Silent Hill f vs Cronos: The New Dawn

• Perspective: Third-Person
• Multiplayer: Single-Player Only
• Setting: 1960s Rural Japan
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
• Unique Feature: The first mainline Silent Hill game set in Japan, written by acclaimed visual novel writer Ryukishi07, with a deep, replayable narrative structure and a focus on action-oriented melee combat.

• Perspective: Third-Person
• Multiplayer: Single-Player Only
• Setting: Post-Apocalyptic Future & 1980s Poland
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, macOS
• Unique Feature: A unique 'Merging' mechanic where enemies can absorb corpses to evolve mid-combat, combined with a time-travel narrative and environmental puzzles.

• Documents: A total of 93 collectibles are in the game, with 37 trophy-relevant documents being essential for piecing together the full story across multiple playthroughs.
• Omamori Charms: 17 hidden charms found throughout the world or purchased from shrines. These are equippable items that provide crucial passive buffs.
• Ema (Character Upgrades): 22 wooden plaques that are spent at shrines to permanently increase Hinako’s core stats.
• Inventory Upgrades: Six hidden upgrades that increase Hinako's extremely limited inventory space. Two are exclusively found in New Game+.

• Essences: Extracted from key 'targets' in the 1980s. These are the main story objective and provide gameplay perks, but also contribute to the Traveler's madness.
• Audio Logs and Text Files: Found throughout the environment. They are the primary source of environmental storytelling, piecing together the history of the world and 'The Change'.

• Psychological Horror
• Survival Horror
• Japanese Folklore
• Body Horror
• 1960s Japan
• Mature

• Survival Horror
• Sci-Fi
• Time Travel
• Alternate History
• Psychological Horror
• Post-Apocalyptic
• Polish History (1980s)

• Heavy Weapons: Melee
  Slow but powerful weapons like axes and sledgehammers.
• Medium Weapons: Melee
  Balanced weapons like pipes, baseball bats, and crowbars.
• Light Weapons: Melee
  Fast but weak weapons like sickles and knives.
• Toolkits: Utility
  A consumable item used to restore the durability of a melee weapon, preventing it from breaking.

• Morphing Handgun: Primary Firearm
  The Traveler's main weapon. It is a handgun that can be upgraded with different modules, such as a shotgun attachment, to alter its function.
• Melee Attack: Emergency Melee
  A slow, clunky punch and stomp finisher. Primarily used in emergencies or on downed enemies due to its high risk and low speed.
• Suit Flamethrower: Utility / Weapon
  A built-in flamethrower with severely limited fuel. Its primary purpose is to burn enemy corpses to prevent the 'Merging' mechanic, but it can also be used as a weapon.

• Traveler's Suit: A heavy, space-suit-like attire that can be upgraded to improve its integrity (health) and increase inventory space. As the Traveler collects Essences, the suit becomes haunted, leading to psychological effects.

Progression is based on a classic survival horror model. Players find 'Ema' (Character Upgrades) to increase Hinako's core stats (Health, Stamina, Sanity) at 'Hokora Shrines' using a currency called 'Faith'. The game also features 'Omamori' charms, which are equippable passive buffs that are crucial for customizing Hinako's abilities and survival style.

Progression is based on resource scarcity and crafting. Players use scavenged 'Energy' to upgrade the Traveler's health, suit, and weapons at workstations. A key element is the psychological impact of collecting 'Essences,' which haunts the Traveler's suit and can lead to a descent into madness, but also provides gameplay perks.

The game is not a full open world but features highly detailed, interconnected linear areas based on the real-life location of Kanayama, Gero. The structure consists of multiple visits to the town of Ebisugaoka, interspersed with journeys into key locations like the Shrine Path, Ebisugaoka Middle School, and the horrific Otherworld, known as the Dark Shrine.

The game is not a traditional open world. It features meticulously crafted levels that intricately weave between future wastelands and the historically-based Nowa Huta district of 1980s Poland. The design uses a puzzle-like, non-linear structure with narrative branches and a time-loop mechanic.

• Hinako Shimizu: Playable Protagonist
  A high school student struggling with a traumatic home life, whose psychological state manifests as the game's horrifying world.
• Shiromuku: Boss
  The final boss of the first playthrough, a lanky, decaying shrine maiden.
• Tsukumogami: Boss
  A powerful boss encountered in New Game+, a mound of porcelain dolls that can transform into a centipede.
• Kyubi: Boss
  A formidable fox-like boss encountered in the path to the true ending.

• The Traveler: Playable Protagonist
  A woman with no clear past, tasked by a mysterious AI to travel back in time to 1980s Poland and 'salvage' the essences of the dead.
• The Collective: Key NPC / Antagonist?
  A creepy AI from a future society that administers cognitive tests and gives the Traveler her missions. Its true motives are unknown.
• The Orphans: Enemies
  The grotesque monstrosities that were once human, transformed by the catastrophic 'Change'. They come in various forms, including runners, rangers, and bruisers.

• Main Story Campaign
  A linear, 10-12 hour campaign that follows Hinako's journey through Ebisugaoka and the Otherworld. The story is designed to be replayed multiple times to uncover new scenes, bosses, and endings.

• Main Story Quests
  A non-linear, puzzle-like campaign that follows the Traveler's mission to salvage the 'Essences' of key individuals from 1980s Poland before they perish in 'The Change'. Player choices can lead to branching paths and multiple endings.
• Environmental Puzzles
  A recurring objective involving the use of the time rift mechanic to manipulate the environment, alongside classic survival horror puzzles like finding fuses or keycodes to progress.

The game is available in a Standard Edition ($59.99) and a Deluxe Edition ($69.99). The Deluxe Edition includes 48-hour early access, a starter pack of in-game resources and ammo, unique armor skins, a digital artbook, and the original soundtrack.

• Q: What is Silent Hill f?
  A: It is the first new mainline Silent Hill game since 2012. It's a single-player survival horror game set in 1960s Japan, with a story written by acclaimed visual novel writer Ryukishi07.
• Q: Is it a 'Soulslike' game?
  A: No. While the combat is challenging and action-focused, the developers have stated it is a survival horror game at its core, not a Soulslike. The focus is on resource management and puzzle-solving, not just difficult combat.
• Q: How many endings does the game have?
  A: There are five distinct endings. Achieving all of them requires a minimum of three full playthroughs, including New Game+ and NG+2, and meeting specific, strict conditions.
• Q: Is there any gun combat?
  A: No, the combat is strictly melee-focused. Due to the 1960s Japanese setting and strict gun laws of the era, there are no firearms available to the player.

• Q: What is Cronos: The New Dawn?
  A: It is a third-person survival horror game from Bloober Team, the creators of The Medium and Layers of Fear. It blends tactical, resource-scarce combat with a time-travel narrative set between a post-apocalyptic future and 1980s Poland.
• Q: What is the 'Merging' mechanic?
  A: It's a unique system where if you don't burn the corpses of defeated enemies, other living enemies can absorb them to evolve into stronger, faster, and deadlier versions mid-combat.
• Q: Is it a 'walking simulator' like other Bloober Team games?
  A: No. This game marks a significant shift for the developer into a more action-driven, tactical survival horror experience with deep combat and resource management, inspired by games like Dead Space and Resident Evil.
• Q: How does time travel work in the game?
  A: Players can shoot 'time rifts' in the environment to rewind or reconstruct parts of a level. This is used to solve environmental puzzles, clear obstacles, and open new pathways.

• OFFICIAL PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS. These specifications reflect the demands of the Unreal Engine 5 build. The PC version is noted to have significant shader compilation stuttering issues, particularly on first playthrough.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop performance will vary based on the model's cooling and TGP. Due to UE5 stuttering issues, a powerful CPU and an SSD are critical for a smoother experience.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU is essential to handle high graphical settings and resolutions, especially with the game's atmospheric fog and lighting.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and intense encounters will require a laptop with a cutting-edge cooling solution to prevent thermal throttling.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU is critical for mitigating the severe shader compilation stutter that affects the game, particularly on lower-end hardware.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance in the timing-based combat.
• Game Name: Silent Hill f

• OFFICIAL PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS. These specifications reflect the demands of the Unreal Engine 5 build.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop performance will vary based on the specific model's cooling and TGP. The game's detailed environments and intense combat can be demanding, so a modern gaming laptop is advised.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU is essential to handle the advanced graphical features and maintain stable framerates.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and potential for sudden, intense combat encounters require a robust cooling system to prevent thermal throttling.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: A strong mobile CPU is important for handling the complex AI and physics calculations without bottlenecks.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is beneficial for reducing input latency, which is helpful for the game's deliberate combat.
• Game Name: Cronos: The New Dawn

• G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU is essential to handle high graphical settings and resolutions, especially with the game's atmospheric fog and lighting.
• Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and intense encounters will require a laptop with a cutting-edge cooling solution to prevent thermal throttling.
• C P U Power Limits: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU is critical for mitigating the severe shader compilation stutter that affects the game, particularly on lower-end hardware.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance in the timing-based combat.

• G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU is essential to handle the advanced graphical features and maintain stable framerates.
• Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and potential for sudden, intense combat encounters require a robust cooling system to prevent thermal throttling.
• C P U Power Limits: A strong mobile CPU is important for handling the complex AI and physics calculations without bottlenecks.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is beneficial for reducing input latency, which is helpful for the game's deliberate combat.