Game Studies Watchlist #43

AHOI there, game studies operators!

Cronos: The New Dawn provides a rich case study for Game Studies: it unites genre hybridity, cultural specificity, narrative complexity, and innovative mechanics. It therefore lends itself to both aesthetic and ludological analyses as well as cultural inquiries into memory, space, the body, and identity in digital games. So, when I found out that Noah Caldwell-Gervais had uploaded a new essay where he is talking about that very game ... I was sold!

This is a full-spoiler video critique and analysis of Cronos: The New Dawn, a new and original survival horror title from Bloober Team. It looks at the game in terms of its influences, its gothic tone, and its surprising depth and consistency as a time travel story.

Cronos: The New Dawn combines elements of survival horror with science fiction, opening up diverse perspectives on genre, mechanics, and narrative. You take on the role of a so-called “Traveler” living in a post-apocalyptic future who travels back to the 1980s to rescue people or essences. This narrative concept offers numerous opportunities to examine temporality, memory, and identity in digital games. Particularly noteworthy is the gameplay mechanic whereby defeated enemies, if not properly burned, merge with other corpses and evolve into stronger creatures. This system can be interpreted both ludologically and aesthetically: it thematizes corporeality, transformation, and control, no doubt central motifs of the horror genre, while also translating player decisions into moral and physical consequences within the game world.

The setting of the game is equally significant. Cronos: The New Dawn takes place in a retro-futuristic environment inspired by Eastern European brutalist architecture and references Poland in the 1980s. By embedding its horror narrative in a specific historical and cultural context that differs from the dominant U.S. genre tradition, the game invites research on collective memory, trauma, and political symbolism in Eastern European digital worlds. The aesthetics and game design also deserve attention. Developed by Bloober Team, known for titles such as Layers of Fear and the Silent Hill 2 remake, Cronos fuses classic horror tropes with new technological approaches. The dense atmosphere, sound design, and visual style contribute to an intense player experience that produces fear and unease not only narratively but also through audiovisual means. As such, the game serves as an excellent example for analyzing emotional immersion and affective space in digital horror.

From an industrial and media-economic perspective, Cronos: The New Dawn is equally relevant. As a Polish AAA production released on multiple platforms (PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch 2, and Linux), it reflects the growing influence of Eastern European studios in the global games market. The inclusion of cross-play functionality also makes it suitable for exploring transmedial and cross-platform player experiences.

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Gamedev and Associate Professor Chris Totten (please follow him under @totter87.bsky.social on Bluesky) recently posted something really funny, he said: "A ton of game studies and design books from a particular era have sections describing the 'narratology vs ludology' debates over games are about mechanics or storytelling (the silly gooses clearly had never played Chrono Trigger), but I feel like 'yellow paint' is the level design equivalent."

Friendly Reminder: Together with Ann-Kathrin Günther, Leonie Konietzko, and Daniel Meis, I’m currently looking for your contributions on the GTA series for an interdisciplinary edited volume — submissions are open until November 1, 2025. English submissions are possible after consultation.

... by the way Any Austin talks about the realism of GTA airports in his new video!

Okay, yeah, let's talk Halloween then, shall we? The Fear Effect is a new game podcast: Join hosts Andy, Ben, and Esther as they explore the world of horror games. From Resident Evil to South of Midnight, they aim to explore how games make everything more spooky! Listen to the first teaser episode on Spotify now: https://open.spotify.com/show/3oI1LyfuST9jwqq1GnstnT

Although I’m absolutely terrified of PvP battles in games, I have to admit the recent release of ARC Raiders looks really tempting (and hey, there’s PvE too!). Hmm, what do you think? Are you getting the game? Cross-play is available as well!