Bloober Team presented the first gameplay trailer and developer diary for the Cronos: Lazarus expansion for Cronos: The New Dawn. Judging by the materials shown, the DLC will significantly change the familiar pace of the game, shifting the focus from measured horror to more dynamic and aggressive battles.
The main character of the expansion will be one of the key characters of the original game — the Guardian. Players will be shown his past, when he was still a Pathfinder, an agent of the Collective organization. According to the developers, the team wanted to reveal a more human side of the character and at the same time expand the game's universe, offering a different perspective on the events taking place.
Changes will affect not only the plot, but also the gameplay. The hero will gain the ability to teleport, allowing him to instantly move to a chosen point on the level. This skill will be useful for exploring locations, as well as for bypassing enemies, escaping encirclement, or changing position during combat.
Another new mechanic will be the lure. It creates a ghostly copy of the hero, distracting enemies, while the character himself temporarily becomes less noticeable. Thanks to the combination of these abilities, the gameplay will be built around constant movement, proper positioning, and tactical use of the environment.
The developers also introduced a new weapon — Gladius, an improved version of the dagger from the main game. It features higher attack speed and significantly increased damage, which corresponds to the new, more aggressive playstyle. If in the original game the player often felt a lack of resources and the need to avoid confrontations, then in Lazarus, reaction speed and active participation in battles will play an important role.
However, the hero's new abilities will not go unanswered. According to the plot, the Collective sends a special hunter, created specifically to pursue the Guardian. The developers note that this enemy will become a full-fledged counterweight to the player's new abilities, turning the story into a confrontation between the hunter and his pursuer.
The plot of the expansion will focus on the Guardian's personal conflict with the Collective. His mission will go against the organization's orders, which, according to the authors, will make the narrative more emotional and allow for a deeper exploration of the Cronos universe's mythology.