The Blood Of Dawnwalker Review

Developed by Rebel Wolves under the direction of Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, The Blood of Dawnwalker carries a familiar pedigree. The studio, staffed by numerous CD Projekt Red alumni, has crafted a dark fantasy adventure that heavily evokes the earthy, brutal, and folklore-infused atmosphere of The Witcher 3. From its crude NPC dialogue to its Polish folk soundtrack and user interface, the game frequently feels like a spiritual successor to the acclaimed RPG, establishing a strong foundation while attempting to carve out its own distinct identity.

The game's most prominent innovation is its protagonist, Coen, a young man in the 1347 Carpathian Mountains who is partially transformed into a vampire. Because his transformation is incomplete, Coen automatically shifts between human and vampire forms based on the day-night cycle. This duality effectively provides two distinct playstyles, offering a welcome layer of variety that helps sustain the lengthy open-world campaign. Exploration and combat shift dramatically depending on the position of the sun.

During the day, Coen navigates the world on foot, utilizing powerful witchcraft spells, time-slowing abilities, and ritual magic. At night, his vampiric traits manifest, granting him enhanced mobility. In the densely packed city of Svartrau, night-time Coen can scale vertical walls, slide down surfaces with his claws, and teleport across rooftops to hunt from above. This verticality opens up unique gameplay opportunities, as certain quests and areas are only accessible during specific times of day due to these shifting traversal mechanics.

Time progression in Dawnwalker is uniquely tied to player actions rather than a passive clock. Time only advances when the player completes quests or unlocks advanced skills, with each activity carrying a specific time cost. This mechanic is tied to the narrative, which tasks Coen with saving his family within a strict limit of 30 in-game days. While the time limit initially feels generous, it eventually creates a compelling sense of urgency as the remaining days dwindle, making the passage of time feel far more impactful than in traditional open-world RPGs.

The game eschews a traditional linear main questline, allowing players to tackle the final challenge at any point after the prologue. However, this freedom can lead to narrative friction. In testing, the reviewer managed to defeat the final bosses prematurely using powerful vampire abilities, bypassing a significant portion of the game's character arcs and story content. While this open-ended structure offers impressive player agency and high replayability, it can result in an abrupt epilogue that highlights missed content.

Combat in Dawnwalker relies on a directional-blocking system, rewarding players who match the direction of incoming attacks with stamina refreshes and special skill triggers. While the system is engaging, standard enemies can eventually feel like damage sponges on default settings. The reviewer suggests switching to the highest difficulty, Duelist, which removes directional indicators and makes enemies faster and more aggressive while lowering their health pools, resulting in a more immersive and less tedious combat experience.