Wesley ✨

✝️ | 31 | married | Morrowind fanatic | RPG addict | PS5 | writer at & [email protected]

[Wesley ✨ @wesleytypes]

REVIEW: The Blood of Dawnwalker

When I first heard that former Witcher 3 developers had built a new studio to create a gothic vampire RPG, it almost sounded too good to be true. There are far too few great vampire games out there that actually focus on the vampires themselves or their lore, and Rebel Wolves seemed perfectly suited to fix that.

STORY

The Blood of Dawnwalker is the first in a planned franchise of games, making it basically an origin story. Our protagonist, Coen of Laslea, is young and not yet wearied by the world, but he is wearied by the trauma of his past and the present reality of living under vampire rule. His mother is sick, his siblings are losing their childhood, his father is desperate to do something about it all, and his girlfriends don’t love him (oops, that comes later).

Once the prologue is over, and Coen is properly turned into a dual-natured Dawnwalker, you have only one ultimate goal: save your family. From this point on, The Blood of Dawnwalker becomes an intensely character driven experience with each major questline focusing on a different potential ally, their past, and their own personal motivations that also reveal more about Coen in turn. You can do them all, or you can do none of them and march straight to Brencis’ castle.

GAMEPLAY

The first major gameplay element that has to be discussed is the 30 day in-game time limit. It is actually less like a timer and more like a form of currency, which I really appreciated. Every day has 16 total time segments, 8 during the day while Coen is human and 8 during the night while Coen is a vampire. Most every quest or activity in the game will cost a certain amount of segments, and spending those segments wisely is how you plan your journey to Brencis. I was initially worried about a restriction like this, but in my own experience I don’t feel like I actually missed out on anything I wanted to see.

Combat is honestly one of my favorite parts of the game. The light directional elements in concert with parrying, using abilities, and popping mapped consumables worked very well for me. In a world where RPGs are risking their identity by abandoning turn-based more and more for action, it’s encouraging to see Rebel Wolves introduce another layer to fights in a similar way to what Warhorse has done with Kingdom Come: Deliverance.

The duality of being a human by day and a vampire by night is really refreshing, not only from a narrative perspective, but also in gameplay. You have a skill tree exclusive to your vampire form, claws in combat, and a blood lust mechanic in conversations that will cause you to feed on and kill NPCs (even “essential” ones) if your health is too low at night. Swords eventually outpace claws and the blood lust becomes very easy to avoid, but just the fact that these things exist at all makes the world feel more real and engaging.

EXPLORATION

The valley of Vale Sangora is exactly what it needs to be, but there is plenty of room for Rebel Wolves to improve world design in the future sequels. I enjoyed combing through most of the map looking for secrets and making my way to the next objective, but there’s not a lot of variety or exciting locations to be discovered on your own. Svartrau city is easily the best location in the game.

Traversing the map is well-paced and not too reliant on fast travel. There are plenty of fast travel shrines at your disposal, but I appreciated the restraint shown by the developers when it comes to the actual size of the valley.

VERDICT

The Blood of Dawnwalker represents all of Rebel Wolves’ well-earned experience with dark fantasy and role-playing games. It has great writing and dialogue, characters with depth and diverse motives, choices that sit with you long past making them, and unique spins on gameplay mechanics that keep things fresh and add much needed texture. It’s everything you love about The Witcher 3, yet also entirely its own and in many ways improved.

9/10 - AMAZING

[Wesley ✨ @wesleytypes]

@lastchalice @HaloGaming08 I don't know what else to tell you other than that people who actually know that's going on felt different about it. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[Wesley ✨ @wesleytypes]

"Why do you want Mass Effect 5 when you didn't want the last 3 BioWare games?"

- personnel changes
- no development woes
- most stable IP in their portfolio
- confident direction of leaked trailer

This really had a chance to be different by everything that's known about it.

[Wesley ✨ @wesleytypes]

@HaloGaming08 @lastchalice Yep, that and James Ohlen himself said many of the people responsible for their beloved games were still there. There was passion, urgency, and finally some stability in the studio. No developemt woes is huge. They haven't had that in 10 years.

[Wesley ✨ @wesleytypes]

@lastchalice @HaloGaming08 - personnel changes
- no development woes
- most stable IP of the three
- confident leaked trailer

There's a lot that made this one different if you look into it.

[Wesley ✨ @wesleytypes]

@kalaelizabeth I'm in.

[Joe Smith @savemasseffect5]

#SaveMassEffect - A Message from the founder.

First, I want to say thank you.
When I started this petition and created #SaveMassEffect, I had no idea how quickly the community would come together. What began as one fan refusing to quietly accept the loss of something that meant so much to so many has grown into a movement supported by tens of thousands of people around the world.
And we’re only getting started.

Mass Effect has never been just another video game franchise. For many of us, it represents years of unforgettable stories, characters, friendships, and choices. It’s a universe that inspired us, brought us together, and reminded us that even against impossible odds, our actions matter.

That’s why this campaign exists.
Our goal is simple: Give Mass Effect a future.
We’re asking Electronic Arts to seriously consider two paths forward:
1. Commit to continuing Mass Effect’s development, with the resources, talent, and time necessary to deliver the experience this franchise deserves.
2. Explore licensing Mass Effect to a qualified development studio capable of carrying the franchise forward if EA no longer intends to develop it.

We’re not demanding rushed development, unrealistic promises, or an immediate announcement of a new game. We’re asking EA to recognize that this franchise still matters and that its community deserves to be heard.

I also want to make something very clear: This campaign is not against the developers, artists, writers, or employees of EA and BioWare. These are the people who helped create the universe we love. They deserve our respect and support.

Our campaign will remain respectful, organized, and focused on constructive solutions.

Where We Go From Here
As the founder of #SaveMassEffect, I’m working to turn the incredible support we’ve received into an organized effort.
Over the coming days, I’ll be focusing on expanding our outreach, connecting with gaming journalists and community creators, bringing volunteers into the campaign, and establishing a professional line of communication with EA.

With N7 Day approaching on November 7, we have an opportunity to show just how much this universe still means to people around the world.
Our next milestone is 100,000 signatures. But signatures alone aren’t the ultimate goal. Our goal is meaningful dialogue and a genuine opportunity to secure Mass Effect’s future.

How You Can Help
- Keep sharing the petition and using #SaveMassEffect.
- Encourage fellow fans to participate respectfully.
- Share what Mass Effect means to you and why you want to see its story continue.
- Help spread the campaign beyond our existing communities.

I’m currently organizing this effort independently, and I know I can’t do everything alone. As we grow, I’ll be looking for dedicated community members who want to help build something lasting.

Finally, I want everyone supporting this campaign to remember something:
We cannot guarantee that EA will change its plans. But we can make sure the community’s voice is impossible to overlook.
Every signature represents someone who believes this universe is worth preserving.
You have already shown me that I am far from alone in that belief.

Thank you for standing with me. Thank you for standing with the developers who gave us this incredible universe. And thank you for refusing to let Mass Effect’s future go unquestioned.
Our choices matter. Our voices matter.
#SaveMassEffect

— Joe Smith, #SaveMassEffect

[Wesley ✨ @wesleytypes]

This ship will always feel like home.

[Micky D @DeMickyD]

Do you think Fallout 5 is taking so long because Todd Howard can't find any more songs from the 50s that mention atom bombs

[Wesley ✨ @wesleytypes]

@renault_captain @masseffect @dragonage Fool, I didn't kill him. Haha

[Wesley ✨ @wesleytypes]

My top 10 BioWare companions:
(in no particular order)

- Urdnot Wrex
- Solas
- Thane Krios
- HK-47
- Garrus Vakarian
- Isabela
- Morrigan
- Tali'Zorah
- Varric Tethras
- Jolee Bindo

[Wesley ✨ @wesleytypes]

@jean_bapti18450 @masseffect @dragonage My favorite, but not a BioWare game.

[Wesley ✨ @wesleytypes]

@therealchucko @masseffect @dragonage At least he returns for Citadel in ME3!

[Wesley ✨ @wesleytypes]

@SWT_Channel I love Auron so much.

[Wesley ✨ @wesleytypes]

My top 10 BioWare companions:
(in no particular order)

- Urdnot Wrex
- Solas
- Thane Krios
- HK-47
- Garrus Vakarian
- Isabela
- Morrigan
- Tali'Zorah
- Varric Tethras
- Jolee Bindo

[Wesley ✨ @wesleytypes]

This ship will always feel like home.

[Wesley ✨ @wesleytypes]

@KristianMarie14 @masseffect @dragonage I think she's a little bland tbh. Still like her though!

[Wesley ✨ @wesleytypes]

Yes, EA stuck to their original agreement with BioWare for DA, DA2, TOR, and Mass Effect 3. DAI telegraphed some things to come but it was still very good.

People HAVE been sad for many years prior. That's one of the reasons sales were bad. The response your getting now is like when a loved one is put in coma and has finally stopped showing signs of life. The finality of it is what this is all about.

[Wesley ✨ @wesleytypes]

@lastchalice People aren't surprised that BioWare was closed, they're heartbroken.

[Wesley ✨ @wesleytypes]

True, but I still don't feel like this point is very resonant. It almost sounds like a defense of EA when it's their fault the games released like this.

- EA buys BioWare
- EA forces them to use their engine
- EA pressures them for multiplayer
- this leads to three critical flops in a row
- EA shuts down the studio.

You're basically saying "Gamers didn't want what EA made BioWare become". No shit, that's just far left of where the conversation is.

[Wesley ✨ @wesleytypes]

@lastchalice I think the disconnect is, EA damaged the good and then said "I guess nobody wants them." People didn't buy them because they didn't meet the bar of quality set beforehand.