"New RPG Blends Witcher and Persona Styles"

Summary

• Rebel Wolves, founded by former CD Projekt Red developers, unveiled their debut game, The Blood of Dawnwalker, with a cinematic reveal trailer.
• The Blood of Dawnwalker echoes The Witcher with its open-world RPG format, dark fantasy setting, morally gray choices, and an outcast protagonist.
• The game introduces a unique twist with Persona-like time management mechanics.

The Blood of Dawnwalker has finally stepped into the spotlight with its much-anticipated reveal trailer, blending pre-rendered scenes with tantalizing snippets of gameplay. This promotional video not only showcases the game's aesthetic but also highlights its striking similarities to The Witcher, while introducing innovative elements inspired by Persona.

Developed by Rebel Wolves, a Polish studio formed by ex-CD Projekt Red developers who contributed to The Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077, The Blood of Dawnwalker was first announced as Dawnwalker in January 2024. It was described as a narrative-driven open-world RPG set in a dark fantasy world, emphasizing meaningful player choices.

On January 13, exactly a year after its initial announcement, Rebel Wolves and publisher Bandai Namco hosted a reveal stream, culminating in a cinematic trailer over four and a half minutes long. This trailer not only sets the stage for the game's dark fantasy world but also introduces the Dawnwalkers—supercharged vampires within the game's lore—and the protagonist, Coen, who becomes a Dawnwalker at the game's outset.

The Blood of Dawnwalker Echoes The Witcher

With its dark fantasy backdrop, monstrous creatures, and an open-world RPG framework featuring morally gray decisions, The Blood of Dawnwalker naturally evokes The Witcher. The game's tagline, "the world needs what it fears," further cements this connection. Fans of The Witcher 3's Blood and Wine expansion, with its vampires and tough choices, will find The Blood of Dawnwalker's premise particularly appealing. The game's morality system allows Coen to choose between embracing his Dawnwalker nature to save his family or holding onto his humanity, adding depth to the player's journey.

A Nod to Persona's Time Management

While The Blood of Dawnwalker shares surface-level similarities with The Witcher, it also introduces a novel twist by incorporating Persona-like time management mechanics. Every quest in the game consumes time, and as Rebel Wolves co-founder and game director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz explains, "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." This design choice means players won't be able to complete every quest and story arc in a single playthrough, promoting replayability and ensuring each playthrough feels unique. Rebel Wolves dubs this approach a "narrative sandbox."

The Blood of Dawnwalker is currently in development for PC and next-gen PlayStation and Xbox consoles. Envisioned as the first installment in a trilogy and published by Bandai Namco, the game does not yet have a confirmed release date, with an earliest possible launch in 2027 given its 2022 start and triple-A budget. Rebel Wolves plans to unveil more gameplay in summer 2025.