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For some time now, we haven’t had a good vampire game to sink our teeth into (pun intended), which is both strange and disappointing. So, when Rebel Wolves revealed The Blood of Dawnwalker, I was intrigued, interest piqued. And I wasn’t the only one. The slick cinematic trailer gave a tantalising glimpse of a dark, brutal medieval world plagued by vampires. What’s not to like? But when I learned a little more about how narratively ambitious Rebel Wolves is being with their debut game, I became truly excited.
Fangs Very Much
Vampirism and the vampire underworld seem ready-made for video games. Vampires are a complicated, flawed race, often persecuted by humanity. They have the sort of super strength and supernatural abilities that make perfect gameplay features. And they feed on unfortunate victims (read: NPCs) to regain strength, which is a perfect healing mechanic. And yet true vampire games are mysteriously few and far between. 2018’s ambitious but flawed Vampyr is one of the more “recent” examples that springs to mind.
I have a feeling that Rebel Wolves saw this gap in the market as an opportunity. One that the studio’s debut game, The Blood of Dawnwalker, may well fill. The Blood of Dawnwalker, as well as being a bit of a mouthful, could be everything a vampire game should be. Dark, foreboding and bloody? Check. Dealing with themes of persecution? Check. Featuring a super-powered, half-vampire protagonist in a race-against-time to save his family? Check.
Information on The Blood of Dawnwalker is currently a little thin on the ground , but what we do know sounds extremely ambitious. Rebel Wolves openly admits this. On its website, the developer states: “The team’s priority is to create the best RPG games the world has seen. Ambitious? Watch us.” Ambitious indeed. But, rest assured, we’re watching.
Something to Chew On
In a recent interview with PC Gamer (thanks Gamesradar+), creative director Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz has revealed more about Rebel Wolves’ ambitions. The studio is taking a “narrative sandbox” approach, in which the player is given great freedom of choice. The idea is for the world to react to even minor player decisions with tangible consequences. At the same time, Tomaszkiewicz explains, the studio aims to deliver “the high-quality narratives that we are known for crafting in the past.“
The past that Tomaszkiewicz is referring to is the fact that many of the studio leads were former CD Projekt RED employees who worked on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077. These RPGs, particularly The Witcher 3, broken new ground in terms of immersive storytelling and engaging quest design in action-RPGs. It’s reasonable to surmise, therefore, that these guys know what they’re doing.
But realizing their ambitions won’t be easy. As a narrative designer myself, I know first-hand the challenges inherent in balancing player agency—the player’s freedom to make their own story and gameplay decisions—with proscribed story elements. The incredible sense of immersion that comes with a world successfully reacting to your actions can crumble in an instant if the player isn’t allowed to do something, or bugs pull the player out of the experience.
What’s more, Rebel Wolves is implementing an ambitious but contentious in-game timer system in The Blood of Dawnwalker. While exploring won’t progress time, progressing quests will. Personally, I love this idea. A ticking clock is a common storytelling device that generates tension. In passive media, such as movies, it’s extremely effective. In interactive media, however, creating such a system without frustrating players will be a huge challenge. Rebel Wolves will need to tread carefully to make the system immersive and exciting yet fair.
High Hopes
There’s no doubt that Rebel Wolves is being hugely ambitious with The Blood of Dawnwalker. The studio even plans to launch a saga, perhaps similar to The Witcher series of games. But, despite the fact this is the studio’s first game, I’m optimistic it can pull it off. For one, the pedigree is undeniable. Anyone who was heavily involved in The Witcher 3 must have a good idea how to make an immersive, choice-heavy RPG.
I also firmly believe that we need to support and applaud such ambition. In the current risk-averse climate, we’re seeing far too many cautious, generic, “safe” games. Developers actively taking bold creative risks within the AAA space are sadly rare.
So I, for one, can’t wait to hear more about The Blood of Dawnwalker. There’s no release date yet, but the game is likely quite a way off. The wait will be painful. I guess I’ll just have to suck it up.
