Bandai Namco’s slate of games in 2026 has boasted a lot of returning favorites, with the likes of Ace Combat, Captain Tsubasa, Tales of Eternia, and Sword Art Online getting returns this year. Their biggest new IP is The Blood of the Dawnwalker, a sprawling vampire epic and the debut of developer Rebel Wolves. Even though it’s a new franchise and a new company, expectations are high due to the developer’s historic connection to The Witcher franchise, which clearly played a big influence on the new game.
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Fans needn’t worry, though. The Blood of the Dawnwalker takes the strengths of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and makes it its own with unique mechanics and tight gameplay. The storytelling is rich, the worldbuilding natural, and the pacing top-notch. This is one of the best epics I’ve played in a while and may be a real dark horse contender for 2026’s most impressive games.
Review Score: 5/5
| Pros: | Cons: |
| Terrific storytelling and writing present an engrossing horror/fantasy epic. | A deliberate pace could be frustrating for gamers looking for non-stop action. |
| Clever gameplay mechanics ensure the open-world game never feels meandering. | Random encounters can become repetitive. |
| Tight gameplay and impressive visuals deliver a terrific experience. |
The Choice Is Yours
The Blood of the Dawnwalker may be the happiest I’ve been with a game this year, a massive adventure that, through clever gameplay mechanics and terrific storytelling, really drives the player into a whole new world. It shouldn’t be a surprise, given the pedigree of the team behind the game. The Witcher 3 director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz and the rest of the team at Rebel Wolves bring a great deal of craft and care to the game, which is felt in everything from the broad gameplay approaches to the detailed storytelling. Players step into the role of Coen, a young man trying to help his family in 14th-century Europe amid the rule of a group of vampires.
When he’s turned and left for dead, a clever little detail allows him to retain his humanity — literally. During the day, Coen is a human with magical capabilities and martial skills. At night, he transforms into a vampire that must feed on the living to use the full scope of his powers. These switches come into play most prominently as part of Blood of the Dawnwalker‘s big mechanical twist, which turns the passage of time into a very valuable resource. Story beats and side-missions use up some of the specific allotment of time players have before their family is slaughtered as part of a vampiric ritual, forcing players to genuinely juggle their intentions with missions.
Do you have the time to rally more reinforcements, or do you lose access to that side quest because you’re helping someone out or targeting one of the lieutenants serving under the vicious Brencis? It’s a clever way to lean into the “Choose Your Own Adventure” qualities of the story structure, forcing players to proactively select their paths and deal with the consequences. It’s an instantly engrossing mechanic that keeps up the momentum and prevents the player from getting distracted. That agency is even present in cutscenes, where the vampiric state that players find themselves in can accidentally lead to permanent character deaths for NPCs if the wrong choice is selected at the right time. As a sprawling adventure game, it’s hard to overstate how impressive Blood of the Dawnwalker is.
The Way Of The Fang
The more conventional elements of Blood of the Dawnwalker are in the combat, which follows the standard “counter, parry, dodge, strike” mechanics of most action games in a post-Dark Souls genre. However, there’s something to be said for the level of refinement and feel of the different styles of combat that has to be commended. The game’s focus on specific directional counters introduces a fluidity to the movement that can be hard to master and is incredibly rewarding to do so. While my first few missions were full of sudden defeats, it wasn’t long before my Coen was fending off several soldiers at once.
Duels against specific bosses and barons only elevate that element, allowing the player to really feel the power of Coen whether in the day as a magic-wielding warrior or at night as a vicious monster. These tweaks further lean into the choice system and time mechanic, forcing players to consider how they want to approach certain questlines in conjunction with their own ambitions and abilities. The expansive skill tree also offers a lot of different spells and abilities that further give players the chance to make Coen their own and really feel the adventure for all that it’s worth. That deliberate pace may not appeal to gamers who need a thrill or a scare every second, but it does a terrific job at ratcheting up the tension throughout.
I Already Want To Play Through Dawnwalker Again
Taking cues from both The Witcher 3 and Breath of the Wild, Blood of the Dawnwalker is one of the best “epic” games I’ve played in a while. A lot of this comes down to the strength of the writing and worldbuilding, which creates a truly vast landscape for players to explore and make their own. At its best, Dawnwalker is genuinely heartbreaking and awe-inspiring, especially as players make their way further into the depths of the world and confront more fearsome threats. There’s a freedom to the gameplay but a strong enough narrative throughline that every action feels like it’s contributing to the story instead of distracting from it.
Simply exploring the world counts as a free action for those who just want to see what’s around and discover what they can find, while finding secrets and transforming your Coen as a result is an engaging blast. The scenario writing and character work deliver on all the expectations from The Witcher 3, with plenty of morally tricky propositions for the player to uncover and crack. It’s the sort of game that you want to revisit as soon as you set it down. Strong graphics, great storytelling, and solid gameplay all come together to deliver one of the best games of the year. If you like games like The Witcher 3 or Elden Ring, Blood of the Dawnwalker is a must-play experience. Even if you don’t like those games, the strength of the execution in Rebel Wolves’ first game is worth checking out and admiring.
The Blood of the Dawnwalker comes to PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on September 3, 2026
