Bloober Team aired the first episode of its Cronos: The New Dawn developer diary series during the Future Games Show: Spring Showcase 2025. The episode featured the game’s two directors shedding light on its inspirations, design choices, and unique gameplay mechanics.
Inspiration and Concept
The developers cited a range of influences for Cronos: The New Dawn, including John Carpenter’s The Thing, Netflix’s Dark, and sci-fi classics like 12 Monkeys. The game also draws from Dead Space for its horror elements and even takes inspiration from the Dark Souls series in terms of challenge and gameplay depth.
In Cronos: The New Dawn, players take on the role of a Traveler, an individual tasked with venturing into the ruins of a fallen human civilization. Their mission is to locate time rifts and travel back to rescue those who perished in a past apocalypse. Unlike traditional soldiers, Travelers are depicted more like divers navigating the dangerous currents of time, which is reflected in the design of their protective suits.
Setting and Gameplay
The game unfolds in an alternate history where the world ended in the 1980s due to a catastrophic event called The Change. The remnants of humanity left behind have transformed into creatures known as Orphans, monstrous beings created entirely from human flesh. These entities come in various forms, each with unique abilities, reinforcing the game’s focus on horror and survival mechanics.
A key aspect of Cronos: The New Dawn is body horror, which serves as a tribute to The Thing. Players will encounter grotesque enemies and navigate environments designed to evoke fear and unease. The game introduces new mechanics to the horror-action genre, including the ability to punch monsters—if they have a face—and a unique take on dismemberment that differentiates it from Dead Space.
Rapid-Fire Insights from the Developers
At the end of the showcase, the directors answered a series of rapid-fire questions from the community, revealing some intriguing details:
- The game will include ladders.
- Some locations will feature massive walls of flesh.
- The possibility of aliens appearing in the game is left open-ended.
- Fire will play a significant role in combat and survival.
- Dismemberment is a gameplay feature but operates differently from Dead Space.
Anticipation Builds for Release
Following the well-received launch of Silent Hill 2 Remake, Bloober Team’s upcoming project has garnered significant attention. Cronos: The New Dawn is scheduled for release later this year on PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. With its mix of horror, time travel, and challenging gameplay, the title aims to deliver a fresh experience for fans of the genre.
As the Bloober Team continues to unveil more details in future developer diaries, anticipation remains high for what could be one of the most intriguing horror games of the year.
