While we already reviewed Cronos: The New Dawn, after playing through it I’d figure I’d share my thoughts along with a brief gameplay video of my experience. As some of you might know, this is Bloober Team’s first major project following their successful remake of Silent Hill 2. It’s also wildly different from their previous games which were more boring, sleeping aid, walking sims.
So the first thing that’s noticeable is that on the surface, the game looks Dead Space-ish; and you’be half right. While not set 100% in space, there are sequences where you’re in space-like environments having to confronts monstrosities that just won’t die (so to speak). Thankfully, throughout your experience, you’ll find weapons to help you survive this nightmare.
The game is incredibly atmospheric; this game shows how Bloober learned and grew while working with Masahiro Ito and Akira Yamaoka on the SH2 remake. The combat is fine, albeit would’ve benefited from a dodge mechanic because the enemies, despite sometimes being 30 times bigger than The Traveller, move incredibly fast. A dodging mechanic would’ve avoided frustration against latter bosses. Which forces players to shoot 1-2 bullets, move, shoot, move, shoot; rise and repeat. Also if you struggle doing headshots in games in general, you won’t make it through.
The resources in this game are incredibly scarce and there are plenty of times, if you’re not mindful, where you’ll end up with nothing left (bullets, health items, Pyre/Fuel tanks; fire grenade like weapons) and you’ll have no other options to purposefully die and restart. Yes, The Traveller does have a melee attack, but considering how hard enemies hit, you won’t stand much of a chance. I lost count on how many fights I won by pure luck with the last bullet I had.
Fire plays a vital role in the combat because mid-size enemies are also like tanks. One of the game’s interesting features is that some enemies can absorb dead enemies and corpses on the ground to create a protective barriers that bounces off bullets, so you’ll need to break that off with either a Pyre, Fuel tanks or hoping there’s some explosives nearby.
The game also encourages players to explore every nook and cranny to find as much resources as possible along with notes and documents hidden which explores the lore of the game. As you explore, you’ll also find resouces which will allow you to craft items on the fly so if you’re in a bad spot, you’ll be able to craft bullets or health items to get out of a dire situation. Enemies will follow you in most rooms, but there are a few situations where running is better than fighting.
You can also upgrade your gear. With Cores that you’ll find by exploring, you’ll be able to upgrade the durability of your suit, increase the number of inventory slots or how much craftable resources you can carry. And then there’s Energy, which is basically the game’s currency which can be used to buy items at save points or upgrade your weapon. Of course, for the latter, upgrades are expensive so don’t expect to Rambo yourself through this.
Cronos: The New Dawn is a great blueprint for a possible franchise. The story, albeit very predictable, was enjoyable, combat as a whole is enjoyable and the environments were a wee bit unnerving. It took me 16 hours to get through and it didn’t feel like it; it went by quickly and never was I asking myself “does this ever end?”. If they can tone down the scarcity of resources a little bit, work on better inventory management, and allow players to dodge for a more dynamic and intense combat experience, Cronos could become a stape in the horror genre.