Bandai Namco Entertainment, the publisher behind the Tekken, Ace Combat, and Tales franchises, recently unveiled its next big game, The Blood of Dawnwalker. Compared to the kind of projects it's typically known for, this title is completely outside the company's wheelhouse. The Blood of Dawnwalker is a AAA third-person Western RPG that takes place in a 14th century, dark fantasy setting, in which vampires and other monsters roam freely among humans. Interestingly, it's being developed by a new independent studio called Rebel Wolves, which was established by former CD Projekt Red developers who worked on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077.
The Blood of Dawnwalker was originally announced almost a year ago, but it wasn't until this week that Bandai Namco and Rebel Wolves finally gave players a glimpse of what the game would look like. The Blood of Dawnwalker's reveal trailer, which aired on January 13, was mostly story-focused and contained very little gameplay . In spite of this, it was positively received; just one look at the comment section for the video on Bandai Namco's YouTube channel shows that most fans had nothing but good things to say about it. As great as The Blood of Dawnwalker's bloody, unrelentingly dark trailer is, though, the game’s gameplay needs to live up to the high expectations set by it.
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The Blood of Dawnwalker Needs to Play as Good as It Looks
The Plot and Gameplay of The Blood of Dawnwalker Seem Quite Intriguing
The few snippets of combat at the end of The Blood of Dawnwalker's first trailer show that the game is played very much like a traditional third-person action RPG. There seem to be magical abilities and melee weapons that players can use during battle, and there are challenging boss enemies to face off against, as well. From the looks of it, the narrative of The Blood of Dawnwalker also appears to play a big part in the gameplay.
The Blood of Dawnwalker tells the story of a young man named Coen, who lives in a war-torn Eastern European kingdom that's been plagued by the Black Death. After the region is conquered by bloodthirsty vampires who impose a "blood tax" on its human inhabitants, he and his little sister, the sickened Lunka, must fight for survival and save their family in just 30 days. Surprisingly, however, it turns out Coen is a Dawnwalker, an individual that is part human and part vampire. Coen has the trails and deadly powers of a vampire, but he also has the ability to traverse in broad sunlight, like a human.
The Blood of Dawnwalker is the First Big Budget Vampire RPG in Quite Some Time
There are tons and tons of action RPGs out there, but for some reason, very few of them let gamers play as a vampire, and an even smaller amount of those have great gameplay. Some of the most well-known vampire-themed role-playing games, such as Vampyr and Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, have received positive reception, but they've routinely been criticized for their lackluster combat and/or overall gameplay. This is where The Blood of Dawnwalker has a major advantage. Rebel Wolves' upcoming project seems like one of the first vampire RPGs to have a truly big budget behind it, and that, in theory, could lead to more polished, refined combat.
Choice and Consequence Should Play a Big Role in The Game
Coen's status as a Dawnwalker should not only give him an arsenal of magical abilities to use in battle; it should also force him to come face-to-face with moral dilemmas, just like in The Witcher 3. Maybe, in some instances, Coen may have to side with unscrupulous forces to get closer to finding his family, and in others, he may have to drink the blood of innocents in order to live another day. A heavy emphasis on choice and consequence and gray morality can add a lot more depth to a game like this. If T he Blood of Dawnwalker can really match the quality of CD Projekt Red's games when it comes to combat and branching narrative, it may end up becoming one of the best RPGs in recent memory.
- Developer(s)
- Rebel Wolves
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Studios
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
WHERE TO PLAY
14-century Europe
Bloody conflicts sweep the lands, and the Black Death comes for the survivors. In the wake of the disasters claiming thousands of lives, the decimated human population struggles for survival. It's a moment of weakness - and that's all they needed.
Vampires seize their opportunity
They walk out of the shadows and claim what they've been denied for centuries: freedom, and power that comes with it. Other creatures of the night follow their lead. Legends turn into reality, and history as we know it will never be the same.
You play as Coen
A young man turned into a Dawnwalker, forever treading the line between the world of day and the realm of night.
Combine vampiric strength with human resolve
Use your skills and combine vampiric strength with human resolve. Face your foes - be they human, monster, or the ticking clock itself. But remember - the real evil may bask in the sun's light, and the most loyal of allies could lurk under the cover of night.
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5
