Bloober Team, riding high on the positive reception of their Silent Hill 2 remake, is determined to prove their capabilities extend beyond a single success. This article explores their next project and their ambitious vision for the future.
Bloober Team's Continued Ascent
Building on Success, Facing Past Skepticism
The overwhelmingly positive critical and fan response to Bloober Team's Silent Hill 2 remake has been a significant boost. Despite substantial changes from the original, the remake exceeded expectations. However, the team acknowledges the initial skepticism surrounding their involvement and aims to solidify their reputation with future projects.
At the Xbox Partner Preview on October 16th, Bloober Team unveiled their next horror title, Cronos: The New Dawn. Game Designer Wojciech Piejko emphasized a departure from their previous work, stating to Gamespot, "We don't want to make a similar game [to Silent Hill 2]." Development on Cronos commenced in 2021, shortly after The Medium's release.
Director Jacek Zieba described 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 ability to handle such a beloved franchise, given their lack of prior experience in the survival horror genre.
Zieba commented, "Nobody believed we could deliver, and we delivered. That was a big honor, that we, as Bloober, could work with Silent Hill and Konami. As horror creators, we love Silent Hill, like, I think, most horror fans [do]." The team even publicly requested patience from fans during development.
Ultimately, Bloober Team's efforts resulted in an 86 Metacritic score. Piejko reflected, "They made the impossible possible, and it was a bumpy road because of all the hate on the internet. The pressure was big on them, and they delivered, and for the company, it's an amazing moment."
Evolution: Bloober Team 3.0
Piejko positions Cronos: The New Dawn, featuring a time-traveling protagonist called The Traveler navigating a pandemic-ravaged future, as a testament to their ability to create compelling original IPs. The team leverages the experience gained from the Silent Hill 2 remake to evolve beyond their earlier titles, such as Layers of Fear and Observer, which had more limited gameplay mechanics. Zieba noted, "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 turning point, representing "Bloober Team 3.0." Encouraged by the positive response to the Cronos reveal trailer and the Silent Hill 2 remake's success, the team is optimistic about the future.
Zieba aims to establish Bloober Team firmly within the horror genre, stating, "We want to find our niche, and we think we found our niche, so now we just--let's evolve with it. [...] And how that happens is more complex, but it also happens organically in a way, like with [2016's] Layers of Fear, people in the studio were like, 'Okay, we made some shitty games before, but we [can] evolve.'"
Piejko adds, "We gathered a team that loves horror," Piejko adds. "So I think, for us, it would not be easy to switch [to other genres], and we don't want to."
