Exploring Nonlinear Quest Mechanics in The Blood of Dawnwalker Demo

Founded by former members of CD Projekt RED, the studio Rebel Wolves recently hosted a new gameplay presentation of their pre-beta version for the vampire action RPG The Blood of Dawnwalker. The latest 28-minute video highlighted the game’s non-linear narrative.

The developers describe their game as a «narrative sandbox,» emphasizing player freedom and increased variability. As previously mentioned, the protagonist, Cohen, transforms from human by day to vampire by night. This duality means that completing the same quest can be vastly different depending on the form he takes, impacting not only combat mechanics but also the unfolding events.

In this new presentation, one of the quests involving Cohen searching for a legendary sword was featured. The video is split into two parts: the first showcases the quest being tackled in human form, while the second highlights the vampire form. Additionally, the team at Rebel Wolves has stated that players can abandon any quest midway to engage in other activities whenever they choose.

To recap, the main objective for the protagonist is to save his family within 30 days. Interestingly, players can choose to storm the final boss’s castle on the very first day, completely ignoring everything else. While achieving victory in such a scenario would be extremely difficult, the mere fact that this option exists is exciting. Time only progresses while completing quests, and the game clearly indicates how many hours different decisions will require. Exploration of the world does not consume any time.

The Blood of Dawnwalker is being developed for PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series, without Russian localization. The release is scheduled for 2026.