Gaming

Now Playing: The Blood of the Dawnwalker

The game lovingly cobbles together inspiration from past games.

Published

September 2, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, or so they say. However, for a gamer, imitation is the sad state of the industry today. Every game is a copy of another. Every game today is a survival simulator, an extraction shooter, or a cozy organization title. The Blood of the Dawnwalker is no different. However, while it does draw inspiration from so many past titles, the unique blend makes it one of the most unique RPG experiences today.

A tale of darkness

The Blood of the Dawnwalker touts itself as the next project of the minds who came up with The Witcher 3. Rebel Wolves, a relatively small outfit, is the new home of several developers who worked on the aforementioned game. That, in itself, is already a strong reason why you should get Dawnwalker.

But it goes much deeper. And it starts with the story.

Coen of Laslea lives a relatively peaceful life in a valley called Vale Sangora. But that peace is dependent only on the whims of the valley’s vampiric rulers, a cabal of four brutal vampires who keep the peace in exchange for a monthly blood tithe, called a Blood Mass, extracted from every villager from every village once a month.

Unfortunately for Coen, this month’s Blood Mass doesn’t end as usual. Events have drawn the vampires’ ire, and — surprise, surprise — Coen gets turned into a vampire himself. Faced with a new reality, Coen goes on a rescue mission to save his family as a newly turned vampire.

Dawnwalker reverses the old trope of the hunter hunting the monster. Do you embrace the vampire within or keep being human?

A dark world

The Blood of the Dawnwalker roots itself as a traditional RPG. As a newly turned vampire, Coen doesn’t have awesome vampiric powers yet. Though he’s stronger as a vampire, a more ferocious monster can easily take him on at lower levels.

He does have a diverse skill tree pronged into three sections: Witchcraft which works only in the daytime, Vampirism which works at night, and Swordplay which works in both. Every section has its share of overpowered skills. One of my favorites heals Coen every time he executes a perfect block while in his vampire state. Coen essentially becomes invincible with some of these skills.

To level up, Coen must fight enemies or accomplish missions. Both of which add to how fun the game is. But let’s start with fighting.

Dawnwalker draws inspiration from Kingdom Come: Deliverance. Specifically, the game has a direction system of attacking and blocking. You can pick which of the four cardinal directions to attack and block. Pick a direction that your enemy doesn’t, and the attack lands. Alternatively, pick the direction that your attacking enemy does, and you block their attack.

Unlike Kingdom Come, Dawnwalker is much more accessible, especially with an icon that explicitly tells you where attacks are coming from. Fighting in Dawnwalker feels fun, regardless of how overpowered Coen is. Even at high levels, I don’t find it boring to enter another encampment and fight an entire army.

The Ubisoft way

Another way to bring Coen to those higher levels is by accomplishing missions. The Blood of the Dawnwalker does this in a way typical of most Ubisoft-inspired RPGs. Brencis, the big bad of the vampire posse, is supported by three lesser bosses. Each lesser boss has their own dominion with a set of objectives to “anger” their respective ruler. To fight Brencis, Coen must first kill all three lesser bosses.

Alongside these three goals, Coen can also recruit rebels to fight against Brencis or find powerful weapons that will help against the fight. You can also reminisce about your family’s past or romance the local witch.

If Dawnwalker were just a typical RPG (and, in some cases, it is), then you can cross off these objectives like a checklist. But Dawnwalker doesn’t do that. Time is a resource here.

Losing time

Once you finish the prologue, Coen will have thirty in-game days to rescue his family from Brencis. Time doesn’t move regularly, though. It moves only after every accomplishable activity: finishing objectives and levelling up. Each day has sixteen segments, divided into two halves for day and night. A time-progressing activity can move time up by one increment (or the equivalent of one or two hours) or even six. Some activities can even progress time from day to night (or vice versa).

On a similar note, Coen has different abilities depending on the time of day. During the day, Coen uses witchcraft. During the night, he can use his vampiric claws and suck his enemies dry as a vampire.

Using time as a resource is hardly a novel idea. I’ve seen it in Dead Rising and Dying Light. Dawnwalker, however, makes the march of time feel more pressing. Often, it’s a strategy game of figuring out which objectives to prioritize. Should I prioritize the other vampiric bosses? Should I hunt for more supporters to the rebel cause? Should I give time for Anca, my love interest?

Plus, with the differences between day and night, it’s important to plan when I wanted to do certain objectives. Am I strong enough during the day to beat a high-level monster, or should I wait until night when I’m much stronger?

Time is an illusion

Though the feeling of time’s passing is palpable throughout, Dawnwalker eventually makes it all an illusion. Thirty days is enough time to get stronger, find allies, and defeat all three lesser vampires. In fact, there are even ways to save a lot of time.

On my first playthrough, I accidentally discovered a way to break the sequence of the traditional RPG experience. After beating my second vampire lord, I wanted to explore the map a bit more before tackling the third and final lord. The next mission on my docket was hunting for a powerful silver sword in a cathedral, a supposedly low-stakes mission. Apparently, the third lord likes hanging around the cathedral. So, while I was minding my own business, the game gave me the opportunity to fight the third lord without needing to anger her. And why wouldn’t I take that chance?

With eighteen full days left before the deadline, I beat all three lords and angered Brencis enough to trigger his mission. I also felt strong enough to take him on.

Now, this isn’t to say that the game’s time-based mechanic is a failure. You can’t take away that feeling of having to strategize objectives, even if it’s ultimately moot. Besides, there’s still that day-night mechanic.

In that way, Dawnwalker’s time mechanic is still a success. Yes, it could have gone further, but you can’t ignore that it’s a unique approach to RPGs.

Choice is an illusion

Being a vampire, Coen is always prone to that hunger for blood. To materialize this, he has a blood hunger meter, which naturally depletes as time goes by. This is further highlighted by a “give in to the hunger” option with several NPC dialogues, which gradually becomes more difficult to ignore when the hunger gets higher. At one point, it becomes impossible to resist, so Coen feeds on that NPC and essentially kills them off.

On the choices-definitely-matter level, the game ideally wants you to balance Coen’s hunger for blood. It wants you to drink blood before NPC encounters, so you don’t accidentally drink them dry.

In my opinion, the system just doesn’t land. There was never a time when I felt crippled by that hunger. At times, I even forgot that it existed. It could be because I wasn’t shy about feeding during combat. After all, feeding has a very strong healing mechanic, which works extremely well in fights.

Although, I still tried the NPC feeding option on some annoying characters. And it was… meh? Sure, the drawback is that I lost dialogue options which could have led to something amazing. But I also didn’t get anything in return. I didn’t feel more powerful, nor did I feel Coen becoming more corrupted by vampirism. In essence, the hunger is more for roleplaying than something mechanically rewarding.

It’s unfortunate because Dawnwalker has something called a corruption level. The more you drink blood, the more this stat increases. The higher it is, the more vampiric powers you can unlock. If the game offered more rewards for drinking NPCs like better corruption increases (as in Vampyr, a similar vampire game), then the hunger might be more interesting.

Is The Blood of the Dawnwalker your PlayMatch?

The Blood of the Dawnwalker is easily one of the most mechanically interesting RPGs of 2026. The game patches together several unique mechanics from the past, which already worked on their own but shine even brighter when cobbled together.

Sure, it doesn’t go far enough with a few mechanics, but that’s fine enough. It’s a dark fantasy tale that keeps itself fresh throughout the playthrough. For that, this game gets a Swipe Right and a Super Swipe for those craving for a semi-lengthy, go-through-all-the-bosses RPG.

Related Topics:Bandai Namco The Blood of the Dawnwalker

Gaming

The regular PlayStation 5 is getting an AI upscaling feature

The feature debuts with Wolverine and Ghost of Yotei.

Published

October 2, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

If you’re an owner of a regular PlayStation 5, watching a PS5 Pro owner might touch you with a tinge of jealousy. Besides the upgraded console’s better hardware, it also has something called the PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), which uses AI to improve resolution and framerate. Unfortunately, that feature isn’t available on the regular console. But Sony is throwing the classic console a bone today by adding Quick Spectral Super Resolution (QSSR), which does the same as PSSR but on the older machine.

Since the introduction of PSSR, fans and developers alike have asked whether the older console can have a version of the technology. Developed with AMD, QSSR is an AI upscaling feature that improves performance for modern games on the PlayStation 5. For now, the feature is debuting first on Ghost of Yotei and Marvel’s Wolverine via a set of patches. Moving forward, Sony will also allow its developers to add the feature for their respective games.

Now, the choice of games is deliberate. Marvel’s Wolverine is still fresh on everyone’s mind. Meanwhile, Ghost of Yotei has just released a Complete Edition, which packs in a new story expansion and a roguelike mode. You don’t even need to Complete Edition or the corresponding paid upgrade to enjoy the new feature.

Gaming

Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition review: More of a great thing

Picking up where Atsu left off

Published

October 2, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

A year away from Ghost of Yōtei was enough to make me rusty. It wasn’t enough to make me forget why I loved it.

What immediately jumped out to me is how beautifully connected this game’s open-world mechanics are. Moving about and exploring felt like picking up where I left off after roughly a year of not really touching the game.

The Guiding Wind, the birds that point you toward locations of interest, and the encounters scattered throughout Ezo all work together to keep you busy without the tasks ever feeling like a chore. There is always something worth looking toward, whether it is a quest, a hidden location, or simply another reason to stop and appreciate the scenery.

And of course, the new area is just as beautiful as everything else we’ve seen in the base game.

That is probably the biggest compliment I can give Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition. It does not feel like an expansion bolted onto an existing game. It feels like another excuse to step back into a world that already knew how to pull me in.

Picking up where I left off

I started my playthrough of the Complete Edition with Echoes of Sekigahara. I thought it was going to be a quick romp, but it’s proving to be a longer experience than I initially thought it would be.

I’ve spent roughly five to six hours playing through it, and I don’t think I’m anywhere near completing the story.

That said, I did get sidetracked quite a bit.

Which tends to happen with these Ghost games.

Not to their detriment, though. Every other quest and encounter in the open world feels like a contained story on its own that is well worth your time. The game has a way of presenting distractions that never really feel like distractions. You can set out with one objective in mind, stumble into something else, and suddenly realize an hour has passed.

That familiarity came back surprisingly quickly.

The new region introduced in Echoes of Sekigahara brings unfamiliar enemies, new weapons, and memories tied to Atsu’s past, giving the expansion its own identity while still operating within the systems that made the base game so easy to lose yourself in.

The Wolf quest line in particular was the first one I tackled, and it was quite a ride.

I’m deliberately leaving the details there.

This is the kind of story that is better experienced without knowing too much going in, and the review guidelines themselves ask reviewers to avoid major narrative developments and surprises.

Finding my footing again

While movement and exploration felt natural, it took me a while to get reacquainted with the combat.

My Atsu had many skills mastered, but being a year removed from the game meant I was rusty. I was dying against what I would consider fodder enemies.

There is something humbling about returning to a game where you once felt completely in control, only to discover that your muscle memory has apparently packed its bags and moved somewhere else.

Even now as I write this review, I don’t think I’ve gotten to the level I was when I first completed the game.

But I’m getting by just fine.

And that is partly because Yōtei gives you another toy to play with.

Massive weapons make a massive difference

Massive Weapons

The new wrinkle in combat is the Massive Weapons you get to pick up and swing around.

They are an absolute joy to use.

More importantly, they bailed me out of a few encounters already.

There is a satisfying weight to picking up one of these weapons and simply going to town on enemies. It changes the rhythm of a fight without asking you to relearn the entire combat system. After spending several hours trying to remember how I used to fight as Atsu, having the option to grab something enormous and start swinging was a welcome change of pace.

This was a definite win.

It also highlights one of the strengths of Yōtei’s combat. The foundation is already strong enough that adding another layer does not need to completely reinvent it. Sometimes, giving Atsu something massive to hit people with is enough.

Most Wanted keeps the blade moving

If you want to dive deeper into combat, Most Wanted is where it’s at.

PlayStation first-party games have had a habit of adding these roguelike-inspired modes to some of their games. There’s Valhalla for God of War Ragnarök and No Return for The Last of Us Part II.

Most Wanted takes that idea and puts Yōtei’s combat front and center.

The mode is a single-player combat survival experience built around escalating bounties, different playable characters, and experimenting with the game’s combat system. Unlike Echoes of Sekigahara, you can jump into it immediately without existing save data or base-game progression.

I’ve only had a couple of runs so far, but I can say I thoroughly enjoy the mode.

Mostly because I love the game’s combat mechanics.

That is what you engage with for much of Most Wanted, and it gives you a reason to keep testing yourself. You start a run, make your choices, fight your way through increasingly demanding encounters, and inevitably reach a point where things stop going according to plan.

Then you try again.

And again.

There is a particular satisfaction to a mode like this when the underlying combat is already enjoyable. Losing doesn’t necessarily feel like wasted time because every run gives you another opportunity to get better at the thing you were already having fun doing.

It can also be frustrating.

That is part of the appeal.

More Yōtei is still more Yōtei

The biggest strength of Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition is also the simplest.

It gives me more Ghost of Yōtei.

Echoes of Sekigahara gives Atsu another story to tell. Most Wanted gives the combat another place to shine. The Complete Edition also adds cosmetics, Trophies, Photo Mode content, and other extras. Meanwhile, the October 1 update brings additional Watanabe Mode tracks, Beauty of Yōtei mode, quality-of-life improvements, and a new high-contrast accessibility option to all Ghost of Yōtei players.

After roughly a year away, I was surprised by how quickly I settled back into the rhythm.

The wind blew, birds flew, a quest turned into another quest, and a random encounter became a story.

Then I picked up a massive weapon and started remembering why I enjoyed this game so much in the first place.

That cohesion remains Yōtei’s greatest strength. Its world constantly gives you reasons to move forward without making the journey feel like work. The Complete Edition simply gives you more reasons to keep going.

Is Ghost of Yotei Complete Edition your Play Match?

Ghost of Yōtei was already one of the best experiences on PlayStation 5.

The Complete Edition gives you more of it.

Echoes of Sekigahara is shaping up to be a substantial addition rather than a short side adventure, while Most Wanted offers a compelling excuse to keep coming back to Atsu’s combat long after you’ve finished the main story.

I still have plenty more of both to see. But even after only a handful of hours with the new content, I know exactly how I feel about returning to Yōtei.

It feels familiar, fresh, and Most Wanted will both frustrate and hook you.

It’s absolutely thrilling.

Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition is an easy Swipe Up.

After a year away, I came back rusty.

I’m still swinging. And I’m still having a damn good time.

Gaming

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered is now available

The Witcher 3 gets a major overhaul

Published

September 29, 2026

GadgetMatch

CD PROJEKT RED has released The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered, a free upgrade that brings a wide range of visual, performance, and gameplay improvements to the acclaimed RPG.

The remastered version is available as a free upgrade for existing owners on GOG, Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Players who own The Witcher 3 on the original Nintendo Switch can also upgrade for free to the native Nintendo Switch 2 version.

The upgrade also includes both expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, even for players who originally owned only the base game.

PC and PS5 Pro

On PC, The Witcher 3 now supports Path Tracing alongside improved textures, foliage, lighting, rendering, and ray tracing. The remaster also adds dedicated PlayStation 5 Pro support, with PSSR enabling ray tracing at 60fps and a performance mode that can reach up to 90fps with VRR.

Gameplay also gets an overhaul. CD PROJEKT RED has rebalanced the skill system, revamped combat animations, added new finishers, and introduced an adaptive camera. Geralt and Roach also receive updated animations, including more fluid traversal, vaulting, and ladder climbing.

The remaster adds cross-platform mod support through mod.io on consoles. Players can access custom content ranging from new quests and equipment to balance changes.

Switch 2

Nintendo Switch 2 gets additional features through its native version. These include motion controls, gyro aiming, mouse controls, and touchscreen support. Players can use motion controls for actions such as aiming the crossbow, throwing bombs, casting Signs, and controlling Roach. The touchscreen can also be used to navigate menus and play Gwent.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered is also available to purchase on Battle.net and the Microsoft Store, where it supports Xbox Play Anywhere.

The remaster replaces the Complete Edition on supported platforms and includes Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine as standard. It was developed in close collaboration with Yigsoft.