair Witch, were effective horror stories, Silent Hill 2‘s remake demonstrates that the developer has the chops to potentially be one of the biggest studios in the genre.
This is one of the most promising aspects of Cronos: The New Dawn. Although following up such a well-received remake with an original project puts a lot of pressure on Bloober Team, the studio now has a proven track record that its devs can nail the style of gameplay being targeted. Taking the mechanics of the Silent Hill 2 remake and giving it a sprinkling of Resident Evil and Dead Space is likely to be a set of perfect ingredients to combine. However, one of the most fascinating statements from Pjiek was his mention of Alan Wake 2‘s flashlight mechanics. Resident Evil and Dead Space have been part of the Cronos: The New Dawn conversation since it was announced, but confirmation of Alan Wake 2-inspired gameplay, even if small, is compelling.
Expect a strong emphasis on story and atmospheric exploration.
As leaks about Cronos: The New Dawn drop potential details, it will be exciting to see what Bloober Team has in store for its next project. A blend of iconic horror titles is always an exciting promise, but Bloober Team has the advantage of already proving its abilities.
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