Bloober’s Cronos: The New Dawn Combat Will Lean Towards Resident Evil & Dead Space; Will Feature a Special Mechanic to Spice Things Up

While Bloober Team unveiled its new horror game, Cronos: The New Dawn, last month, it didn’t exactly give us an in-depth look at the gameplay, as the reveal mostly focused on building the atmosphere and its theme more than anything else. As it turns out, players who dig the combat in the Resident Evil and Dead Space games will find the combat in Cronos to their liking.

Speaking to MP1st in an exclusive interview, Cronos: The New Dawn’s Game Director, Wojciech Piejko, confirmed to us that the upcoming horror game’s combat will “lean” towards Resident Evil and Dead Space. Not only that, but Bloober will implement a combat mechanic that will “spice” things up, though refrained from stating just what it is exactly. Piejko gave Dead Space’s limb-cutting, and Alan Wake 2’s flashlight-on-enemies combat mechanics as examples of what they’re going for.

Bloober Team’s New Horror Game Cronos Will Have a Combat Mechanic Comparable to Dead Space’s Limb Dismemberment, Alan Wake 2’s Flashlight

MP1st: Often, I’ll play survival horror games with the avoidance of using guns because I feel they can come off as more of a distraction and work better when as a last resort thing. I think that’s sort of a common belief that having a gun sort of lessens the scariness of a game because of the safe distance and power they give a player, though there are some examples out (Dead Space) that prove otherwise. What are the team’s thoughts about guns in survival horror, and how are they approaching them with Cronos?

Piejko: I totally agree that it’s easier to get scared while feeling vulnerable because of a lack of means to deal with monsters but it doesn’t mean it’s impossible – the game “just” needs a different design. You need to know how to control the tension and understand that when the monsters appear on the screen and the combat starts, the player feels relief. The player no longer thinks about what is lurking in the shadows, and the survival instinct takes over. The key to success in this case is to create a great atmosphere and build-ups before combat encounters, or even trick the player into thinking that they will be attacked and not do it. Example scenario: Imagine you are looking for a key. You enter a new area and hear the rhythmic sound of something hitting the wall. Finally, you see a monster banging its head against the wall. It doesn’t see you; you have already fought this type of monster, and it’s strong and challenging, so you sneak behind its back. You search the rooms and find the key—now it’s time to go back and pass the monster again. On your way back, you hear the banging again, but it suddenly stops. You check the corridor, and the monster is gone. Where is it? Will it jump out at you from another room? It’s only an example but games with combat may also be really scary if you play your cards right.

Overall, combat in Cronos is leaning towards RE and Dead Space areas but we are still storytellers at heart, so please also expect a strong emphasis on story and atmospheric exploration. The Traveler relies on suit, weapons and abilities, but is still very vulnerable to the monstrosities lurking in the ruins of an old world. You will be outnumbered, and you need to be careful to stay alive. Resources are limited and the monsters hit hard. We’ve also prepared something special to spice up and increase the tension of combat. I can’t reveal much right now but in Dead Space you need to cut-off Necromorphs limbs, in Alan Wake you need to use a flashlight on enemies, and in Cronos you will need to.. wait to see it ;]

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While Bloober won’t say what this combat mechanic is, it should help in keeping things fresh, instead of just pointing your gun at enemies and shooting them like your standard third-person shooter.

Cronos: The New Dawn is due for release sometime in 2025 for the PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Stay tuned to our interview with Bloober where we talk about Cronos and even Silent Hill 2.

Related MP1st Reading:

• Silent Hill 2 Remake Photo Secret Solved and Confirms One of the Fan Theories
• Silent Hill 2 Remake Dev Had Initial Concerns With New Horror Game Because of Dead Space Remake and Callisto Protocol
• Bloober Wants to Show What They Can Do on Their Own, Feels They Found Their Niche With Horror

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