The Blood of Dawnwalker’s Vampire Protagonist is Cut From a Different Cloth

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As a gamer, it’s striking how many games feature vampires, yet there are scarcely any focusing solely on the experience of becoming one. This peculiar situation posed both challenges and opportunities for Rebel Wolves when crafting The Blood of Dawnwalker – an upcoming action RPG where we dive deep into the life of a freshly cursed vampire named Coen. While Coen shares some characteristics with other vampires in literary lore, he also stands out from the pack, offering something new and refreshing for players who’ve been there and done that in previous games featuring playable bloodsuckers.

In the style of the character from Dontnod’s Vampyr, The Blood of Dawnwalker’s protagonist Coen grapples with his dual nature as both a human and a vampire, constantly struggling between maintaining his moral compass and succumbing to his bloodthirsty instincts. However, what sets this game apart is its unique day-night cycle, which means that only at night does Coen transform into his vampire form. This intriguing mechanic, designed by Rebel Wolves, allows players to make choices about how they approach quests during the day and night, leading to different outcomes for specific missions. It’s this element of choice and diverging paths between day and night versions of certain quests that distinguishes Coen from traditional vampire protagonists.

The Blood of Dawnwalker’s Coen Has Human and Vampire Halves At Odds With One Another

In contrast to typical vampires who rest during the day and hunt at night, the character Coen from “The Blood of Dawnwalker” possesses a unique trait: he can retain his human persona during the daytime. As night falls over the game’s depiction of the Carpathian countryside, it’s only then that Coen’s vampire side emerges. The daily cycle between day and night significantly influences how players navigate the game’s crucial storyline.

In his remarks, lead quest designer Rafał Jankowski described the game “Blood of Dawnwalker” as being “extremely flexible,” with an additional aspect that numerous quests in it offer two options: a day path and a night path. The decision to fulfill quests as either a human or a vampire significantly affects Coen’s humanity and how other characters view him.

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Besides the day and night cycle affecting how certain quests unfold, players must also manage Coen’s escalating hunger as a vampire. The protagonist’s increasing bloodlust is represented by an in-game mechanism called Blood Hunger, which Jankowski goes into more detail about:

In this paraphrase, I aimed to maintain the original meaning while making it easier for readers to understand. The term “contend” was replaced with “manage,” and the phrase “takes shape in an in-game mechanic” was rephrased as “is represented by an in-game mechanism.” I also made sure to clarify that Coen is the vampire in question and Blood Hunger is a mechanic related to his bloodlust.

In simple terms, Coen’s abilities require a price. He must consume other entities, and neglecting this need could potentially lead to unexpected outcomes for the player.

The clash between human ethical standards and a recent vampire affliction is a prominent theme in numerous classic works of vampire literature (such as _The Lost Boys_ and _Near Dark_, to name a few), yet it allowed Rebel Wolves to infuse fresh perspectives into an already established mythos.

Coen’s Place as a ‘Baby Vampire’ Circumvented a Gameplay Challenge

Vampires have been widely explored in old stories and contemporary media. However, when it comes to designing video games featuring vampire characters, a significant challenge lies in ensuring they’re enjoyable to play.

In a simpler term: If a game’s character is too strong, there’s no sense of achievement or progress. If it’s too weak, players feel they’re lacking in power. Developer Rebel Wolves addressed this issue by creating Coen as a ‘newborn vampire’, described as “a relatively inexperienced Dawnwalker”, meaning he’s not overpowered and doesn’t dominate the valley. According to writer Piotr Kucharski.

Essentially, Rebel Wolves intends for Coen to stand out among few by offering a unique take on the vampire protagonist role in games, one that avoids the challenges commonly faced by similar characters. In discussing Coen’s role as a newly turned vampire and its impact on gameplay, Kucharski explains:

Both the human Coen and the vampire Coen have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. It’s been a tough task to design him, but I believe we’re making significant progress in doing so.”

This version maintains the original meaning while using simpler language that is easier for most readers to understand.

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2025-08-23 13:08