The Blood of Dawnwalkeris a dark fantasy action-RPG from Rebel Wolves, a team of ex-CD Projekt Red developers, that just released some actual gameplay footage over the weekend, and it instantly shot to the top of my most-wanted list. I was interested when I first heard of the vampire RPG earlier this year, but after watching the gameplay footage from a pre-beta playthrough, I’m completely sold and very hopeful the developers at Rebel Wolves can fully deliver on what could possibly be one of the best vampire RPGs of all time.
The gameplayessentially looks likeWitcher 3with a vampire version of Geralt named Coen. While it’s only a pre-beta gameplay reveal and details are still limited, what we’ve seen so far is incredibly exciting. In particular, the combat and sword-fighting mechanics look straight out of theWitcher 3playbook, while the overall look and feel of the UI is very similar as well. It’s not a direct copy-paste obviously, butThe Blood of Dawnwalkerlooks like it’s taking all the favorite elements ofWitcher 3and re-imagining them in a new and refined package.
The Blood Of Dawnwalker’s Gameplay Overview Showcases A Witcher-Esque World & Combat
Dawnwalker Is Set In 14th-Century Europe During The Black Death & Has Serious Witcher 3 Vibes
If you don’t know anything aboutThe Blood of Dawnwalker, it’s time to get caught up and excited for what’s to come. It has all the right ingredients to be a breakout hit, and anyone who lovesThe Witcher 3: Wild Huntis in for a surprise treat. The game is set in the Late Middle Ages in Europeduring the time of the Black Death and The Hundred Years' War,and will let players role-play as Coen, a vampire with some incredible sword-fighting skills and vampiric abilities.
The Blood of Dawnwalkeris brought to you by Rebel Wolves, a studio comprised of ex-CD Projekt Red developers whoseWitcherinfluences are somewhat glaring. While the game will obviously differ fromThe Witcher 3in many ways,the similarities are a major selling point for fansof open-world fantasy games similar toThe Witcher 3. However, one major difference is thatThe Blood of Dawnwalkerwillincorporate a time-limit mechanicthat gives players only 30 in-game days to complete the narrative, which is slightly misleading in that there’s no limit to how much players can do during a day.
Your Choices Will Make A Major Impact On Dawnwalker’s Story & Characters
Toss A Coin To Your Dawnwalker
Recently, developers released a gameplay overview trailer that reveals some of the in-game combat and other featured mechanics such as “quick-time” dialogue interactions, open-world exploration, etc. While the gameplay overview is only from a pre-beta version of the game,there’s plenty here to get fans excited about the game’s full release, which is currently planned for a 2026 launch. The full gameplay reveal event can be viewed above and features interviews with developers about some specific gameplay elements that fans are excited about.
One especially interesting mechanic is the day and night cycle, which introduces a sort of"narrative sandbox"element.
One especially interesting mechanic is the day and night cycle, which introduces a sort of"narrative sandbox"element where you’ll have different options to complete quests and engage with characters depending on the time of day. During the day, you might run into certain characters or have to make specific choices that won’t be available at night, andthose choices will impact the larger narrative in differing ways as well. The game is clearly aimed at a narrative-driven experience that gives players a sense of agency and control over what’s happening, making choices feel truly important.
Further, during the Q&A session following the gameplay reveal, developers made it clear there will be three different romance options that have different implications for the story, and players will be able to choosewhether they drink human blood or animal blood,both of which have different impacts on Coen and his vampire abilities. Your decisions will also impact how willing NPCs and factions in the game are to work with you to complete certain quests. Overall,The Blood of Dawnwalker’sgameplay reveal showcases just how much players' decisions will matter.
The Blood Of Dawnwalker Is At The Top Of My Wishlist After Its Gameplay Reveal
The Day-Night Mechanics, Vampire Abilities, & Exciting Combat Are A Winning Combination
Developers at Rebel Wolves seem to be leaning into theirWitcher 3roots. They’re taking some of the most belovedRPG features ofThe Witcher 3and re-imagining them in a completely new setting and world, which is a simple yet highly effective strategy to get gamers interested in the IP. I can say that, personally, the gameplay reveal, while not flawless, hasskyrocketedDawnwalkerto the top of my wishlist.There are certainly a few details they’ll need to hammer out before the game’s full launch, but what we’ve seen so far is incredibly promising.
Luckily for Rebel Wolves,The Witcher 4isn’t set to be released until at least 2027, soThe Blood of Dawnwalker’slaunch will not be negatively impacted.
My biggest concern withThe Blood of Dawnwalkerright now is its combat mechanics, as the sword-fighting, dodging, and parrying system looks slightly clunky, though this is understandable given the pre-beta state of the game.Developers will need to do a bit of fine-tuningto make sure the combat system is on par with the quality seen in the narrative and exploration elements in the reveal, but I am hopeful and optimistic that they’ll deliver a much more refined finished product when we eventually get our hands on it next year.
I am also very interested in the idea thatThe Blood of Dawnwalkerisbeing described as the first in a larger saga.This could mean a few different things, but could result in a more episodic style of narrative-driven chapter releases that might be a remedy to the overwhelming size of the campaign and absurd number of side quests inThe Witcher 3.While I love thescale ofThe Witcher 3’sopen world and content, it can be exhausting to take on every task in the game, and I’m hopeful thatThe Blood of Dawnwalkerstrikes more of a balance with their approach.
Overall, the gameplay reveal forThe Blood of Dawnwalkergave us a real sense that this game could be something special, with a beautifully designed world and an authentic setting that is prime for a vampire-based dark fantasy RPG. While we’re going to have to wait at least until next year to get our hands on it, I think it will be well worth the wait.
