Blood Of The Dawnwalker’s Sequel Might Remove the Game’s Most Contested Feature, But It Shouldn’t
Developer Rebel Wolves’ The Blood of the Dawnwalker has become a rapid success, with the action-adventure RPG quickly living up to the legacy of The Witcher 3 in many ways through its world building. The open environments of this game are vast, and tied to a story of a character struggling to save others close to him as he struggles to deal with slowly becoming a vampire. However, one controversial mechanic in this experience might not come with the other cool elements of the game in its sequel, despite how inventive it is compared to most titles in its genre.
An interview with Eurogamer involving The Blood of the Dawnwalker‘s director, Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, shed some more light into what aspects of the game might stick around for a potential series future. Among the talking points in the interview, it was mentioned how the game sold nearly a million copies in just the first few days of its release, reflecting players’ desire to see the title innovate and evolve. Although there’s obviously no time frame for when Blood of the Dawnwalker gets a sequel, comments from the interview might give players a good idea of what it will and won’t have.
Blood Of The Dawnwalker’s Creators Aren’t Sure If Any Sequel Will Keep The Game’s Time Limitations
The key mechanic to Blood of the Dawnwalker is the unique way in which the game handles time, with players only having a select number of days to complete a central goal. Players have 30 in-game days to rescue the main character Coen’s family from the vampire lord Brencis, using vampiric powers to grow strong enough to face Brencis before that time is up. Time only passes when players pursue certain tasks, such as completing quests or leveling up skills through different actions.
While controversial, this mechanic has given Blood of the Dawnwalker an identity separate from the games that have inspired it. Yet, Tomaszkiewicz stated in his interview that Rebel Wolves isn’t sure if the time management mechanic will return in future series games, despite how inventive it is. According to the director, “If we will have parts of the story, or the whole story, to which it fits, then we will use it. If ewe will have stories where it does not fit, we will not force it.” This implies that the feature was one that suited Blood of the Dawnwalker specifically, but wasn’t a system intended to be a constant in Rebel Wolves’ works.
Tomaszkiewicz went on to say that “I’m not saying that in every game we will have the same scheme or loop,” highlighting that the sensitive time features may be exclusive to Blood of the Dawnwalker. This may be for a number of reasons, including some fan backlash to the mechanic ever since the game’s launch. The gimmick enforces players to be incredibly selective with what quests and characters they choose to get invested in, as engaging with anything ticks the clock down on their mission. Some players might not like this restriction, but for others like me, it’s worth having.
Picking & Choosing Which Characters Or Quests Are Important To You Is Part Of This Title’s Appeal
The limited time systems in Blood of the Dawnwalker prevent players from completing every quest and helping each character they meet, to the frustration of some. However, this makes the game arguably more personalized, as players have to choose which stories they want to pursue over others. Passage of time doesn’t occur until players make those kind of choices, allowing you to fully explore the open world without stress before picking what content you want to follow.
The subsequent adventure that does happen is the result of what ends up being the most appealing or compelling far more naturally than most RPGs. That being said, picking one adventure and passing on another can cause the characters involved in it to die permanently, but this also adds to Blood of the Dawnwalker‘s replayability. As it stands, players can still complete around 80% of the content in the game, yet the journey that takes place is entirely of their own making. That alone can be far more interesting than an RPG with dozens of equally linear paths.
Consequences For Choosing Your Own Path Is Surprisingly Rare In Many Action-Adventure Experiences
A big problem with open world RPGs is that the content within it can feel overwhelming, but then not have too big of an impact once completed. There are many instances where characters change and rewards are gained, but there aren’t real consequences for the decisions you make. Games like Baldur’s Gate 3 and The Witcher 3 solve this to some extent, but Blood of the Dawnwalker is way more direct in its solution. Players don’t have to speculate about what their restrictions are, as the game clearly states how one choice will pass time.
Having time restrictions prevents the game from feeling bloated, as players can’t possibly explore it all in one sitting. The sense of urgency this system creates adds greater immersion too, letting players feel the same pressure Coen feels trying to save his family. For those reasons, any sequel to The Blood of the Dawnwalker would benefit from the time management feature remaining, even if it must be tweaked to fit a new, equally interesting story.