The Blood of Dawnwalker is developer Rebel Wolves’ debut game, and the team of former CD Projekt Red devs have found a great solution to The Witcher 3‘s side quest problem. CD Projekt Red really did something special with The Witcher 3, and the game’s side quests are still seen as some of the best-ever in the RPG genre. However, they can sometimes actually be too good and distract players from the main objective, and The Blood of Dawnwalker has a clever way to combat this.
Even over a decade later, The Witcher 3 side quests are praised for their depth and compelling storylines. Every corner of the game can lead Geralt down a road that evolves into a fascinating and surprisingly well-written smaller story that is nestled within the larger narrative. Many action RPGs have struggled to compete with The Witcher 3 since its launch, but The Blood of Dawnwalker doesn’t have to. Instead, side quests are turned into a limited resource that helps push players along the main story’s path.
The Witcher 3’s Wonderful Roster of Side Quests Can Cause Fans to Stray, But The Blood of Dawnwalker Keeps Players in Line
Those who were hoping that The Blood of Dawnwalker was more like The Witcher 3 in a vampire skin might be disappointed to hear that the former doesn’t have the same approach to side quests, but it’s one of the main features that is going to truly set it apart. Instead of allowing players to check out any side quest they want, The Blood of Dawnwalker‘s story runs on a 30-day timer. Protagonist Coen will have 30 in-game days to rescue his family, and each quest he picks up along the way takes time off the ticking clock. It sounds restrictive at first, but it’s actually a genius move on Rebel Wolves’ part.
The Blood of Dawnwalker’s 30-Day Timer Brings Serious Stakes to Coen’s Choices
Some of the best side quests in The Witcher 3 had surprising outcomes, but The Blood of Dawnwalker turning side missions into a resource makes a player’s choices matter even more. It flips choice-based gameplay on its head, and it forces players to fully accept their actions and how they impact the overall story.
Many action RPGs have struggled to compete with The Witcher 3 since its launch, but The Blood of Dawnwalker doesn’t have to.
Taking on certain side quests affect Coen’s journey in a major way, while other optional missions are more minor. One great example in particular comes from GameRant’s official The Blood of Dawnalker review. During the story, there is a mission where Coen has to find herbs to make medicine for his sick mother, but remembering the ingredients in the wrong order will result in a tainted salve, which will actually kill his mother instead of helping her.
The Blood of Dawnwalker‘s gameplay is taking a big risk with this feature, but it has the potential to be one of the key aspects that makes it a game worth paying attention to. Some gamers might be worried about the anxiety that an in-game timer can create, but the good news is that it ultimately makes way for multiple playthroughs.
The Blood of Dawnwalker’s 30-Day Timer Gives a New Meaning to Replayability
Because Coen has to be strategic with every side quest he embarks on, it means the outcome of his story is going to be different every single time. Each playthrough makes for fresh pathways to take, and that’s a really fun way to inspire players to play the game multiple times and experiment with various outcomes. When it comes to The Witcher 3‘s story, players can spend a wild number of hours simply exploring before getting to the actual meat of the larger narrative.
The Blood of Dawnwalker’s Approach to Side Quests Won’t Appeal to Every Witcher 3 Fan, But That’s a Good Thing
There are some Witcher 3 fans who probably aren’t going to mesh with The Blood of Dawnwalker‘s time limit the same way they did with the former’s side quests, and that’s perfectly fine. Exploring The Witcher 3‘s world and getting lost in the various stories Geralt finds himself part of is an essential part of the experience. The Blood of Dawnwalker needs to stand on its own, though. Both may be story-driven open-world games, but The Blood of Dawnwalker simply emphasizes the story over the exploration.
Even though The Blood of Dawnwalker comes from devs who worked on The Witcher 3, it’s important for the game to have its own unique identity. Another game that just feels like a Witcher 3 clone doesn’t push the envelope in any meaningful way. Developers need to take risks and experiment with innovative gameplay, and that’s exactly what Rebel Wolves is doing. If The Blood of Dawnwalker‘s time limit is handled well, then it could help put Rebel Wolves on the map as one of the main up-and-coming studios to keep an eye on.
The Blood of Dawnwalker also works on an interesting day and night system. Since Coen is a human/vampire hybrid, his gameplay reflects these different sides depending on whether you’re playing during the day or night cycle. In the daytime, Coen doesn’t have his vampiric strength, so this time is best suited for fighting with swords and interacting with NPCs. However, the night unlocks Coen’s vampire-like abilities, which makes combat far more intense and dynamic.
The wait for The Blood of Dawnwalker will still take a little bit longer, but the good news is that it’s one of the many great-looking games set to close out the summer and ring in the fall. There is a wild number of games coming out in September, and The Blood of Dawnwalker can hopefully compete with some of the major titles that are also set to launch in the same month. Rebel Wolves’ first game has to go up against games like Marvel’s Wolverine, Control Resonant, and Silent Hill: Townfall. It’s a stacked lineup, but The Blood of Dawnwalker‘s unique take on vampire lore and compelling gameplay features gives it a real fighting chance. September could prove to be a fun underdog story, but only time will tell.
- Released
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September 3, 2026
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content
- Developer(s)
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Rebel Wolves
