The Blood of Dawnwalker gemaplay overview features an extensive look at in-game mechanics and systems. Read on to learn more about its gameplay and the developers' approach to making the swordplay feel realistic.
The Blood of Dawnwalker Gameplay Overview
Over 21 Minutes of Gameplay Footage
The Blood of Dawnwalker developer Rebel Wolves recently held a gameplay reveal event on June 21, which featured over 21 minutes of new footage for the game. The gameplay overview highlighted the different mechanics and systems players will experience in the upcoming Vampire Fantasy RPG.
According to the Rebel Wolves, the video presents "actual gameplay footage from a work-in-progress pre-beta version of the game." They noted that the game is still in development and some changes could be made. Moreover, the gameplay was recorded on PC.
Design Director Daniel Sadowski introduced players to the story-driven open-world dark fantasy RPG set in medieval Europe. He mentioned that the focus of the showcase is on the gameplay systems and will feature one of the mid-game quests, where the protagonist Coen investigates a powerful weapon set to be hidden in the crypts of the old cathedral.
Making Players Feel Like a True Swordmaster
Sadowski emphasized the team’s goal of making players feel like true swordmasters. As the playthrough journeys to the cathedral, players are met with some roadside bandits. Here, Sadowski explained the game’s basic combat mechanics and some of Coen’s abilities.
He stated, "Our goal was to make the player feel like a real swordmaster who closely observes his enemies." Attack direction is key during encounters, as it can determine the effectiveness of players’ and enemies’ strikes. For every successful attack, block, or parry, players build up their activation charges, which they can use to cast skills.
Coen can use these at the cost of his health, which can be accessed in real-time during combat as the game pauses briefly for the players to choose their ability to cast. Some skills shown include Burning Blood, which does damage over time to enemies, Acrid Dust, which stuns the target for a short duration, and the brutal Artery Attack, which decapitates the enemy, instantly killing them.
Focusing on Player Agency and Dual Gameplay Loop
Sadowski wanted to reiterate the game’s focus on narrative agency, allowing players to take on the open world and quests however they want. He explained, "Each quest is a complex structure with multiple paths leading to the end goal. We maximize players' freedom and agency, offering you a narrative sandbox to play in."
However, there are some things that Coen can’t do during the day in his human form. Specific hidden and harder-to-reach areas can only be accessed once players transform into a vampire during the night. This gives players more things to consider when approaching each quest, as there are things that they can only achieve as a human, such as entering buildings without suspicion, or as a vampire, where they can traverse rooftops and higher structures.
As a vampire, Coen has access to his vampiric abilities, expanding his mode of traversal and combat. His health becomes a hunger meter, which players must keep track of, as depleting it to zero will make Coen lose control. Players have the option of how much blood they consume from humans, ranging from drawing just enough blood to knock them unconscious, feasting on them entirely to the point of their death, or feeding on animals instead.
Time is More of a Resource Than a Racing Clock
One of the features Dawnwalker has is its 30-day structure, which players need to accomplish their main goal of defeating the antagonist Brencis and saving their family. Despite this, Sadowski said that time is more of a resource than a racing clock.
Players can immediately take on boss fights if they so choose, or take up more time to level up and improve their stats and gear. Furthermore, they can abandon their current quest and take a different route to find other ways to reach Brencis in the end.
The video capped off with a boss fight against one of Brencis’ minions, Xanthe the Dark Mistress. Based on the footage, bosses have varied attacks and playstyles, making each boss fight unique and interesting. Additionally, players can investigate deeper into bosses before fighting them to learn more about their motivations, and possibly even reason with them.
Sadowski highlighted their design principle of making main quests and side quests blend. "There are just different stories that you weave together into your own unique adventure," he said. The Blood of Dawnwalker is set to release sometime in 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. To stay up to date with the latest information about the game, check out our article below!
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The Blood of Dawnwalker — Gameplay Overview
