Welcome to the only Cronos The New Dawn walkthrough you’ll ever need. This guide is designed to get you through the game’s toughest challenges without any fluff. We’re covering everything from core survival mechanics and smart upgrades to step by step level guides, boss fight cheese strategies, and the location of every single weapon, cat, and comic book. It’s all here, straight to the point.
Before we dive deep, here’s the super quick version of everything you need to know to survive.
| Topic | The Bottom Line |
|---|---|
| Combat | Your normal shot is useless. Always use charged shots to deal damage, stagger enemies, and penetrate multiple targets. |
| Biggest Threat | Enemies can absorb their dead buddies to become stronger and faster (a mechanic called “Merge”). |
| The Solution | Burn every corpse with your Torch Fuel. It refills for free in safe rooms, so don’t be cheap! |
| Top Upgrade | Inventory Space. Seriously. It’s the most important upgrade in the game, so use your rare “Core” items on it first. |
| Golden Rule | Explore everything. Once you leave an area, you can never go back. |
| Best Friend | The Bolt Cutters. This tool opens chained doors from the start of the game to the very end. Always carry them. |
What is in our Cronos The New Dawn Walkthrough (100% Guide)
The Absolute Basics: How Not to Die Immediately
Cronos doesn’t mess around. The gameplay is built on smart resource management and tactical combat. If you try to run and gun, you’re going to have a bad time. Master these fundamentals first.
Combat 101: It’s All About the Charged Shot
Forget everything other games taught you. Your standard pistol shot barely tickles the enemies in Cronos and just wastes precious ammo. The entire combat system is built around one thing: holding down the fire button to charge your shot.
These super powered shots deal massive damage, can knock enemies flat on their backs if you aim for the legs, and interrupt their attacks. Even better, charged shots penetrate enemies, meaning you can line them up (a tactic called kiting) and take out two or three with a single, well placed bullet. This is how you make every shot count.
The “Merge” Mechanic is a Nightmare – Bring a Torch
One of the game’s deadliest features is that enemies, called “Orphans,” can absorb the corpses of their fallen comrades to “Merge” into a much faster, stronger monster. This can turn a manageable fight into a disaster in seconds.
The only way to stop this is to burn the bodies using your Torch Fuel. Luckily, fuel canisters are infinitely renewable at any safe room, so there’s no excuse not to use them. Seriously, don’t be a cheapskate with the Torch Fuel. Your future self, not being chased by a super mutant, will thank you. Always burn the bodies after a fight.
Smart Upgrades: Don’t Waste Your Energy
Your priorities for upgrading are clear. Don’t just dump your “Energy” into weapon damage.
First and always, upgrade your Inventory Space. You start with almost no room, and everything from weapons to health items and key tools like the Bolt Cutters takes up a slot. Use the rare “Core” items you find to expand your suit’s inventory. It’s a game changer.
Your second priority should be Weapon Charge Speed. Since charged shots are your main source of damage, firing them off faster is a huge boost to your combat effectiveness.
And don’t worry about committing to a weapon. The game lets you refund your upgrades for a small fee, so you can get your Energy back and invest it in a newer, better gun whenever you find one.
While these fundamentals will keep you alive, understanding why these mechanics are so crucial is the key to mastering the game. If you want a deeper dive into the core strategies, combat nuances, and the smartest upgrade paths that separate survivors from victims, be sure to check out our comprehensive Best Cronos The New Dawn Tips and Tricks + Beginner Guide. For now, let’s get you moving.
Your Step by Step Guide Through Hell
This section will guide you through the main story, pointing out key items, collectibles, and puzzle solutions as you go.
Chapter 1: Find the Predecessor
After a quick psych test (your choices don’t matter), you’ll gain control. To get out of the first room, blast the red lock with a charged shot.
In the apartment complex, you’ll find a locked storeroom door in a room full of mannequins. The code is on a nearby audio recorder (“Heading Forward” Travelog). Listen to it to get the code: 3-6-7.
- Weapon (Shotgun): After you use the first Time Oddity to raise a platform, you’ll find the Hammer PROV-2030 shotgun sitting on a crate in your direct path.
- Comic Book 1: On a table right after using that first Time Oddity platform.
- Cat 1 (Borówka): You can’t miss this one. After you see the first enemy “Merge” happen, you’ll find the cat at the bottom of a nearby staircase.
Chapter 2: Sector D-3 Housing Project & Extracting Edward
This area has a few side paths worth exploring. Remember to bring your Bolt Cutters, which you find in a tool shop here.
- Comic Book 2: In the outdoor apartment area, look for a yellow door and a set of lockers next to it. Push the lockers aside to find a hidden hole in the wall with the comic inside.
- Cat 2 (Mela): After getting the Bolt Cutters, go back to where you first entered the area. Use the cutters to open a chained door to find the cat.
This chapter ends with your first boss fight against The Unmerged One.
Chapter 3: The Steelworks
After riding the tram, you’ll arrive in a dusty, low visibility area. Watch out for enemies that burrow underground or sprint at you out of the fog.
You’ll soon hit a puzzle where you need to activate three Time Oddity spheres to progress.
- Activate the first sphere inside the room to your left.
- Look up and activate the second sphere on the ceiling to open the path forward.
- Go outside and shoot the third sphere through a hole in a brick wall to lower a platform you can cross.
Later, you’ll find a door in Hall B that needs a code. The code is 3-6-4, found in an upstairs room after solving another Time Oddity puzzle.
Boss Fights Made Easy (Well, Easier)
How to Beat The Unmerged One
This boss is covered in a protective black goo and is normally immune to damage.
Strategy
The arena is filled with explosive canisters. Lure the boss near one and blow it up to set him on fire. While burning, his protective layer disappears, exposing large orange blisters on his head, chest, and legs. Shoot these weak spots. Destroy all three blisters to win.
Attacks
He can burrow underground and pop up behind you, so keep an eye on the ground. Keep moving around the large apartment arena, breaking boxes for more ammo and health as needed.
How to Beat the Steelworks Terror
This boss has some serious anger management issues, breaking through walls to get to you. Use that to your advantage.
Strategy
This fight is all about kiting the boss through the different rooms and blowing up the many explosive canisters near him. By this point, you should have Edward’s Essence, which boosts your damage against burning enemies. Wait for him to be on fire, then unload your ammo for maximum effect.
Attacks
He has a fast charge attack and can slam the ground to create a shockwave, but you can easily sidestep it. The arena is shaped like a plus sign; use the layout to stay on the move and avoid getting cornered.
Quick Find Collectibles Guide
Since you can’t backtrack, missing a collectible means it’s gone for good on that playthrough. Use these lists to find them all.
All Weapon Locations
| Weapon Name | Type | Location | How to Get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sword MK-1615 | Pistol | Start of Game | Your starting weapon. |
| Hammer PROV-2030 | Shotgun | Before Housing Project | On a crate after the first Time Oddity puzzle. |
| Dagger PS-3713 | Pistol | The Steelworks | In a safe room in the trainyard area. |
| Javelin LK-102 | Carbine | On the way to Hospital | In a safe room right after the Terminal. |
| Mace JER-5120 | Shotgun | Unity Hospital | Reward for solving the optional Chapel puzzle. |
| Arbalest MT-1020 | Rocket Launcher | Station B | In a toy store; requires the key from the cat India. |
| Lance REV-1411 | Carbine | The Abbey | In the church bell tower; requires the key from the cat Freya. |
All Cat Locations (Core Upgrades)
There are 10 cats in the game. Petting each one gives you a “Core” used for vital suit upgrades.
- Borówka: Unmissable, at the bottom of a staircase after the first Merge tutorial.
- Mela: In the Housing Project. After getting the Bolt Cutters, return to the start of the area and open a chained door.
- Karol: During the first time travel sequence (extracting Edward), in the snowy playground area outside.
- Cynamon: At Tram Station A. After turning on the power, a previously locked door in the control room will open with the cat inside.
- Merlin: In the Steelworks, after getting the Gravity Boots. Take a side path during the gravity jump section that requires you to manipulate an Oddity.
- Balbina: In the Terminal. After powering the generator, a previously locked door in the hallway opens.
- Gus: On the way to the hospital. During a gravity jump section between buildings, break some wooden planks blocking a jump point to reach a hidden apartment.
- Bebola: In the Hospital’s Operation Block. At the end of a long hallway behind a movable metal locker.
- India: At Station B. You have to squeeze through a gap behind a kiosk to reach it and get the key to the toy store.
- Freya: In the Abbey area. After opening the graveyard gate, use the Bolt Cutters on a chained cellar door.
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