The Blood of Dawnwalker review: A must-play RPG for Witcher 3 fans

The Blood of Dawnwalker has some mighty shoes to fill, coming from developers behind The Witcher 3, but despite some repetition and less-than-perfect combat, this is a vampire adventure every RPG fan needs to sink their fangs into.

There’s a certain amount of pressure that comes from a game made by the ex-CD Projekt Red devs behind The Witcher 3, especially when it and The Blood of Dawnwalker are exactly the same genre and look extremely similar in their style. But worry not, as outside of that, they’re completely different. One is all about a human turned monster who’s primary job is to hunt other monsters while gaining new unnatural abilities and romancing attractive sorcerers. While the other is The Witcher 3.

Okay, maybe they’re pretty similar, but that’s a good thing. The Blood of Dawnwalker is a classic case of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ while still implementing enough unique mechanics and story features to feel like a world away from good old Geralt. Sure, it has a similar story, look, and genre, but that’s where the resemblance ends, for better and for worse.

Screenshots

What is The Blood of Dawnwalker?

The Blood of Dawnwalker introduces Coen, a human whose home of Vale Sangora is under the rule of the Vrakhiri (vampire) Brencis and his blood-sucking cronies. They initially entered the realm to both protect the country from the plague ravaging Europe… and to enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet by posing as the servants of god, with the promise to heal any ailments for a price of human blood, of course.

After a revolution goes dramatically wrong, Coen’s town is destroyed, and he’s made an example of by being turned into a Dawnwalker (half vampire, half human). During the chaos, Brencis kidnaps his entire family, promising a spectacle in 30 in-game days for the Vrakhir’s ‘coronation.’ So, it’s up to a newly turned Coen to rescue them, allying with various factions, or going it alone.

30 days and 30 nights

While The Blood of Dawnwalker’s 30 days and 30 nights time limit is a unique concept, it can feel like a double-edged sword at times. 

In the early phases of the game, you’re warned that your in-game actions have consequences, and that you can’t do everything before the time runs out. What this leads to is a sense of being constantly rushed, where you feel you can’t possibly explore or immerse yourself in the world without big bad Brencis breathing down your neck.

Rebel Wolves

That is, until you’ve unintentionally completed a speedrun of all the main quests, unlocked all the major NPCs, romanced everyone quicker than Geralt on a night out, only to realise you still have 15 days left. This scenario happened during my playthrough, and left me slogging through extremely repetitive Court sidequests that solely have you hacking at monsters or guards.

Now that’s not to say the 30-day time limit is a terrible idea – in fact, it’s the opposite. It heightens the stress the story puts you under, forcing both you and Coen to make some morally questionable decisions in order to succeed. It’s just something to be aware of before you accidentally rush through the game without stopping to enjoy the sights.

Fortunately, the pitfalls are also made up for by the stellar story and plot twists that keep you constantly invested throughout the campaign. With ‘the fate of the world rests on your shoulders’ stakes, everything feels much grander than a traditional adventure RPG. 

On top of this, Dawnwalker has you constantly questioning your morals and how much of your humanity you’re willing to throw away to save the harsh lands of Vale Sangora.

You’re left figuring out which morals you’re okay to let go of and how much humanity you’re willing to risk in order to save Vale Sangora. Do you implement a problematic king, sacrifice hundreds to save thousands, make dealings with monsters to get what you want, or curse entire regions just to protect the ones you love?

Rebel Wolves

It’s these constant dilemmas and the ticking in-game timer that make Dawnwalker stand out from other RPGs, and help it introduce a unique style of adventuring, where careful consideration is taken in every step and quest you complete.

Bloody fresh combat

Another addition to the game that strays from the traditional RPG style is the combat, where Coen can attack from different angles and parry enemy attacks depending on the direction they hit him. While it’s a little tricky to master at first, the introduction of some extremely fun melee, witchcraft, and vampirism abilities adds a thrilling layer to your fights. 

You may start with some slower and dangerous battles at the beginning, but you’ll end with epic yet slightly chaotic boss fights where you and your enemy are shadowstepping across the battlefield to drink from each other, throw birds (no really), and stun them into submission through a well-timed scream.

Rebel Wolves

Despite this, it’s not perfect, and nowhere near as smooth as The Witcher 3 (which is arguably pretty janky itself). Namely, it’s the inability to change your perspective during a battle, so you regularly clip into walls, which isn’t ideal when you’re fighting for your (un)life.

Ultimately though, once mastered, the omnidirectional combat is a brilliant addition to an overall fantastic RPG. It keeps fights exciting, even if they’re mostly placed in rinse-and-repeat side quests, and features more than enough variety thanks to Coen’s abilities that let each player find their own preferences and style.

Verdict

The Blood of Dawnwalker isn’t perfect by any means, but its attempts to merge The Witcher’s grungy world with an intense time limit make it stand out from Geralt’s masterpiece. While there are splatters of repetitive quests and some janky combat, its story is riveting, its characters are expertly written, and its omnidirectional combat combined with the 30-days are utterly unique, making for a thrilling adventure that is as bloody as it is good fun.

Dawnwalker is a fantastic first title from Rebel Wolves, and an absolute must-play for both Witcher 3 and RPG fans. And if that end-scene highlights anything, it’s that a sequel doesn’t seem off the cards. Though if we do get a sequel, it better be called Blood of THE Dawnwalker 2, as that’s the grammatically correct way to title this game.