The Blood of Dawnwalker

The Blood of Dawnwalker is an impressive, bloody cocktail of interesting ideas and well-written characters, making it one of this year’s best open-world RPGs.

The Blood of Dawnwalker is an incredibly ambitious, deeply interesting first game from Rebel Wolves. Not every good idea lands and not every envelope is pushed as far as it could be, but the potential of the game is vast, and there’s a huge amount to lean into and love.

CD Projekt Red alumni create a familiar dark fantasy adventure, but one with bold and provocative ideas of its own, that's mostly, enormously successful.

The Blood of Dawnwalker is a resolutely miserable horror RPG with some great ideas of its own, though it doesn't always have the courage to follow them through.

According to Rebel Wolves, The Blood of Dawnwalker is just the first instalment in a planned series. And honestly, that's what it feels like: a starting point.Fans of vampire fiction or choice-driven RPGs should still gel with Dawnwalker based on the strength of its world building, characters, and deliciously dark tones. But you'll need to stomach some of the most serviceable, yet frustratingly stunted gameplay I've encountered in quite some time.

Rebel Wolves' debut project is an instant classic, and one of the best RPGs of 2026

Some things are worth your time.

The Blood of Dawnwalker is an ambitious project that occasionally wears both the best and worst aspects of its inspirations on its sleeve. Where it shines is in allowing players to make their own choices and learn from their own mistakes. It’s incredible fun to play in a world where the clock is ever-ticking, and the results of our actions and words have real consequences not just for us but for those around us.

The Blood of Dawnwalker is a dark, brilliantly written vampire RPG with a superb prologue, a memorable cast and inventive powers. It's dragged down at times by repetitive combat, a rough performance, and an insipid lead. A flawed, fascinating debut with cult classic written all over it - one that needs some post-launch patches, but kept me hooked regardless. $69 at Walmart $69 at Walmart $69.99 at Amazon Check Best Buy

The Blood of the Dawnwalker is the rare game created by a studio of decorated ex-AAA veterans that actually gets very near to its original inspiration. With an intriguing setting, a one-of-a-kind narrative sandbox approach, fantastic writing, and solid combat, this may well be the first installment in an epic saga that will accompany gamers for decades to come.