The Blood of Dawnwalker Reviews

The Blood of Dawnwalker is ranked in the 93rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Sep 1, 2026

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

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10 / 10.0
Sep 1, 2026

Supported by sharp combat, deep day-night synergy, a fantastic score, and a lived-in world, the game delivers on its ambitious promises. Minor hiccups like stiff facial animations or initial calendar anxiety do nothing to diminish what Rebel Wolves has achieved here. The Blood of Dawnwalker isn't just an outstanding RPG; it is a landmark statement in game design that proves restraint, atmosphere, and meaningful player agency beat mindless scale every single time. An absolute, brilliantly executed dark fantasy masterpiece.

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9 / 10.0
Sep 1, 2026

The Blood of Dawnwalker from developer Rebel Wolves is a great starting point for what could become a bigger series. It delivers a strong story, entertaining gameplay elements, and plenty of quests to keep the journey going.

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9 / 10.0
Sep 1, 2026

The Blood of Dawnwalker is an incredible RPG that sinks its fangs into you from the moment you start playing, signalling an incredibly strong start for Rebel Wolves. Choices feel meaningful, combat is satisfying, and the time system makes you stop and think about just what you're doing when you play games. While some quests drag and there were some technical hiccups along the way, nothing made me want to stop playing this adventure that trades breadth for depth. As such, The Blood of Dawnwalker is easily one of my favourite RPGs in years and well worth a taste.

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5 / 5.0
Sep 1, 2026

Join me and stay up until near-dawn playing The Blood of Dawn Walker. It was a brilliant time that tapped into my nostalgic Skyrim and Witcher 3 itch, whilst also offering novel advances on combat mechanics, character progression and the gravity of quest choices. Strongly recommend.

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10 / 10
Sep 1, 2026

Most Western RPGs have been overshadowed this year by an incredible run of JRPGs, both those already released and several more looming on the horizon in the coming months. Against that backdrop, The Blood of Dawnwalker might genuinely be one of the best games 2026 has to offer. It has it all and then some, constantly surprising with consummate professionalism and polish.

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Sep 1, 2026

The narrative might be subservient to the mechanics, and not as thematically evocative as I might like, but excellent writing does combine with quality, well-executed mechanics to give us the equivalent of a pulp fantasy page-turner, and like the stories of dark pulp fantasy writer, Robert E. Howard, it’s really (really) difficult to put down.

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9.5 / 10.0
Sep 2, 2026

The Blood of Dawnwalker's story kept me captivated, but it was the world and its characters that made me reluctant to put the controller down.

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CBR
Top Critic
9 / 10
Sep 2, 2026

This world doesn’t want you to live in it, but instead, the compelling nature of it makes for another playthrough after beating the main story. It’s an outstanding victory for Rebel Wolves as it's an incredible first outing for them. The Blood of Dawnwalker is a day 1 purchase for any gamer out there.

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90 / 100
Sep 1, 2026

The Blood of Dawnwalker is a gorgeous, ambitious RPG that gives you an incredible world to explore, meaningful choices to make and a fantastic vampire fantasy that feels genuinely different from anything else out there. While the lack of New Game Plus, no post-game free roam and the possibility of rushing through the story hold it back slightly, this is still an exceptional RPG and one of the biggest surprises of the year.

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8 / 10.0
Sep 1, 2026

One thing is clear: The Blood of Dawnwalker definitely doesn’t suck. In fact, after over 50 hours with The Blood of Dawnwalker, I’d go as far as saying it’s one of the best RPGs I’ve played this year. It just has some teething problems…

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8 / 10
Sep 1, 2026

The Blood of Dawnwalker is an easy recommendation whether you come from The Witcher 3 or any other RPG from the modern era. It delivers on many of its promises, offering excellent combat, a dense open world with a lot to seek, and an interesting story that presents a likeable protagonist. However, it’s underdeveloped villains, 30-day mechanic, and glaring technical issues prevent it from hitting the mark.

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8 / 10.0
Sep 1, 2026

Devs, Rebel Wolves take the typical RPG formula and infuse their own unique take on a vampire game into a dark fantasy that stands on its own. I can see The Blood of Dawnwalker enduring the test of time, and I’m keen to see where Rebel Wolves take players next.

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Sep 1, 2026

We loved the fact that you can just give in to the feed and kill main characters along the way, and that there were many different ways to end the story. It was great to hear that this is just chapter one of Coen’s story, as we can see Rebel Wolves growing and becoming a real powerhouse in this genre.

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Sep 1, 2026

The Blood of Dawnwalker is a game that has been hovering near the top of my 2026 anticipation list. While it has some issues in its package, there are components in story and the vampire abilities that provide exciting moments across 40-60 hours of play. Your enjoyment will depend on your connection to a solid story, combat feel and the use of time segments to progress across 30 days. The sounds can be visceral and stumbling across random occurrences always enhances the lived-in vibe of an open world. There is something here that may just need a few updates to realise its best form, yet I can’t help but be excited for where Rebel Wolves decides to place their time next.

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6 / 10
Sep 1, 2026

From key parts of the team that brought us The Witcher 3, The Blood of Dawnwalker turned out to be a disappointing letdown. Repetitive combat, forgettable quests and frequent crashes leave its promising vampire adventure feeling like a major missed opportunity.

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4 / 5
Aug 31, 2026

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.

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Travis Northup
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Aug 31, 2026

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.

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83 / 100
Aug 31, 2026

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.

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Aug 31, 2026

For a game I wasn’t entirely sure about at first, I’m happy to be walking away with a new addition to my lineup of favorite RPGs, and one that I’d love to see influence the genre.

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