(Image credit: Rebel Wolves / Bandai Namco Entertainment)
Since The Blood of Dawnwalker launched last week (Sept. 3), the online conversation has centered on one subject: its time limit. In this new RPG from debut studio Rebel Wolves, which boasts several developers who worked on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, you play human-vampire hybrid Coen, and you have exactly 30 days and 30 nights to save your family.Unlike many other RPGs, where the story revolves around a deadline but players are free to get distracted for hours without consequences, in The Blood of Dawnwalker, most actions take up a “chunk” of time. There are eight chunks during the day and eight at night. While there’s no ticking clock, most tasks, from leveling up skills to completing quests, will take up anywhere from 1-3 chunks, so time is a constant presence.This core pillar of the game has proven divisive. Arguably, even controversial. Shortly after the game’s launch, the most downloaded game mod on Nexus Mods was “Better Story Timer.” This PC mod lets you have as many days as you wish, or even remove the time limit. As of writing, it’s got more than 177,000 downloads, showing the strength of player feeling.On my own social feeds, I’ve seen several people claim they’re not buying the game, citing the time limit as the reason. But I’m here to tell you, not only is the time limit far from a dealbreaker, it’s The Blood of the Dawnwalker’s biggest strength. It's undoubtedly the primary reason I’m currently absorbed in this compelling fantasy role-play experience.Dawnwalker makes every moment matter
