How Flashlight works in Cronos The New Dawn

The Flashlight in Cronos The New Dawn is not the typical survival horror tool where you click a button and shine light whenever you want. Bloober Team’s Dead Space-inspired horror title takes a different approach, handing you a light but keeping the control firmly in the game’s hands.

That design choice makes the atmosphere darker, spookier, and, at times, a bit frustrating. Here's how the light works in Cronos The New Dawn and how to get it.

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Chronos The New Dawn: How Flashlight works

Hover in the settings tabs to further change your preference (Image via Bloober Team SA)

You cannot manually toggle the flashlight on or off. The game decides when it switches on, usually in areas where visibility drops enough that you’d be lost without it. As soon as you move into a section that Bloober wants cloaked in shadow, the item shuts off.

This means the item isn't actually a player-searching mechanic, and is more of a pacing mechanism. The function of this item is to ensure the tension doesn't drop too much and forces you to rely on unclear glowing enchants from windows, sparks, or unusual orange ambient light to create a sense of unease when it wants to build tension. You might dislike the lack of control, but that makes the lighting cinematic rather than just functional.

However, if the forced darkness feels overwhelming, Cronos The New Dawn does let you change brightness in the settings. From the pause menu, head to Settings > Display > HDR Calibration to tweak the game’s visuals. Adjusting the HDR brightness slider in particular can make a huge difference.

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How to get Flashlight in Cronos The New Dawn

At the start of the game, Cronos throws you into a dimly lit environment where shadows swallow most of what you see. Naturally, the first instinct is to start mashing buttons, hoping a torch appears, but nothing happens. The game doesn’t actually give you your flashlight until you’ve pushed forward into the opening section.

After you use the Old Rusty Key to unlock the first major door on the main path (during the “Find the Predecessor” objective), the item automatically appears in your inventory. There’s no pickup prompt or crafting involved; it simply becomes part of your gear the moment the game decides it’s time.

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Why does the Flashlight work this way?

It’s clear that Bloober Team wanted this item to be more than just a utility item. By controlling when it’s available, the developers ensure the horror beats land exactly as intended. Walking into a room that looks pitch-black, only for the flashlight to flicker on, adds to the cinematic edge the studio aims for.

So, while the lack of manual control might annoy players who prefer freedom, it locks you into the game's tense environment.

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Check out: Cronos The New Dawn trophy list: All achievements and how to unlock