The Blood of Dawnwalker puts a fresh twist on vampiric RPGs with its ticking clock of peril

Image source: Gamesplanet

The clock’s ticking. In a matter of hours, night will fall, and I’ll transform into a vampire. This will open some doors but close others, meaning I need to spend what’s left of the day’s sunlight wisely. For every day and night cycle that goes by, my family’s demise draws closer, adding even more weight to every decision I make. Will I spend time rescuing a civilian in the forest? Take a detour to disrupt an enemy vampire’s blood supply? Expend precious hours exploring the world to accrue more power? By the time I do one activity, another may be locked off for good. Because time is at a premium in The Blood of Dawnwalker, I’m constantly forced to consider what the cost will be of my actions — or inaction. Where I allocate time may make all the difference.

As an action-RPG, The Blood of Dawnwalker features a ton of mechanics genre fans will be familiar with, including customization-steeped third-person melee combat, consequence-loaded branching dialogue, deep lore, and more. But what sets this gritty 14^th-century vampire adventure apart from its genre peers is its heavy emphasis on time management. Major activities move the in-game timer forwards. And since I only have 30 days to save my in-game family, the sense of consequence for each hour spent is immense.

Image source: Gamesplanet

I found this out as early as the prologue. It acclimated me to the idea that if I chased a punk bad-mouthing my mom and beat him with a stick, I’d be wasting time better spent helping a neighbor with a lucrative errand. When the prologue ended and all my unfinished quests disappeared to make way for narrative proceedings, I realized the error of my choices — the hard way. Still, though there was a sting to wondering what I missed out on, I realized this made my adventure special. After all, not every player would experience the narrative the same way as me. And, furthermore, I now had ample incentive for a second playthrough after my first go-round wrapped up.

That’s the high-level mechanical spice of The Blood of Dawnwalker, but as a vampire-themed RPG, it naturally has lots of moment-to-moment gameplay thrills as well. Between chomping on necks as a vampire by night and sword-sparring as a peasant by day, The Blood of Dawnwalker gives me two distinct playstyles to keep proceedings feeling fresh. And, like everything else in the game, even its two gameplay styles are tied to the day and night cycles. So whenever I spend too much time dillydallying during the day, I then have to juggle critical objectives with my insatiable vampiric bloodlust at night. Sometimes I’ll even stumble upon activities with narrative-altering wrinkles attached to what time of day it is, giving me yet another reason to care about the time system.

Image source: Gamesplanet

The Blood of Dawnwalker’s killer gameplay mechanics are only part of its arsenal. As an RPG, the game knows its writing must be quality for the story to suck me in — you know, really give me something to sink my teeth into. And it delivers its vampire-laden narrative with gusto. I found even the most minor side characters to have their own identity and voice, making each and every interaction a treat. The way key story characters and random NPCs alike all have realistic reactions to the world around them is a testament to developer Rebel Wolves’ ability to properly set the scene and immerse the player. Lesser RPGs often feature disposable characters who are so indifferent to their own plights that it shatters my immersion. But here? Well, I’ll remember most folks in this game’s world, from my firm but fair father to that one poor freelance thug who died defending some leeches I needed to destroy. Truly, the attention paid to making this world feel real and lived in is a treat.

That authenticity is why the game’s timer-minded design adds to the experience so much: it makes every hour spent feel like a precious resource I’m expending, leaving me tormented with the knowledge that my adventure won’t last forever. Well, unless I start up another playthrough.

You can pick up The Blood of Dawnwalker right now on Gamesplanet and rog.gg/Dawnwalker.