Man, I’ve been hooked on Bloober Team’s stuff ever since Layers of Fear creeped me out back in 2016. They’ve had some real winners and a few that didn’t quite click, but that Silent Hill 2 remake they dropped last year? Absolute gold. It got everyone hyped for whatever came next, including me. So when Cronos: The New Dawn hit the scene, I dove right in, hoping for more of that magic. This Cronos: The New Dawn review is my take on it – a sci-fi horror romp with time travel at its heart. Does it live up to the buzz? Well, it’s got sparks of brilliance, but overall, it feels more like their older games than a big leap forward.
Picture this: you’re the Traveler, decked out in this chunky armor, hopping through time in a world wrecked by some freaky plague. Humanity’s mostly gone, turned into these slimy, tentacle-sporting mutants called Orphans. Your job? Zip back to the past, snag the “essences” of key folks before they bite the dust or mutate. It’s a wild concept, right? Kinda reminds me of those pandemic vibes we all lived through, but it’s not exactly subtle about it, which can jolt you out of the story sometimes.
The time-travel bit is the real hook. You flip between a trashed-up future and the edge-of-disaster past, like switching worlds in Silent Hill. One side’s all decay and ruins, the other’s cleaner but still packed with lurking dangers. It changes how you see places and tackle problems – super neat when it clicks. But the story? Eh, it doesn’t grab you like it should. Characters are kinda one-dimensional, cutscenes lack that gut-punch emotion. I kept waiting for it to deepen, but it stayed pretty surface-level.
Getting into the Thick of Cronos: The New Dawn Gameplay – The Good, the Bad, and the Meh
Gameplay-wise, it’s straight-up survival horror with a futuristic spin. You poke around creepy spots – think dingy hospitals, run-down apartments, shadowy factories – hunting for bullets, heals, and bits to upgrade your gear. Inventory’s tight at first, forcing tough calls: do I grab those bolt cutters for potential loot, or hang onto an extra bandage? It keeps you on your toes, especially early on, and the game’s pretty linear so you don’t wander aimlessly forever.
Puzzles get a fun twist with time rewinds. The Traveler can fix stuff by reversing it – like mending a busted bridge to cross. Usually, it’s about lining up your shot on a shiny orb to kick off the rewind. They’re clever enough, but I could’ve used more brain-benders; these felt a bit too straightforward after a while.
Now, combat… that’s where it wobbles. It’s obviously pulling from Dead Space – the suit, stomping boxes for goodies, even how the baddies look. But it doesn’t capture that raw, satisfying crunch. Guns feel weak, even when you charge ’em up, and enemies soak up shots like sponges, especially post-merge. Oh yeah, the merging: Orphans can suck up corpses to level up, getting tougher hides and nastier attacks. Stop ’em quick, or you’re in trouble. Sounds intense, but in play, it’s either a breeze to interrupt or hits you with too many at once, turning scary into frustrating.
Scare factor? Not much. A few jumps here and there, but no real chills or that nagging unease. Those wall-hugger tentacle grabbers are the worst – can’t dodge ’em, gotta kill ’em, and some areas overload you with them, grinding everything to a halt. Boss fights drag, and seeing the same ones pop up again? Yawn. Combat’s not awful, just… forgettable. I’d rather explore than shoot most of the time.
The Polish, the Perks, and What Could’ve Been in This Survival Horror Review
Sound’s a highlight, though. Those Orphan noises – shrieks, squishes when you blast ’em – hit hard, and on PS5, the controller vibes make it immersive. Idle after nabbing essences, and you get these weird whispers that amp the mood. Looks-wise, the timeline shifts create cool visuals, from pristine to post-apoc mess.
My run took about 15 hours, poking around a bit. It’s no pushover – default difficulty’s got bite if you’re trigger-happy. No easy mode, but New Game+ lets you carry stuff over, and there’s a harder one for pros. Adds some replay, which is nice.
Funny story: I tested an early version that was a hot mess – bugs everywhere, doors vanishing, enemies glitching, gun disappearing mid-fight. Final boss kept poofing out, forcing restarts. Balance was wild; ammo was scarce, so I’d cheese fights by trapping foes and stomping ’em. It was brutal, not in a fun way, but kinda fascinating. The released game’s way smoother, blending stealth and action better. Still, imagine a patched-up “hardcore” mode from that build – could be a blast for folks who love pain.
Is Cronos: The New Dawn Worth Your Time?
Look, Cronos: The New Dawn has heart – that time-travel horror game angle and post-apocalyptic plague setup are fresh, and it’ll scratch an itch for Dead Space fans or old-school survival horror. But next to Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 remake, it falls short: story’s bland, mechanics undercooked, combat clunky. If you’re deep into the genre, give it a go. Otherwise, maybe snag it discounted.
I’d rate it a solid 6.5 out of 10.
Played it? What’d you think of the Cronos: The New Dawn Traveler character or that merging mechanic? Hit the comments – always up for chatting horror games. If this survival horror review got you curious, peek at our other Bloober Team horror games breakdowns.
Source-gamerant.com
