As if the Switch 2 didn’t impress enough already with games like Cyberpunk 2077 running smoothly on the handheld, this time it’s a horror title making its way onto the Nintendo console. Cronos The New Dawn indeed marks a departure, or shall we say a new dawn for the Switch, since third party games have been a rarity in recent years.
The first 45 minutes of Cronos The New Dawn gameplay footage have been revealed on the Switch 2 by Game Informer, giving horror enthusiasts a clear look at how the title will play on handheld vs docked play. A big moment for Nintendo players, since Cronos has mostly been talked about on the PC or even current-gen consoles.
Can Nintendo’s hardware finally compete with the other consoles? Well, yes and no. Cronos looks and feels intact, with the moody visuals and tense sound design being a standout, and the performance looked passable as well.
It’s not flawless, though, but as far as our first impressions go, with a little spit and shine – yes, the Nintendo Switch 2 seems to be able to handle the title sufficiently well.
Cronos The New Dawn Gameplay on The Switch 2
Cronos seems to be running fine on the Nintendo handheld, without stripping it down to its essentials. Textures are crisp, the lighting carries that trademark, very eerie glow, and none of the claustrophobic atmosphere appears to get lost in hardware translation.
There is an undead bone to be picked with the framerate, which seemed to dip at heavy combat sequences, or in parts, when the screen was busier than usual. For a horror game that relies on atmosphere more than pinpoint precision, this might not feel like a big deal – we just hope that these issues aren’t going to result in many unfair deaths, making the game more unforgiving than it needs to be.
The Atmosphere Doesn’t Get Lost In the Transition – But What About Combat?
It’s a double-edged sword, because the atmosphere is still one of the best that we saw in recent horror titles, but the combat is still the divisive point in Cronos: The New Dawn – a Switch 2 port won’t change that fact, sadly.
We’re not saying it’s intrinsically broken; the systems work as intended and feel responsive enough on the Switch 2. It’s just that the system is just…not that good in itself. Combat doesn’t seem to be a big focus in Cronos, so maybe all is well, but it’s a reminder for new players to approach the game as a horror experience first, and not as an action-packed shooter. Manage your expectations!
