Quite a few heads have been turned byThe Blood of the Dawnwalker’s development, especially as more has been shown off by the project. A big reason for the initial interest is the studio behind it, Rebel Wolves, being made up of ex-CD Projekt Red developers, who had previously worked on the legendaryWitcher 3: Wild Hunt. Now is the time for Rebel Wolves to show that it isn’t just riding the coat tails of CD Projekt Red and the greatness of a project that was made over a decade ago, and recent showcases look promising.
While the majority of gamers are looking toThe Witcher 4for their action RPG fix, as many other franchises seem to be in a bit of a lull,The Blood of the Dawnwalkercould prove to be quite the rival, especially because it has taken a lot of theWitcherDNA and ported it over to a brand-new IP. Rebel Wolves isn’t hiding itsWitcherinfluence and that it is made up of previous CD Projekt Red employees, although this might not be a bad thing. There is more than enough room forDawnwalkerandThe Witcher 4to co-exist.
Blood Of The Dawnwalker Will Scratch The Same Itch As The Witcher 3
Sharing What Made The Witcher 3 Special
Rebel Wolves is not hiding much when it comes toThe Blood of the Dawnwalker.In an age where game projects attempt to make actual gameplay before a release as hard to find as possible,Rebel Wolves showed over twenty minutes of gameplay and spoke about the game’s mechanicsfor over an hour in total in its Gameplay Reveal Event shown on itsYouTubechannel. The project looks extremely promising, with a vibrant open-world, plenty of choice, and a strong visual design, especially when it comes to the gothic aesthetic associated with vampires.
The Blood of the Dawnwalkeris aiming for a 2026 release.
As seen in thegameplay overview section ofBlood of the Dawnwalker,it is clear to see the influence thatThe Witcher 3has on the game.Dawnwalkeraims to give players comparable, or even better, narrative freedom, and the day and night mechanics allow for several approaches to the same locations. Everything from how interactive and lively the world is to the UI, map layout, and the way dialogue works feels very familiar toThe Witcher 3. The influence feels like it borders on being a little too close at times, but what sets the two projects apart are their worlds.
The Blood of the Dawnwalkeris set in an alternate version of the real world, whileThe Witcherhas its own fantasy realm, and this distinction is important, since it’s largely what will set the two IPs apart, at least from what is shown thus far. WhileDawnwalkerstill has fantasy races,it is all about its gothic design and vampires, hence why a gothic cathedral was the level shownoff during the gameplay overview. Stealth and using the nightlike a horror gamevillain is what will helpDawnwalkershine, and its combat looks a step aboveThe Witcher 3’s.
Blood Of The Dawnwalker Evolves Witcher’s Combat
Directional Blocking Could Change Everything
While dodging still usesThe Witcher 3’s tight quicksteps around opponents,blocking is directional inThe Blood of the Dawnwalker, somewhat similar to something in theMount and Bladeseries andFor Honor, keeping players on their toes. They have to watch for when an enemy attacks and what direction the attack is coming from, making several foes tricky. Pair this with the ability to freeze time to use vampiric powers and different moves at nighttime, thanks to more of Coen’s vampire side coming out, and combat looks like it has a lot of dimensions for the player to use.
Although I wouldn’t consider it anywhere near bad by any means,I have often felt thatThe Witcher 3’s combat has aged the worst out of all its aspects, and whileBlood of the Dawnwalkerstill uses the same core idea of quick dodges, sword-fighting, and freezing or slowing time to use special powers, the direction blocking makes everything more active. It seems like players have to pay more attention than they did inThe Witcher 3, at least against generic foes in groups, and using different approaches depending on the time of day could change everything.
There is a time limit of30 days inThe Blood of the Dawnwalker, which players need to keep in mind when switching from day to night.
Coen has access to more of his vampire side at night, and while he has to drink blood to benefit from it,the extra mobility with theDishonored-style blink teleportation allows players to use stealth and traverse on rooftopsto see different parts of the city. This dynamic between Coen the human swordsman, and the vampire will be what makesThe Blood of the Dawnwalkerunique, but also challenging. Deciding to go into an area at night might lead players to biting off more than they can chew, and Coen getting popped like a zit by a boss is terrifying.
Rebel Wolves' Debut Title Could Be Something Special
Studios In Europe Have Been Changing Gaming
Rebel Wolves has the credentials to make something special,given how many who make up the studio were once part of CD Projekt Red, and it seems to be an era of new studios using their ambition, passion, and know-how to make something truly special. Rebel Wolves is clearly confident inDawnwalker, given that it was willing to show off so much from a pre-beta build when others don’t show anything real until release. It could be making something special, and the studio isn’t afraid to let the world know about it.
Like CD Projekt Red, Rebel Wolves is a Polish studio based in Warsaw.Mainland Europe seems to be where creativity thrives for RPGs specifically, considering that theinventiveKingdom Come: Deliverance 2is from Warhorse Studios in the Czech Republic,Expedition 33comes from French developer Sandfall Interactive, Larian Studios andBaldur’s Gate 3came from its Belgium headquarters, and Poland now has two RPG focused studios. IfDawnwalkersticks the landing, it will further continue this trend of great, European RPGs, and it could be the case with its gameplay.
While thestory, open world, and interactive nature of its setting will be the focus ofThe Blood of the Dawnwalker, given itsWitcherroots, the hope is that combat can be more than just a necessity. With directional blocking, a variety of powers, stealth mechanics, and different approaches depending on day or night, it has the foundations to give players something special with its gameplay. The gaming industry could always do with more great, single-player RPGs, and, from the looks of things, Rebel Wolves could be cooking one up that maintains Europe’s brilliance with the genre.
