Fresh off of its successful reimagining of one of the most beloved survival horror games of all time, Bloober Team is already prepping its next major release withCronos: The New Dawn. WhileCronos: The New Dawnis another survival horror title, it’s shaping up to be quite different from what Bloober Team delivered in itsSilent Hill 2remake, trading psychological horror for time-bending sci-fi horror with more than a passing resemblance to EA’sDead Spaceseries. TheDead Spacesimilarities are apparent inCronos' design, atmosphere, and gameplay, and it should take things one step further by borrowing the iconic UI elements from the 2008 classic.
Unlike most survival horror games of the time,Dead Spacetook a more organic approach to its heads-up display and UI elements, integrating them into the character model rather than having them as separate on-screen elements. It was a move that only deepened the immersion of what was already an incredibly cinematic and harrowing sci-fi horror experience, and it has since gone on to be remembered as one of the definitive elements ofDead Space’s design. IfCronosis aiming to beBloober Team’s homage to theDead Spaceseries, it wouldn’t be complete without a similar approach to HUD and UI elements.
At the time of the originalDead Space’s release in 2008, the pinnacle of the survival horror genre was represented byCapcom’s 2005 masterpiece,Resident Evil 4. But whileResident Evil 4’s over-the-shoulder camera angle would go on to inspire countless other games (both within and outside the survival horror genre), the title’s more action-oriented elements lent themselves to the game having an almost arcade-style presentation.Dead Spacetook a lot of inspiration fromResident Evil 4in terms of its movement, combat, and progression mechanics, but its dark, tense atmosphere called for something more horror-leaning in its presentation to prevent any break in immersion.
As a result, EA Redwood Shores developed one of the best elements oftheDead Spaceserieswith the HUD elements and UI being integrated in real-time into the player’s character model. Health and oxygen were displayed on Isaac’s suit instead of on-screen bars or gauges, and each weapon had its own holographic ammo counter for players to read how many rounds they had left. From what’s been shown ofCronos: The New Dawn’s setting and atmosphere, the title is leaning hard into the horror elements of its sci-fi horror, and it should also use a fittingly immersive system for its HUD elements and UI based on its clearDead Spaceinspirations.
Bloober Team Has Already Shown It Understands Minimalist UI/HUD
Notably, minimal HUD and UI elements are something Bloober Team already has experience with, with 2024’sSilent Hill 2remake honoring the spirit of the original and keeping any on-screen information to a minimum. This was something that theoriginalSilent Hill 2also did successfully to maintain immersion and prevent the experience from reminding players they were playing a game, and Bloober Team nailed the presentation of the original game in its remake by replicating that design choice. Key members of Bloober Team have already spoken about how the experience ofSilent Hill 2has taught it lessons that will improve future games, and there’s every chanceCronoswill attempt similarly immersive approaches to its on-screen elements.
After some games that garnered mixed reception from fans,Bloober Teamhas effectively turned a corner thanks to theSilent Hill 2remake, and expectations are now understandably high for what appears to be the studio’s take onDead SpacewithCronos.Dead Space’s approach to HUD and UI elements was a subtle, but hugely important, factor toward that game’s enduring legacy as one of the great survival horror titles, andCronosonly stands to earn similar praise by following that lead specifically.
