A fresh wave of hands-on previews for The Blood of Dawnwalker, the RPG led by former CD Projekt Red developers, has gone live and the reaction is overwhelmingly positive, with several outlets branding it a genuine Game of the Year candidate. This matters because expectations for the game, while cautiously high, had not necessarily anticipated such glowing early impressions, and the pedigree of its creators invites inevitable comparisons to The Witcher 3. The previews suggest the title could be a breakout RPG success later this year.

The write-ups are based on a four-hour playable demo covering a selection of early-game quests, with previewers particularly impressed by the breadth of player choice — different outlets encountered entirely different quest paths and objectives. Much praise is directed at the central "time limit" mechanic, in which an in-game clock only advances when the player takes certain actions, as protagonist Coen races to save his family from a vampiric overlord across a limited number of days and nights. Outlets including RPG Site, Game Informer, VGC, Eurogamer, GamesRadar and Loot Level Chill all voiced enthusiasm, with the game due for release on 3 September, alongside a crowded autumn line-up. Notably, these previews stem from in-person events rather than review copies, and some commenters urged caution until full reviews arrive.