Former Witcher 3 devs finally unveil their epic vampire RPG, The Blood of the Dawnwalker

Have you ever wanted The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine as a full game? Well, good news! Developer Rebel Wolves, comprised of former Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077 members, has unveiled its open-world vampire RPG, The Blood of the Dawnwalker, with a fu🌸ll trailer and a promise of more this summe🗹r.

The trailer introduces you to the game’s world and makes no qualms about how hard it’s embracing the dark fantasy genre. It’s 14th-century Europe. Coen, the game’s protagonist, is seen fleeing a burning town with his plague-ridden younger sister.

Their attempt to run is halted at a dilapidated church, where soldiers surround them. But before things get worse, the duo is saved by Brencis and his vampire horde, who clearly have no respect for authority. Brencis heals Coen’s sister but presumably doesn’t do it for free. Two years after the events of the trailer, Coen is a Dawnwalker: a half-vampire of sorts who is human by day and a powerful vampire after the sun sets.

The Blood of the Dawnwalker‘s influences are clear

If I can glean anything from the trailer, the game makes no illusions regarding its influences. Coen walks the line between humans and monsters, using his abilities to dish out pain to those who deserve it. Hell, even the music gives me some Marcin Przybyłowicz vibes. In the short gameplay teaser section, Coen uses his vampiric abilities to descend vertical walls and slash through enemies with claws. He’s not safe in the daylight, either, as he gets attacked by some flying abomination.

The influences aren’t surprising, mind. As mentioned, Rebel Wolves is made up of former CD Project Red members. The game’s director, Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, directed The Witcher 3 and was the head of production for Cyberpunk 2077. Other directors on the project also have roots in The Witcher series and Cyberpunk.

It’s a matter of time

Despite the similarities and pedigree, The Blood of the Dawnwalker shouldn’t be some copy of The Witcher. In an intriguing twisꦫt on the formula, the game has a time limit on your adventures. Coen has 30 days and nights to save his family or destroy everything in bloody revenge.

“Inspired by classic RPGs, we want players to feel the sense of urgency in an open-world game. There are multiple approaches to saving Coen’s family with no clear division between main and side quests, you decide on how you spend the time,” said Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, game director and co-founder of Rebel Wolves. “Time is a resource and with each quest progressing its passage, it is impossible to complete all stories and arcs before the dreadful deadline, mak꧋ing each playthrough unique.🌄 We call it a narrative sandbox.”

A time limit on an open-world RPG isn’t new, as Tomaszkiewicz mentioned. Some older RPGs embraced the concept. Fallout gave you 150 days to save your settlement, for example. Still, newer players may find the time limit a bit restrictive. Hopefully, The Blood of the Dawnwalker makes a strong case for replayability when it arrives. We’ll know more about the game soon, as Rebel Wolves plans to reveal gameplay footage this summer.