Cronos: The New Dawn

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Cronos: The New Dawn is a single player survival shooter game with horror, post-apocalyptic, violence and science fiction themes. It was developed by Bloober Team S.A and was released on September 5, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

Deluxe Edition Contains • Base Game • 1x Core Resource • 8x Pistol Ammo • 3x Shotgun Ammo • 2x Small Health Pack • 1500 Energy • Two Unique Armor Skins • Digital Artbook and Soundtrac

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88%

Audience ScoreBased on 5,062 reviews

story1.2k positive mentions

optimization197 negative mentions

Excellent atmosphere and immersive world design with a strong 1980s Eastern European setting
Gameplay combines survival horror elements with tactical combat involving resource management and enemy merging mechanics
Story is intriguing, layered and well-written with multiple endings and depth to explore

Limited inventory space causing frequent backtracking and resource management frustration
Clunky and slow-paced combat with lack of dodge or evasion options leading to repetitive encounters
Performance issues and stuttering on various PC configurations; some crashes and optimization problems

story
2,606 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
52%
4%
The story in this game is a slow-burning, atmospheric sci-fi horror narrative that draws players in with mystery, time travel elements, and layered worldbuilding set against a dystopian backdrop. While many praise its compelling premise, strong environmental storytelling, and emotional depth, some find it cryptic, convoluted, or unsatisfactory in its conclusion, with certain plot threads feeling unresolved and the true ending locked behind multiple playthroughs. Overall, the story is engaging and thought-provoking for players who invest time in exploring lore, though its pacing and clarity may not appeal to everyone.
- “It's been years since I was last this invested in a story.”
- “The story is intricate and layered, and it really demands thoughtful attention. It's the kind of story that doesn’t hand you clear answers and stays with you long after you’ve put it down.”
- “Cronos really sets the pace for those dead space lovers, from the atmosphere to the story telling to the music.”
- “My second problem with this game is that the story makes absolutely no sense, even if you read each log and note that you can find: at the beginning, you are sent to the past by some sort of AI called 'the collective' to collect the souls ('essences') of a few individuals during an apocalyptic outbreak of some sort of disease that turns people into merging biomass, but about halfway through the game it loses the thread and instead focuses on the connection between two individuals that seems completely irrelevant to the overall space-time continuum – it feels like the story writer quit after writing the first half and the replacement writer had no idea what the first one was trying to do and had to come up with something else.”
- “Just the story is very unrewarding; it's one of those stories that you need to Google after finishing it to try and make any sense of it.”
- “Story - awful - endless memos to read but at the finish of the game I had no idea what happened or why.”
gameplay
1,582 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
64%
6%
The gameplay in Cronos: The New Dawn is a solid blend of survival horror mechanics inspired heavily by classics like Dead Space and Resident Evil, featuring tactical resource management, methodical combat, and a unique enemy merging mechanic that adds tension. While praised for its atmosphere, gunplay, and pacing, it is often described as slow, with clunky movement, limited enemy variety, and a lack of dodge or evasion mechanics, leading some to find the combat repetitive or frustrating. Overall, it offers a challenging and immersive survival horror experience that may feel familiar but still delivers satisfying and strategic gameplay for fans of the genre.
- “It's a sci-fi homage to the greats and yet still holds its own with a very captivating story and fun gameplay.”
- “Cronos: the new dawn stands as one of Bloober Team’s most ambitious original projects, combining retro-futuristic sci-fi aesthetics with grounded survival horror mechanics. Gameplay is built around classic survival horror principles: limited resources, careful inventory management, and deliberate pacing. A distinctive mechanic known as the merge system adds a unique layer of tension. This mechanic compels players to manage combat aftermath strategically, often requiring them to burn corpses to prevent escalation. While the shooting mechanics are serviceable and tense, some players may find them less refined than those in more action-oriented survival horror titles. Many players praise its oppressive world-building, unique merge mechanic, and thoughtful narrative design. By blending traditional survival mechanics with an innovative enemy fusion system and a richly constructed setting, it delivers a tense and reflective journey. While not without mechanical imperfections, its atmospheric depth and narrative ambition establish it as a memorable entry in modern survival horror, appealing to players who value mood, strategy, and psychological weight over relentless action spectacle.”
- “Well Bloober, you did it, you made an actual game this time and not make suicide the preferred ending. This fills the Dead Space-Resident Evil thirsts and hunger that Callisto Protocol failed on. It's not perfect but I have to say very good. Silent Hill 2 was a major stepping stone for this. The world is very intriguing and vibes are just so great. The merging enemy mechanic makes this stand out from many inspired by Dead Space. The inventory is a little annoying but it is manageable. It actually led to a very intense moment for me when I fought a boss and had no ammo left with low health. I used a flaming barrel by stomping it to stun the boss and punched him to death as a last resort and I somehow won, it was actually quite epic. So yeah, I like this game. I did not expect this from Bloober but I actually hope to see them do more games like this and not like Blair Witch. I don't mean exact gameplay but intriguing worlds with actual gameplay mechanics and endings where killing yourself isn't the "best ending".”
- “The general gameplay loop is the tired 3rd person running around, opening doors, gathering loot, shooting enemies--but in a way that just falls flat or makes me want to play a different game.”
- “The gameplay pacing is awful.”
- “It's not dead space, silent hill 2, or re, and it’s nowhere near their quality in mechanics and narrative.”
atmosphere
1,176 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
39%
1%
The game’s atmosphere is universally praised as its strongest aspect, lauded for its dense, oppressive, and immersive qualities that evoke a grim, Eastern European post-apocalyptic setting reminiscent of classics like Dead Space, Silent Hill, and Resident Evil. Reviewers highlight the superb sound design, haunting visuals, and meticulous world-building that create constant tension and dread, drawing players deeply into its eerie, melancholic world. While some note minor issues with repetitive elements and combat, the rich, unsettling atmosphere consistently stands out as the defining and most memorable feature of the experience.
- “The locations are extremely dark (and full of secrets), the lighting is minimal (thankfully you have a flashlight), and the sound design, jump scares, cutscenes, audio logs, notes, documents, NPC encounters, and — above all — the brilliant enemies and even better story all combine into an incredible atmosphere.”
- “From the moment you step into its world, the game’s atmosphere is palpable, a thick blanket of melancholic dread.”
- “Bloober team has knocked it out of the park with this one, a stunningly detailed world with insane character design, some refreshing lore, a well written story and just some of the craziest atmosphere & sound design you've ever heard!”
- “In every area of the game, scenery would fail to load, allowing me to see through invisible rocks, floors, walls etc. into the void and really ruined any atmosphere this game could have had.”
- “Enemies were almost always too easy, and that lack of pressure undercut the survival atmosphere the game was clearly aiming for.”
- “But the game tries to scare you by cheap jump scares instead of atmosphere.”
optimization
759 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
57%
26%
Optimization for this game is widely regarded as poor, with frequent reports of stuttering, frame drops, and crashes—even on high-end hardware—largely due to Unreal Engine 5 limitations and subpar developer optimization. Players often need to tweak settings extensively, disable ray tracing, or use third-party mods to achieve playable performance. While some users experience stable framerates, many highlight inconsistent and frustrating performance issues that significantly detract from the overall experience.
- “Technical performance and ongoing patches have further improved stability and quality-of-life aspects post-launch.”
- “• optimization & stability: 10/10 – zero issues on Ryzen 9900x3d and RTX 5070ti 16GB.”
- “The PC performance was solid for me; I personally had no issues.”
- “Runs very bad, very poorly optimized Unreal Engine slop.”
- “Graphically it's obviously very good looking and the art direction is exceptional, really captures that depressing Soviet-era feel, but being an Unreal Engine 5 game your performance will vary wildly depending on your system, and it's recommended to grab one of the many performance mods that are available.”
- “With this kind of hardware, I shouldn’t have performance problems, but unfortunately, it suffers from the same issues as Silent Hill 2—it's a mix of Unreal Engine 5 struggles and poor optimization from the developers, and that’s unacceptable.”
graphics
677 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
39%
2%
Cronos: The New Dawn features stunning, atmospheric graphics with detailed environments and a unique retro-futuristic, post-apocalyptic Eastern European art style that many compare favorably to Dead Space and Silent Hill. While the visuals are widely praised for their immersive lighting, effects, and art direction, the game demands high-end hardware and suffers from performance and optimization issues on some systems. Overall, its impressive graphics significantly enhance the game's eerie mood and world-building, though some users note occasional visual inconsistencies and a limited range of graphical settings.
- “The graphics and story are superb, and the atmosphere is intense from start to finish.”
- “The graphics and audio are as good as any top tier game release this year and as a fan of survival horror I have no hesitation to recommend.”
- “The visuals are stunning, featuring sleek, futuristic designs and dark, haunting environments.”
- “The only major fault is the graphics optimizations; even on top-of-the-line hardware this game really struggles to top 40 fps.”
- “Game looks horrific with these graphics settings which does a major disservice to the beautiful aesthetic the game has.”
- “I won't even say anything about the graphics, it's old graphics from old games from around 2005, well I'm not complaining that it's a horror game, but in vain you put ray-tracing and DLSS on me, it's not noticeable at all, and here the technology is a big scam, just to take our money if the games aren't well made, there wasn't much interest in the graphics and architecture, art design, etc., it's clear that it was rushed or worked a little too quickly between rounds.”
music
366 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
45%
1%
The music in this game, characterized by a dark 80s-style synthwave soundtrack reminiscent of John Carpenter and Stranger Things, is widely praised for its ability to enhance the eerie, gloomy, and immersive atmosphere. Players commend the soundtrack's integration with sound design and ambient effects, noting it effectively builds tension and complements the storytelling without overpowering the experience. While some wish there was more variety or music overall, the score is generally regarded as a standout feature that significantly elevates the game’s horror and sci-fi vibe.
- “The sound design in this game is absolutely stellar, with a creepy 80s style synth soundtrack and fantastic ambient audio that gives off a classic John Carpenter vibe reminiscent of 'The Thing.'”
- “The soundtrack is phenomenal, pulling you into a grim, eerie world that feels straight out of a horror movie, filled with eerie leitmotifs and the occasional mournful choir singing an elegy for humanity.”
- “The gameplay, the story, the mystery, the graphics, the atmosphere, and the music—ahh man, the music in this game is beyond perfection!”
- “There isn't much music while exploring; all you hear is the excellent sound design.”
- “The ambient music is far too similar to themes from Silent Hill, which is then cut to a jarring synth soundscape in cut scenes.”
- “Otherwise, the game has decent atmosphere, the voice acting is good, but the music is absolutely mediocre background humming (heard some streamers praise it, for what, man?), visuals are not bad, but does everything in it look the same?”
grinding
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
93%
Grinding in the game is widely described as tedious and time-consuming, with frequent backtracking, limited inventory space, and repetitive resource management that often feels more like padding than strategic gameplay. While some appreciate the atmospheric tension that offsets these chores, many find the constant inventory juggling, slow movement, and mandatory body-burning mechanics frustrating and boring, detracting from the overall experience. Quality-of-life features are lacking, and combat and exploration can become monotonous, making the grind a significant barrier for enjoyment.
- “This is tedious and incredibly time consuming, effectively doubling the length of a playthrough.”
- “I'm not a person who usually has an issue with limited inventory but this game uses it in tedious and annoying ways to make sure that you'll be using that slow movement speed to walk all the way back to storage because it will so readily fill up what limited inventory you have and somehow maintain this unfun balance throughout the entire game despite giving you inventory upgrades.”
- “There is no need to do any of the things it does here, especially if it makes these moments also very tedious to do right (for example: why on earth do I need to burn about 10 bodies in one section, when I need to head back to the loading station after every single use to get exactly 1 fuel capsule? Wouldn't it have been fine to just give me 10 this once or just make it less needlessly strewn about bodies to get your point across? This is not teaching me anything, it makes me groan and be bored.)”
replayability
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
63%
12%
Replayability in the game is generally considered moderate, with many praising the presence of multiple endings, new game plus mode, and some difficulty variations that encourage at least a couple of playthroughs. However, several reviewers note the lack of varied challenges, static enemy and item placements, and limited incentives beyond two or three runs, which diminish long-term replay value. Overall, while the game offers enough for a few replays to experience all content, it falls short of providing deep or enduring replayability for most players.
- “With awesome monster designs, unique gameplay aspects, a very satisfying rhythm to arsenal progression, simple puzzles and collectibles that won't force you to look at a wiki, a beautiful soundtrack, strong and heavy sound design, a fun to put together story and replayability for at minimum three whole runs to get all achievements and endings, this game offered me an experience that I didn't know I wanted as much as I apparently did, judging from how much I enjoyed it of course.”
- “You're looking at a good 15 to 20 hours your first run and there's replay value with new game plus and extra endings.”
- “New game plus is amazing and adds a ton of replay value.”
- “Only downside, it's quite short for a full-priced game since it doesn't have a lot of replay value.”
- “There's no replayability, even on hard mode and new game+ the items and enemies are placed in the same spots, absolutely nothing changes.”
- “The lack of difficulty options hurts replayability, and at times the game just feels unfair: too many enemies, too few resources, and unavoidable no-win situations.”
stability
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
53%
The game generally runs well across various systems, including older PCs and the Steam Deck, with good optimization reported by many users. However, persistent issues with occasional bugs, glitches, crashes—especially during cutscenes—and some stuttering or lag on high-end hardware affect stability for a portion of players. Recent patches have helped, but stability remains inconsistent depending on the setup.
- “Wow man this game is amazing and it works no bugs, no glitches, no crashes and plays perfect optimized to perfection.”
- “I was also happy that it was bug free for me, a rarity for modern games.”
- “It looks great, runs great (even on the Steam Deck with a native Linux build).”
- “The only downside I can point out is the optimization, as the game periodically freezes, even on my decent hardware.”
- “I'm having fun with this game, but the only issue I have are the crashes every time you do an ascendance cutscene. You have to watch the scene until it freezes, then reload and skip the cutscene to bypass the crash.”
- “Games a buggy crashing mess, looks fun and story is cool but crashing often in cutscenes.”
emotional
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
97%
3%
The game's emotional narrative is praised for its strong sci-fi horror story, rich themes, and unique time-travel mechanic that add depth and intrigue, though some find the protagonist emotionally distant and the story occasionally cryptic or contained. While performances and atmosphere evoke nostalgia and emotional resonance, others feel a lack of psychological intimacy or emotional connection to characters, impacting overall immersion. Despite some flaws in balancing and emotional impact, many appreciate its heartfelt approach and hope for future stories in its world.
- “Cronos tells enough to make a coherent and emotionally strong story, while withholding enough to make you guess and wonder about the bigger implications of everything that is happening and the world of the game.”
- “Themes of memory, transformation, and the consequences of technological ambition permeate the experience, lending emotional depth beyond standard post-apocalyptic survival tropes.”
- “The actors’ performances are nothing short of exceptional: professional, immersive, and emotionally resonant.”
humor
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
96%
4%
The game's humor is largely unintentional, stemming from over-the-top animations, odd facial expressions, and amusingly unrealistic mechanics like the flashlight's limited range. Players also find irony and hilarity in certain design choices, enemy inspirations, and quirky bugs, creating a blend of eerie atmosphere with moments of unexpected comedy. Overall, the humor adds a lighthearted dimension that contrasts with the game's survival horror elements.
- “Funny enough, the meme 'kill it with fire' is literally a core feature of the game.”
- “The animations of the human NPCs are ridiculously over-the-top and involuntarily funny, with stupid facial expressions and wild gesticulation that no real person does.”
- “The levels get so dark towards the end that the flashlight is almost literally useless, on top of its hilariously short and unrealistic range already.”
character development
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
36%
14%
Character development in the game is closely tied to its standout character design, which is widely praised for its originality, detail, and atmospheric impact, particularly the unique and memorable designs like the travelers and orphans. While the worldbuilding and visual style receive high acclaim, some users find the narrative and character development itself less strong or impactful, making the story less compelling for those prioritizing plot depth. Overall, the character designs significantly enhance the game's ambiance and player experience despite some criticism of the narrative delivery.
- “It may take a few playthroughs to fully piece together all its mysteries, but it’s a very rewarding plotline to follow that delivers in big ways during the rare moments of narrative or character development.”
- “The character design is awesome, the monster's look grotesque and dangerous and the traveler has such a unique design that I didn't really like at first but have come to absolutely love. The inspiration from old school diving suits is most definitely there and I dig it.”
- “Character design for me is 10/10, really interesting characters.”
- “However, its plot, character development, and narrative delivery are weak, making it a hard recommendation for those who value story or expect a true survival horror experience.”
- “It may take a few playthroughs to fully piece together all its mysteries, but it’s a very rewarding plot line to follow that delivers in big ways during the rare moments of narrative or character development.”
- “While the graphics and character design have room for improvement, this is a strong start.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization is perceived as overly aggressive and primarily focused on extracting money from players, leading to a negative impression of it being a cheap cash grab.
- “It's a cheap cash grab.”