Developer Insurgent Wolves has made no secret of the truth that one of many greatest options about upcoming RPG The Blood of Dawnwalker would be the idea of the “narrative sandbox”. In a current interview with Xbox Wire, artistic director Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz spoke fairly a bit concerning the concept, revealing that giving gamers the liberty to strategy the story how they need additionally signifies that they may miss issues.
“We wished to present gamers as a lot management over the narrative as potential — a transparent goal, however many paths to attain it,” mentioned Tomaszkiewicz. “That, to us, is the distinctive power of video video games as a storytelling medium: participant company. The best way the sport adapts to your actions.”
He explains that this additionally signifies that gamers must make decisions concerning protagonist Coen’s standing as a vampire, in addition to how he interacts with varied factions. For instance, Coen can resolve to align with a human revolt, and even by no means find yourself assembly the revolt regardless of ending the sport.
“Some gamers would possibly embrace their vampire facet and provides in to its temptations,” he defined. “Others would possibly cling to their humanity and reject the monster inside. You’ll be able to align with the human revolt or finish the sport with out ever assembly them. You’ll be able to take the fight to Brencis at any time, selecting from a number of paths to take action.”
“This open, player-driven strategy is what we name the narrative sandbox. It’s the philosophy on the core of our storytelling.”
Tomaszkiewicz additionally spoke about how fight will work in The Blood of Dawnwalker, explaining that Coen may have entry to traditional medieval preventing types owing to his coaching at his father’s fingers. Coen can even go on to be taught magic. Tomaszkiewicz defined that the spellcasting in The Blood of Dawnwalker can be “darker and grounded”, and can be tied to the ideas of blood, warmth and air.
“As a human, he additionally learns methods to use magic — uncooked, ritual-based, with darkish, primordial origins,” he mentioned. “We’re not going the excessive fantasy route with colourful explosions. Our spells are darker and grounded — tied to blood, warmth, and air that appears to pulse and breathe. The visuals might be hanging, however in a extra visceral, eerie manner. To solid a spell, you first should actually open up your physique to the occult by carving runes and changing into a residing conduit. Magic flows by you.”
This has been removed from the primary time Tomaszkiewicz spoke concerning the freedom that gamers may have within the “narrative sandbox” provided by The Blood of Dawnwalker. Again in February, he revealed that gamers may have full freedom to kill NPCs which may even be necessary to the story.
In yet one more interview from again in January, Tomaszkiewicz defined that the time period “narrative sandbox” comes from the strategy utilized by Insurgent Wolves to create the world, story and quests in The Blood of Dawnwalker.
The Blood of Dawnwalker not too long ago bought a trailer revealing its gameplay, in addition to letting us know that it’ll come to PC, PS5 and Xbox Collection X/S in 2026.