Sci-fi Survival Horror Game Cronos by Bloober Draws Comparisons to Resident Evil 4 and Dead Space; Unintentionally, It Also Tackles Thematic Aspects of the Covid-19 Pandemic
In the realm of video games, the upcoming title from Bloober Team, Cronos: The New Dawn, promises an immersive and chilling experience. Set in an alternative 1980s Poland, the game is deeply rooted in the troubled history of post-WW2 Kraków and the toll that life in the Soviet Union took on its people during the Cold War.
Paralleling real-world events, the game's story explores a world-ending pandemic and government-imposed lockdowns, although the developers have stated that this was not a deliberate commentary on the COVID-19 pandemic. Coincidental parallels notwithstanding, the game steers clear of making direct references out of respect for the recent and sensitive nature of the real pandemic.
As players take control of the mysteriously monotone protagonist, The Traveler, they will find themselves in a fallen world, investigating and uncovering hidden story elements through environmental clues like audio logs, newspapers, and graffiti. The game's themes delve into totalitarian systems, mistrust of governments, social and psychological effects of a lockdown-era pandemic, and the horror elements symbolized by infected beings called Orphans with grotesque body mutations.
Gameplay-wise, Cronos: The New Dawn is a sci-fi survival horror game inspired by classics like Silent Hill 2, Dead Space, and John Carpenter's The Thing. It offers tense combat against horrifying enemies, exploration, and an atmosphere charged with mystery and psychological horror. Survival elements are also present, with players needing to manage health with items like Shell Patch injectors, emphasizing aggressive but careful encounters with slimy, grotesque foes.
One unique combat gimmick in the game is that monsters can combine into higher-level creatures, which can be interrupted for strategic advantage. Players will also have access to a flamethrower, used to roast nearby corpses and prevent them from aiding the next monster.
The game focuses on the working class ironworks district of Nowa Huta in Kraków, which was once envisioned as a socialist utopia. The sci-fi twist is that some sort of plague struck Kraków, wiping out much of the population and leaving the city to decay for decades. The plague created mutants with exposed muscles that require explosive rounds to the head, adding an extra layer of challenge to the gameplay.
In conclusion, Cronos: The New Dawn offers a blend of historic and speculative fiction that creates a haunting experience that resonates with real-world fears and uncertainties from the pandemic era while maintaining a distinct narrative and gameplay identity.
In this chilling survival horror game, Cronos: The New Dawn, victories over the horrifying Orphans in tense fights during gameplay seasons can be achieved with strategic interruptions of their combines, or using a flamethrower to roast nearby corpses. The game's entertaining themes about totalitarian systems, mistrust of governments, and social effects of a pandemic delve deeply into post-WW2 Kraków's troubled history in an alternative 1980s Poland, creating a thrilling and immersive experience that's akin to classic games like Silent Hill 2 and Dead Space.
