Witcher-Persona RPG Hybrid Unveiled

Summary

• Former CD Projekt Red developers at Rebel Wolves unveiled a cinematic trailer for their debut game, The Blood of Dawnwalker.
• The Blood of Dawnwalker is an open-world RPG set in a dark fantasy world, featuring morally gray choices and an outcast protagonist, reminiscent of The Witcher.
• The game incorporates Persona-like time management mechanics.

The Blood of Dawnwalker finally revealed its highly anticipated trailer, showcasing pre-rendered footage and brief gameplay glimpses. The trailer highlights the game's similarities to The Witcher, combined with unique Persona-like elements.

Developed by Rebel Wolves, a Polish studio founded by former CD Projekt Red developers who worked on The Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077, The Blood of Dawnwalker (initially announced as Dawnwalker in January 2024) is a narrative-driven open-world RPG. It promises meaningful choices and a dark fantasy setting.

A year later, on January 13th, Rebel Wolves and publisher Bandai Namco presented a reveal stream culminating in a captivating cinematic trailer exceeding four and a half minutes. The trailer establishes the game's setting and introduces the Dawnwalkers—vampires enhanced to superhuman levels—along with Coen, the protagonist who becomes a Dawnwalker at the game's outset.

The Blood of Dawnwalker Reveal Trailer: Echoes of The Witcher

The dark fantasy setting, monsters, open-world RPG structure, morally gray choices, and the tagline "the world needs what it fears" evoke strong Witcher vibes, even without the involvement of former CD Projekt Red developers. Fans of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's Blood and Wine expansion, with its vampires and challenging moral dilemmas, will find the premise compelling. The game's emphasis on player choice is central to its morality system, allowing Coen to embrace his Dawnwalker powers to save his family or cling to his humanity.

The Blood of Dawnwalker: A Persona-Inspired Twist

While superficially similar to The Witcher, The Blood of Dawnwalker introduces innovative gameplay mechanics. It incorporates Persona-like time management, where quests require dedicated time to complete. 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." Completing every quest in a single playthrough is impossible, encouraging replayability and unique experiences within the game's "narrative sandbox."

The Blood of Dawnwalker is currently in development for PC and current-generation PlayStation and Xbox consoles. Envisioned as the first in a trilogy, it will be published by Bandai Namco. While a release date remains unannounced, given its 2022 development start and AAA budget, a release before 2027 seems unlikely. Rebel Wolves promises a gameplay reveal in summer 2025.