Cronos: The New Dawn

Cronos: The New Dawn, developed by Bloober—the company known for Layers of Fear, Observer, The Medium, and of course the Silent Hill 2 remake—is a difficult game to rate. On the one hand, I absolutely adored its world-building, voice acting, general atmosphere and ambiance, You can see Bloober’s trademark stamp in the game: the manipulation of the environment à la The Medium, the horror element as in Blair Witch, and the writing and story of Observer. Yes I have enjoyed my fair share of their games. In this aspect of Cronos, we see Bloober now as a well-seasoned dev in full stride, with a confidence gained by an accumulation of experience and knowledge over the years. This is where the game remains strong and assured. The combat is also tight and engaging, only to lose steam as the game wears on. And therein lies the rub. It outstays its welcome a bit too long and does not have enough teeth to see it through. The enemy variety is lacking and starts to wear thin by the mid-game. The environments begin to look samey despite changes in venue. While Bloober throws in some change-ups as you move along, such as a gravity mechanic and electric current manipulation, it doesn’t feel like enough to overcome the repetitiveness of the overall arc. I would recommend the game to hardcore survival horror fans- especially space horror in the vein of Dead Space, but not to the casual fan or general gamer.