If you’re finding The Blood of Dawnwalker far easier to play as a vampire than as a human, don’t worry. That’s exactly how the game was meant to be.
Game director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz confirmed to Eurogamer that the vampire form is deliberately stronger than the human form. “Yes, you should,” he said when asked if the game should feel harder as a human. “When I created the idea for the protagonist the Dawnwalker, it was supposed to be something like the werewolf, which in the day as a human [you are] weaker than at night.”
Why the Vampire Form Is Stronger
Tomaszkiewicz broke down the mechanics behind the imbalance. Vampire attacks with claws grow stronger with each level, so you don’t need to spend skill points on them. Humans, by contrast, have to find and upgrade a better sword.
He explained the healing difference directly. “In human form, you need to craft potions, because without them you cannot heal yourself while you are fighting,” he said. Vampires can heal by biting enemies, drinking blood vials found in the world, and building extra health segments that always regenerate after combat. They can also drink animals and humans to refill their blood.
There is also a skill you can unlock as a vampire that replaces health when you attack. “It means that the vampire has a lot more abilities which make him stronger than the human,” he said. “And that was the idea to differentiate it like this.”
The Human Form Has Its Own Strengths
The human form isn’t entirely powerless, though. Protagonist Coen gains access to witchcraft abilities through the day that aren’t available at night. These spells can be hugely powerful, though Tomaszkiewicz admitted the witchcraft origin felt more mechanical than narrative.
“Vampires should always be stronger, but as a human with witchcraft, you should also have strong skills for many reasons.”
The game can also be finished in human form, and Tomaszkiewicz teased several routes. “In human form, you have a few ways you can finish the game,” he said. “I don’t want to spoil it too much, but you can do it by yourself, maybe with the allies, and more.”
Why the Design Was Chosen
The decision wasn’t arbitrary. The team knew the day and night experience needed to be different, but also interesting. If the human form lacked strong skills, the game would be problematic from many points, Tomaszkiewicz said.
The solution was to make the human form playable without blockers impeding progress. Some activities are only possible at night, others only in the day, but many are achievable in both forms. If developer Rebel Wolves failed to offer something appealing in human form, players “would just skip to the night,” the studio realised.
Witchcraft was the answer to giving humans something comparable. “But the special skills we created, we thought they needed to be maybe not equally [powerful], but they needed to be good,” Tomaszkiewicz said. “As a human with witchcraft, you should also have strong skills for many reasons.”
The Time Mechanic Isn’t Going Away
The divisive time mechanic, which affects how the game plays depending on whether Coen is a vampire or human, is not being patched out. It was once much stricter in early designs of The Blood of Dawnwalker, but even though it features heavily in this game, it won’t necessarily return for future Blood of Dawnwalker games.
What Players Should Know
The Blood of Dawnwalker was released at the beginning of September and sold 1m copies in three days. Reviews have been solid but tainted slightly by gripes about game performance, technical issues, and some gameplay quirks.
A first major patch is coming soon, with an update planned for early October. The divisive time mechanic is not being patched out, though, much to some people’s frustration.
The Verdict on the Design
The game’s approach is bold, if not universally comfortable. Giving players a choice between two radically different experiences is a clever move.
The director’s admission that the hardest way to finish The Blood of Dawnwalker is in human form is a statement of intent. It’s a game that rewards persistence, not just reflexes.
Source material: “Don't worry if you're struggling in human form in The Blood of Dawnwalker – "it should be harder" playing that way,” Eurogamer.
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