After the spectacular success of the Silent Hill 2 remake, all eyes are now on developer Bloober Team and what it has planned next, and it won’t be long before the studio’s next big project is here. Announced earlier this year, Cronos: The New Dawn is a new sci-fi survival horror IP by Bloober Team due out next year, and interestingly enough, its developers are pitching it as being more similar to a Resident Evil-style survival horror experience, as opposed to Silent Hill, which the studio obviously has experience with.
The same was confirmed by game director and producer Jacek Zięba in an interview with GamingBolt. When asked about what players can expect from Cronos: The New Dawn’s combat, Zięba drew comparisons to Capom’s horror series, in particular mentioning the combat mechanics of the Resident Evil remakes as being a point of reference for Bloober Team.
“When it comes to combat, Cronos is more Resident Evil and less Silent Hill,” Zięba told GamingBolt. “New Resident Evil remakes also show us how to cleverly combine old-school designs with modern technology and gameplay standards. Each of these remakes is also a bit different, testing different waters – this is a big pool of knowledge from which we can draw to create something that from one way can be similar and known for the players and from the others can be purely unique.”
Of course, Resident Evil isn’t the only horror franchise that has had an influence on Cronos: The New Dawn’s combat. Earlier this year, Zięba referred to a central combat mechanic similar to Dead Space’s dismemberment and Alan Wake’s flashlight that is yet to be revealed. Read more on that through here.
Meanwhile, Zięba also revealed to GamingBolt other areas where Cronos: The New Dawn is taking cues from Resident Evil. In particular, when asked about the sci-fi horror title’s level design, he said, “Think about Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 4, sometimes mixed with Dark Souls“. He added that players can expect “maze-like levels” that will allow for plenty of exploration and backtracking.
Cronos: The New Dawn is due out sometime in 2025 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Our full interview with Zięba will go live soon, so stay tuned for that.