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Cronos: The New Dawn Gameplay Video
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Cronos: The New Dawn Key Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Engine | Unreal Engine 5 |
| Genre | Survival Horror, Third-Person Shooter |
| Initial Release | 2025-09-05 |
| Developer | Bloober Team |
| Publisher | Bloober Team, Skybound, Bandai Namco |
| Setting | Post-Apocalyptic Future & 1980s Poland |
| Perspective | Third-Person |
| Platforms | PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, macOS |
| Multiplayer | Single-Player Only |
| Unique Feature | A unique 'Merging' mechanic where enemies can absorb corpses to evolve mid-combat, combined with a time-travel narrative and environmental puzzles. |
Cronos: The New Dawn System Requirements
1080p
tune Minimum – Low Preset, 1080p resolution.
tune Recommended – High Preset, 1080p resolution.
Cronos: The New Dawn Laptop Recommendations
memory AMD Ryzen 7 7435 HS
developer_board NVIDIA RTX 3050 75W
storage 32GB DDR5-4800MHz
799
Model: ASUS TUF A15 with RTX 3050 and Ryzen 7
memory CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7435 HS (Score: 1655)
developer_board GPU: NVIDIA RTX 3050 (Score: 7220) @ 75W TGP
storage RAM: 32GB DDR5-4800MHz
save Storage: 1000GB NVMe
desktop_windows Display: 1920 x 1080 (FHD)
Meets criteria for tier: 1080p - Minimum (Low Preset, 1080p resolution.).
memory AMD Ryzen 9 8940 HX
developer_board NVIDIA RTX 5060 115W
storage 32GB DDR5-5200MHz
1689
Model: HP Omen 16 (RTX 5060 & Ryzen 9 8940HX)
memory CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 8940 HX (Score: 2225)
developer_board GPU: NVIDIA RTX 5060 (Score: 9000) @ 115W TGP
storage RAM: 32GB DDR5-5200MHz
save Storage: 1000GB NVMe
desktop_windows Display: 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA / FHD+)
Meets criteria for tier: 1080p - Minimum (Low Preset, 1080p resolution.).
memory AMD Ryzen 9 7845 HX
developer_board NVIDIA RTX 4080
storage Up to 64GB DDR5
2799
Model: Dell Alienware M16 Gaming Laptop with RTX 4080
memory CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7845 HX (Score: 2078)
developer_board GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4080 (Score: 12500)
storage RAM: Up to 64GB DDR5
save Storage: 4000GB NVMe
desktop_windows Display: 2560 x 1600 (WQXGA)
Meets criteria for tier: 1080p - Minimum (Low Preset, 1080p resolution.).
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Core Requirements
- desktop_windowsOperating System: Windows 10 / 11 64-bit
A modern 64-bit operating system is required.
- memoryDirectX: Version 12
DirectX 12 API is required.
- save_altStorage Note: 50 GB available space (SSD Recommended)
An SSD is strongly recommended for faster loading times and to reduce asset pop-in while traversing the world.
Cronos: The New Dawn: Map Size and Regions
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.
Cronos: The New Dawn Skills & Upgrades Overview
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.
Cronos: The New Dawn: Game Editions
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.
Cronos: The New Dawn: Cross-Platform / Crossplay
Cronos: The New Dawn is a single-player game, so cross-platform play is not applicable.
Cronos: The New Dawn Specific Game Elements
Cronos: The New Dawn Weapons
- securityMelee 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.
- securityMorphing 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.
- securitySuit 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.
Cronos: The New Dawn Vehicles
- directions_carNone (N/A)
The game is focused on on-foot exploration within its meticulously crafted levels. There are no controllable player vehicles.
Cronos: The New Dawn Characters
- personThe 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.
- personThe Orphans - Enemies
The grotesque monstrosities that were once human, transformed by the catastrophic 'Change'. They come in various forms, including runners, rangers, and bruisers.
- personThe Traveler - Playable Protagonist (playable)
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.
Top 3 Characters:
Traveler: The playable protagonist, a mysterious woman from a future society on a mission to salvage humanity's past. 2. The Collective: A creepy AI that gives the Traveler her missions. Its true motives are a central mystery. 3. The Warden: An NPC who maintains the player's hub and tools, offering a different perspective on the mission.
Cronos: The New Dawn Missions / Objectives
- flagEnvironmental Puzzles
Objective: 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.
- flagMain Story Quests
Objective: 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.
Top 3 Missions/Objectives:
the Past: The overarching mission to locate key 'targets' in 1980s Poland and extract their Essences using the Harvester device. 2. Survive the Orphans: A constant objective to manage scarce resources (ammo, health, fuel) to fight or evade the grotesque monstrosities created by The Change. 3. Burn the Bodies: A critical objective tied to the 'Merging' mechanic. Players must use limited fuel to burn corpses to prevent living enemies from absorbing them and evolving into deadlier forms.
Cronos: The New Dawn Companions / Summons
- groupNone (N/A)
Ability: The game is designed as a solo experience to emphasize the feeling of isolation and dread. There are no companion or follower systems.
Cronos: The New Dawn Collectibles
- collections_bookmarkAudio Logs and Text Files
Location/Use: Found throughout the environment. They are the primary source of environmental storytelling, piecing together the history of the world and 'The Change'.
- collections_bookmarkEssences
Location/Use: 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.
Top 3 Collectibles:
The souls/personalities of key individuals from the past. Extracting them is the main objective and provides perks, but also increases the Traveler's madness. 2. Energy: The primary in-game currency, scavenged from the environment and used for all upgrades. 3. Audio Logs & Text Files: The main form of environmental storytelling, revealing the horrifying details of 'The Change' and the history of 1980s Poland.
Cronos: The New Dawn Armor
- shieldTraveler's Suit
Focus/Stats: 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.
Cronos: The New Dawn Clothing / Appearance
- checkroomArmor Skins
Details: The Deluxe Edition includes unique cosmetic armor skins for the Traveler's suit. Pre-ordering also grants a bonus Traveler skin.
Cronos: The New Dawn Other Features & Info
- labelMultiplayer Modes
The game is a strictly single-player experience and does not have any multiplayer or co-operative modes.
- labelStory and Setting
The game is set in a time-shattered reality, blending a devastated near-future with 1980s Poland under communist rule. Players control 'The Traveler,' an emissary from a future society called 'The Collective,' who must enter time rifts to salvage the 'Essences' of people who died during a reality-ending event known as 'The Change'.
- labelTop 3 Gameplay Mechanics
- 1. The Merging System: The game's most innovative feature. If a dead enemy is not burned with fire, another enemy can merge with the corpse to transform into a much faster, tougher, and deadlier abomination, forcing constant strategic resource management. 2. Time Rifts: The Traveler can shoot temporal anomalies to rewind or reconstruct parts of the environment. This is used to solve puzzles, clear obstacles, and open new paths. 3. Extreme Resource Scarcity: A core survival mechanic. Ammo, health, and the fuel needed to burn bodies are severely limited, forcing players to make tactical decisions about when to fight, when to flee, and when to burn corpses.
Cronos: The New Dawn Frequently Asked Questions
- help_outline What is Cronos: The New Dawn?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.
- help_outline What is the 'Merging' mechanic?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.
- help_outline Is it a 'walking simulator' like other Bloober Team games?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.
- help_outline How does time travel work in the game?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.