In the gameplay reveal trailer for Cronos: The New Dawn, a mysterious voice warned the Traveler to “Stay focused, stay cautious”. 

More than just a bit of lore, this was meant to communicate that in our game, remaining vigilant is of the utmost importance.

That’s because, in addition to careful resource management, you also have to deal with enemies that can merge with each other during battle. This radically alters the dynamic of every encounter, with each Merge exponentially increasing its difficulty in real-time.

To that end, we made a short dev diary that details how the combat system in Cronos works in practice, while also addressing several key questions from our community:

Play Video

Escalating threats: How merging transforms your enemies

In Cronos, enemies known as Orphans can absorb dead bodies to evolve into even stronger and more resilient foes, complete with new attack patterns. 

This adds another layer of complexity to combat, because by killing Orphans you’re effectively providing fuel for other nearby enemies to evolve and become more powerful in the process. 

Having the Merge as a fully integrated gameplay system fundamentally shifts the balance of combat, especially in a game where ammo is scarce and crafting opportunities are limited.

Most enemies in Cronos are capable of merging with each other. Your goal is to stop them at all costs, or deal with the consequences.

Arena Control: Turning the odds in your favor

The best way to counteract the Merge is by preventing it from happening in the first place. Often, combat in Cronos requires navigating handcrafted arenas filled with multiple enemies.

Since merging requires dead bodies to absorb, spatial awareness is critical. Space out your kills, lure foes away from fallen bodies, and be ready to interrupt merging attempts mid-fight.

When it comes to your gear, you’ll have an entire arsenal at your disposal for every situation. Weapons like the Javelin, with its rapid-fire capacity, are perfect for crowd control. Others, like the Hammer, deal heavy damage at close range – ideal for finishing off tough enemies before they can merge.

Rapidly switching between weapons according to their range and effectiveness in each situation is key to gaining the upper hand in combat.

Enemy Roles: Tips and tricks to defeat them

When it comes to enemy design, we wanted the Orphans to challenge players in distinct ways by featuring different attack patterns and fulfilling specific roles in combat. To take them down efficiently, it’s crucial to observe their behavior and adapt your strategy to counter their moves.

One enemy type you’ll encounter often is the Doppelganger. Scattered throughout New Dawn, not all Doppelgangers look or act alike. Instead, they can be grouped into different categories based on their combat style.

Some are runners, rushing towards the player to inflict melee damage. Others have ranged attacks, forcing players to approach them instead. Then there are the bruisers, heavy-hitting, durable foes who can soak up damage and are best dealt with using close-range shotgun blasts. And, of course, they all can merge with each other, gaining new abilities and attack patterns with each evolution.

Additionally, there are special enemies that only appear in select locations, but we will be revealing more about them in future updates.

That concludes our quick overview of how to approach combat in Cronos: The New Dawn. Through incorporating the Merge as a central combat mechanic, we aim to ensure that every encounter in the game feels both memorable and unpredictable.

This approach also reflects our commitment towards evolving the survival horror formula itself, by constantly pushing its boundaries and transforming what the genre can offer.

Cronos: The New Dawn will be available on PlayStation 5 in 2025.

If you’ve dreamed of what it might feel like to ride a superbike at full throttle, knee to the asphalt, engine roaring, speeding like a rocket. With VRider SBK coming to PlayStation VR2 on June 27, that dream is about to become a reality.

See it in action.

Play Video

What’s in VRider SBK?

VRider SBK ignites the thrill of Superbike Racing on PlayStation VR2. Whether you’re chasing the podium or just the thrill of the ride, VRider SBK drops you into the heart of the officially licensed Superbike World Championship. Lean into every corner and blast down straights at over 200 mph across 14 real-world tracks, including Cremona and Estoril, alongside 23 official riders. 

Ride five elite machines: Ducati, BMW, Kawasaki, Honda, and Yamaha using next-gen gesture-based controls designed for immersive VR. Go head-to-head in global PvP multiplayer, dominate the solo Tournament mode, or challenge the clock in Ghost races. With its unique “simcade” gameplay blend, VRider SBK delivers blistering speed, unforgiving realism, and pure two-wheeled exhilaration.

Built different for PS VR2

We’ve optimized the game with a specific quality setting to ensure a stable frame rate and smooth bike control. In racing games, motion sickness is primarily caused by input lag, the delay between controller actions and what’s rendered in the headset. This is often a result of demanding physics simulations, which require a consistently solid frame rate to avoid discomfort.

In the PS VR2 version, players can expect a range of exclusive features, including improved bike models, an animated skybox, more realistic tarmac, an animated crowd featuring flags and smoke bombs, as well as additional enhancements. This new version will also contain new, enhanced buildings and props in newly polished circuits, along with fully 3D trees, grass, and terrain transitions (e.g., gravel to sand and vice versa).

There’s more! VRider SBK’s PS VR2 version will also feature two additional tracks: Estoril and Cremona, which have been added to the circuit selection. The game will support PS VR2 Trophies and offer fully customizable visual quality profiles. In the single-player game mode, up to 23 players can ride on a single track. Isn’t that amazing?

Feel every turn: PS VR2 delivers the real rush

The computational power of the PS VR2 has allowed us to bring the scene to life and significantly enhance the realism of the race. A new rendering pipeline, compared to the initial release on other platforms, has enabled a much higher level of visual fidelity. What truly elevates the sense of presence and immersion, however, is the inclusion of 22 AI riders, representing the full championship roster. It’s now a real challenge to beat them all and become the new tournament champion!

Strap In. Burn rubber. Be legendary

This project was created with great passion and love. Some key members of the team are motorcyclists, and many bring real-life racing experience to the table. VRider SBK is a heartfelt tribute to a passion many of us have nurtured since childhood.

The development team is proudly Italian, and Italy is world-renowned for its mechanical heritage and passion for engines. We’ve got our fair share of wild stories: from an illegal ride on a Superbike as a teenager without a license, to swapping tuned bikes, all the way to our Game Director, who keeps a garage with three motorcycles, one completely custom.

To paraphrase a well-known book in the industry, at Funny Tales, we’ve poured in blood, sweat, and not just pixels — but pure bike passion.

The track is yours. Own every corner.