GOTY 2025: Alex's most anticipated game of 2026... that isn't Grand Theft Auto VI... is The Blood of Dawnwalker

Yes, I'm looking forward to getting lost with my buddies in Big Walk, and yes, I think that Star Wars Zero Company could be an incredibly atmospheric tactical game if done right. I want to cut up evil chaps as Wolverine, and I want to see what a 4v4 fighter looks like in Marvel's TOKON: Fighting Souls. More than any of that, though, I am very intrigued to see what former The Witcher 3 devs have cooked up with The Blood of Dawnwalker.

Slightly wordy title aside, The Blood of Dawnwalker has had me hooked since it was first unveiled. The talent behind the studio, the fresh feeling of the IP, and the main mechanics behind the gameplay all sounded beautifully ambitious. With a lot of third-person, open-world RPGs feeling rather bland nowadays, Dawnwalker stood out to me as it felt genuinely fresh. Also, when I found out that the protagonist was more inspired by a werewolf than he was a vampire, that really got me ready to tear up the streets.

Coen is a vampire, of course, or some kind of mixed breed vampire mutt, we suppose, as he can go out in the day but stalks the night like a cat who has been listening to nothing but the scurrying of mice outside all day. That not only offers an intriguing duality to the gameplay, but I'm hoping that Rebel Wolves really explores the potential this can bring to Coen as a character as well. At first, Geralt's Witcher powers and enhancements tell you he's devoid of emotion, but as you get to know him, you realise that's not true at all. I'm hoping some of that learned nuance in the writing gets brought into The Blood of Dawnwalker.

We've seen some decently long gameplay showcases from the game thus far, and they do show a world I'd love to spend some time in. However, I am slightly unsure of whether I'm hyping up The Blood of Dawnwalker beyond its potential. Third-person, action-adventure, open-world RPGs are a dime a dozen nowadays. We're tripping over them about as much as deckbuilding roguelikes and gritty soulslikes. That doesn't mean The Blood of Dawnwalker can't be special, but it is going to have to break out of the dull mould set by its genre. I simply don't care to explore every question mark when I know the result of my exploring is going to be as shallow as a summer's day puddle.

Where The Blood of Dawnwalker may counter that is in its time-based main quest, where you spend your days like a resource in order to complete other goals or grow in strength before facing the final encounters. This doesn't look like it's going to limit exploration, but it'll stop you getting bored with the map before you've even properly dug into the main quest. Hopefully, at least. I'm keeping an eye on you, The Blood of Dawnwalker, but right now you're looking pretty damn good. Here's hoping you can make it to 2026, so at least one person out of me and Ben gets their anticipated game. Let's be real, Fable isn't making it out of the gates.