One of the opening messages of Cronos: The New Dawn states that death is part of the learning experience. And that by knowing what lies ahead, you will be better prepared next time. As I read those words and my heart rate soars, I ask myself just what on Earth am I about to subject myself to...
Cronos: The New Dawn is a survival horror game that seamlessly blends combat, strategy, horror, and sci-fi elements. It's the type of game that relishes in playing on your paranoia from beginning to end. And while it starts with little explanation as to your mission, just know that you're being sent into the unknown, with the odds pretty stacked against you.
You play as the mysterious Traveller, an agent who works for the even more mysterious organisation known as the Collective. Stepping off your ship (aptly named a sarcophagus by your faceless instructor), you discover the world is in an apocalyptic nightmare, with no trace of life to be found.
Your first task is to track down the location of your predecessor. What happened to them? You're not told. But your instincts tell you that being oblivious is a blessing; otherwise, you might never make another step forward.
From the outset, the game offers you poor visibility. The world is shrouded in fog, dust and darkness. Missing person posters slowly come into sight on dilapidated noticeboards. You find apartments are barricaded with the words' Infected inside'. A cat scurries across the screen, sending your blood pressure sky high.
The world looks, feels and sounds like a dying wasteland, as the snarls of unimaginable abominations echo in a distant location. A location you're actively walking toward. It's at this point you'll let out a bitter sigh. As you tiptoe your way through the game's initial tutorial, you're already expecting the worst.
A game that feeds on your own mental state
In true horror fashion, a lot of the scare that Cronos delivers upon stems from your own paranoia. Environments are often just a blank canvas for you to imagine the worst. That dark corner? Probably harmless. The doorway behind you? Still empty. Long before an enemy is introduced, you're at your own wits' end for no reason, simply trying to muster the courage to just press on.
I usually enjoy collecting everything I can in a game, searching every nook and cranny, scavenging resources, and taking my sweet time to appreciate the level of detail designers put forward. But not here. In my mind, rooms are a treasure trove of disturbing possibilities, and I fancied a good night's sleep over satisfying my own curiosity.
Any meandering paths you can take always pose the question: Should I? The answer is always maybe. Of course, potential new items and sellable resources are welcome, but who knows what manner of beast you might unexpectedly walk into. Best avoid them if and when you can.
And yet, there's still so much about the world you don't quite understand, that you can't shake the feeling that you need to hunt for clues to make sense of the fear. How did it end up like this? How can I find out what happened? How can I make it out alive?
The chilling use of lighting helps amplify this sense of dread. This is a dark game, in more ways than one. There's simply never enough visibility to quell your nerves. And if and when you do see light, its purpose is usually to introduce the idea of an enemy.
As you journey forward, you discover that walls are plastered with all manner of malformed, festering enemies. Are they dead? It seems so. Can they peel themselves off and attack you? Probably not. But you'll still spare a few bullets and shoot at them just in case they decide to.
Equipped with a flashlight on your suit, dynamic shadows are cast at random angles from furniture and structures as you pass by. The flashlight begins to flicker. And then, they appear. The actual monsters that the game's trailers have been warning you about. The ones that walk, crawl and follow you. Which brings us to the combat dimension of Cronos.
Slow-paced combat blends strategy with quick thinking and reflexes
Combat in Cronos: The New Dawn is a mixed bag, featuring slow and steady preparation, trigger-happy shooting, and a sprinkling of situational strategy. And if you're like me, there's going to be some last-minute panic and luck thrown in.
Scouting enemies at the earliest possible moment allows you precious time to take stock of your surroundings, find ways to create distance between foes, and kite enemies. You'll try to identify weak spots on their body (such as the head or knees), to deal higher damage or incapacitate them.
That said, sometimes the tight-natured design of levels forces you into action, where you're struggling to compose yourself. Luckily, the Traveller can gradually unlock a variety of weaponry to dispose of enemies from a safe distance. Holding down the fire button can charge certain weapons, increasing their damage and introducing flashy secondary effects to the battlefield.
But in true survival fashion, ammo is painfully limited, so making every shot count, no matter the weapon, is key. When you're out of bullets, you're forced to grapple with monsters in melee range, which, if I'm honest, only prolongs your inevitable demise.
'Don't let them merge'
Just when you kill everything on screen, the fun continues, even after death. That's because in Cronos, enemies can merge with corpses, making them stronger and even more difficult to subdue. The only way to ensure dead things stay dead is to burn the bodies.
Unfortunately, this is yet another resource players must conserve. Knowing when to dispatch bodies permanently (to prevent a domino effect of pain) is something you're going to have to weigh up in each and every skirmish.
Strategy-wise, there are a few ways to use the environment to your advantage, such as shooting exploding canisters nestled between walls. These kinds of things can go to great lengths in helping you kill and dispatch bodies in one swoop, and conserve your dwindling resources.
In those rare instances when the game seems generous and provides you with a useful arsenal of goodies, it's usually followed by unavoidable dread: What exactly are they preparing me for? It's usually a boss fight, which will force you to refine all of your combat skills quite quickly.
I will say wholeheartedly that in this game, there is no shame in running if and when you can. So long as you have an exit route in mind that doesn't introduce even more danger, take it. At the very least, you can buy yourself some time to think up a plan (and calm down).
Time to travel – the story of Cronos
Cronos is a 'merging' of survival horror and sci-fi, where you are fighting for the future by salvaging its past. Set in Poland, you will experience two timelines throughout: the barren wastelands of the future, where all manner of unspeakable horrors await, and also 1980s Poland, where society is on the cusp of facing the apocalyptic collapse known as The Change.
By locating time rifts, players can return to the past and locate key individuals who did not survive. Bringing their Essence with you into the future can help you shape a new reality. But fracturing existence as you know it, slowly discovering the origins of the apocalypse, and shooting everything that moves can take its toll on a person's well-being.
As you slowly make your way through the game, the world-building by developer Bloober Team is realised. You'll gather notes from people who discuss a potential epidemic, or who are documenting a city in lockdown. You'll listen to tape recordings of people trying to warn you (posthumously, I might add) of the horrifying dangers that you're going to face. At regular times, your own protagonist chips in, breaking the fourth wall by saying "Caution ahead" at the most inopportune time.
In this way, the story of Cronos can be just as psychologically assaulting as its gameplay. And the once stoic Traveller may eventually find themselves as unsettled as the player. Just what role did you play in the world's demise? I'll let you find out for yourself over the game's lengthy 16-hour time-travel campaign.
Cronos: The New Dawn is a triumphant scare for any brave gamer
Like any great horror game, Cronos: The New Dawn will ignite fear and suspicion in you from its opening screen. Just when you get familiar with a space, it happens: a distant growl, an ill-timed flicker of your flashlight, or even just plain, simple silence. You'll freeze on the spot.
Managing resources is a constant battle, and while new weapons and strategies are welcomed, the enemies are more than capable of keeping pace. The signature 'merge' mechanic between fallen foes will ensure that after every single well-earned victory, you never stay idle for too long.
Cronos is a testament to the true power of a horror video game. Totally immersive, provoking and interactive, you'll walk at a slow pace through much of the game, just to give yourself enough time to react when the need arises. If you're in need of a thrilling scare this side of Halloween, then answer the call.
Cronos: The New Dawn is available to play from Sptember 5th 2025 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC
