Silent Hill 2 Remake Teaser Hints at Franchise Evolution

Bloober Team, riding high on the positive reception of their Silent Hill 2 remake, is eager to prove their capabilities extend beyond a single success. This article delves into their next project and their vision for the future.

Bloober Team's Continued Ascent

Building on Success, Moving Beyond

The overwhelmingly positive response to the Silent Hill 2 remake has solidified Bloober Team's reputation. While acknowledging past skepticism, the team is determined to demonstrate their sustained potential. Their next step? Cronos: The New Dawn.

Revealed at the Xbox Partner Preview on October 16th, Cronos represents a deliberate departure from their Silent Hill work. Game Designer Wojciech Piejko emphasized this distinction to Gamespot, stating, "We don't want to make a similar game [to Silent Hill 2]." Development, he revealed, began in 2021, shortly after The Medium's release.

Director Jacek Zieba framed Cronos: The New Dawn as their "second punch" in a two-hit combo, with the Silent Hill 2 remake being the "first." He highlighted the initial doubt surrounding their involvement in the project, given their lack of prior experience with survival horror. Zieba expressed gratitude for the opportunity, stating, "Nobody believed we could deliver, and we delivered. That was a big honor." The team's perseverance paid off, resulting in an 86 Metacritic score. Piejko added, "They made the impossible possible, and it was a bumpy road because of all the hate on the internet."

Evolution: Bloober Team 3.0

Cronos: The New Dawn, according to Piejko, aims to showcase their ability to create compelling original IPs. Players will take on the role of "The Traveler," navigating between past and future to alter a dystopian timeline ravaged by pandemic and mutants.

Bloober Team leverages the lessons learned from the Silent Hill 2 remake to enhance their gameplay, moving beyond the limitations of earlier titles like Layers of Fear and Observer. Zieba credits the Silent Hill project as a foundation for Cronos, stating, "the basis [for Cronos] when we started in pre-production was there [thanks to] the Silent Hill team."

The Silent Hill 2 remake marks a pivotal moment, representing "Bloober Team 3.0." Encouraged by the positive reception of the Cronos reveal trailer and the Silent Hill 2 remake, the team is confident in their future. Zieba's vision is clear: to establish Bloober Team as a leading name in horror. He stated, "We want to find our niche, and we think we found our niche, so now we just--let's evolve with it." Piejko concluded, "We gathered a team that loves horror...and we don't want to [switch genres]."