Indie The Blood of the Dawnbreaker - Official Thread

[Your Salad]

If Rebel Dogs really want to get mainstream attention they'd be smart to pull a 'CP2077 E32018' and release a 40 minute demo. Except if the actual gameplay when the E32018 demo wasn't.

Not sure if any AAA publisher can get away with that right now.

 

[GearSolidMetal]

Not sure if any AAA publisher can get away with that right now.

Agreed.
So Rebel Wolves should do it a few months before release.

 

[Your Salad]

Agreed.
So Rebel Wolves should do it a few months before release.

I'm damn excited for the potential!
I'm damn excited for W4, I'm damn excited for CB20...
I wish CDPR could squeeze out a game every 3 years.
Honestly I hate that I have to contemplate my existence on this plane and weather I will be able to manipulate a controller competently for the next 10 years.
I love gaming and I will rue the day that I give it up.

 

[GearSolidMetal]

I'm damn excited for the potential!

Think we all are.
After 10 years we're all starving for a game like W3 from team members that worked on W3.
And one thing that's not been mentioned about the trailer... it confirmed they're shooting for a 2026 release date. I imagine it'll be Q4.

I'm damn excited for W4, I'm damn excited for CB20...

Dawnwalker in 2026.
Witcher4 in 2027 (I'm guessing)
Witcher1 remake sometime.
And that doesn't include the DLC/Expansions.

I wish CDPR could squeeze out a game every 3 years.

Between the main team working in Poland in W4 & the Boston team working on the Cyberpunk sequel... That's becoming a very possible reality.

Honestly I hate that I have to contemplate my existence on this plane and weather I will be able to manipulate a controller competently for the next 10 years.
I love gaming and I will rue the day that I give it up.

I've tried in the past, and it's an urge I will never be able to at least not satiate occasionally.

 

[ssBaldy]

I hope it is not souls like. While I see how souls gameplay is attractive to someone who likes to perfect the timing and feel the skill being important, multiple ripostes and parrys that allow you to disembowel your humanoid enemy that keeps on attacking you after the animation ends completely break immersion for me.

 

[GearSolidMetal]

I hope it is not souls like.

Very doubtful it will be.
BandaiNamco want to expand their variety of games they publish, not demand all the developers they signed to make Soulsborn games.

That said ... W3 and Cyberpunk2077 becomes WAY too easy on the hardest difficulty if you choose the right builds.
Increased difficulty would be appreciated.

Perhaps one or two gameplay mechanics from a Soulsborn series may be beneficial.

 

[ssBaldy]

Very doubtful it will be.
BandaiNamco want to expand their variety of games they publish, not demand all the developers they signed to make Soulsborn games.

That said ... W3 and Cyberpunk2077 becomes WAY too easy on the hardest difficulty if you choose the right builds.
Increased difficulty would be appreciated.

Perhaps one or two gameplay mechanics from a Soulsborn series may be beneficial.

I am not against a challenge on higher difficulties at all. But a game can be difficult without breaking immersion is all I'm saying. And for me souls games fail at that.

 

[GearSolidMetal]

This dropped yesterday, the first gameplay demonstration.
Just finished it in its entirety and I certainly have some thoughts.

It certainly won't have the viralness of CP2077's E32018 'tech demo' that was said to be gameplay, but this is actual gameplay as it currently is in development.

It looks pretty good, though I wouldn't say impressive. Got to keep in mind it has a good 15 months (guess) in development and much of what is shown is clearly unfinished.
It is still in the alpha stages.

I'm liking the early combat sequence with a sword, but I'm interested in the opinions of those who were underwhelmed by Witcher3's combat and if this looks to be an improvement.

The UI of the item and upgrade menus... looks rudimentary. Basic.
And Coen, who you play as, is the same. Basic. Stock.
A man-bun? Seriously?
Geralt from Witcher3 has an aura from the beginning of the game until the endings of the expansion.
Coen seems like you're playing as an inexperienced nobody... at first...but hopefully as events and choices of the game develops he develops into something... memorable.

'Save Your Family - 22 Days Left.'
It's mentioned that is a resource you'll be spending moreso than a ticking clock. Interesting.

The camera angle reminds me of the 'close over-the-shoulder' view added in the Witcher3 Next-Gen update.
The movement animations - running, walking, crouching, etc - needs improvement and I'm sure they'll receive it.

The boss battle at the end... I'm interested in the opinions of those who are experienced in SoulsBorne games.

Looking forward to seeing more demos to see how its improving.

 

[ssBaldy]

And Coen, who you play as, is the same. Basic. Stock.
A man-bun? Seriously?
Geralt from Witcher3 has an aura from the beginning of the game until the endings of the expansion.
Coen seems like you're playing as an inexperienced nobody... at first...but hopefully as events and choices of the game develops he develops into something... memorable.

Well, Geralt in Witcher 3 has 6 books, a miniseries and 2 videogames behind him, he is one of a handful members of an ancient caste and is well renowned as a witcher and is widely regarded as the best swordsman in the Northern kingdoms. He knew monarchs and powerful wizards personally, and fucked half of the sorceresses from the Lodge. Hardly a nobody in the grand scheme of things in the Witcher universe.
Coen, in turn, is just a young peasant.
He should by all means be a nobody in the beginning of the game.
You are spot on about the character development, hope it is good and meaningful.

 

[Bob Gray]

Combat looks solid. Nothing crazy good, but definite improvement over Witcher and has a cool cinematic flair. Witcher 3's biggest achievements were its world building, writing and presentation. Combat was probably overall one of its weaker systems, but it was still functional. But they nailed the feeling of walking around this amazing world being a Witcher. Combined with excellent writing and characterization, and it hit a lot of different spots really well, even if it had some mechanical shortcomings. Combined with characters that had been built up over two previous games with increasing scopes, and you can kinda see how Witcher 3 is an ultimate example of "stuck the landing". Had that been their first game, it still would have been great, but I dont think it would have resonated quite the same.

Its hard to shake the notion that this is Witcher cake with Vampire icing. Thats not a bad thing. But the big question is really how well its going to present this world and how much you actually feel like a vampire walking through it. Even just in the opening hours of W3, riding a horse through town and seeing how people interacted with you and how you picked up contracts was all incredibly immersive. Watching this gameplay vid, it all seemed technically proficient, but nothing showed me that same sense of being a part of a bigger world. It seemed like a cool game-y sandbox.

Hard to say. I doubt itll be a bad game, but the pedigree of the developers leaves a pretty big looming shadow they might not be able to get out from under. Seems at the very least Itll be something to pick up on sale. Obviously its probably not fair to hold a game up against W3, but its hard not to given who they are and the game theyve chosen to make.

 

[GearSolidMetal]

Well, Geralt in Witcher 3 has 6 books, a miniseries and 2 videogames behind him, he is one of a handful members of an ancient caste and is well renowned as a witcher and is widely regarded as the best swordsman in the Northern kingdoms. He knew monarchs and powerful wizards personally, and fucked half of the sorceresses from the Lodge. Hardly a nobody in the grand scheme of things in the Witcher universe.

And the majority of Witcher3 players never read a Witcher novel or either of the previous games, yet it's clear he has an aura to his character that immediately draws players attention regardless of their knowledge about him.

I actually played the second game, once, before playing the third and found it impressive with the improvement of Geralt's characterization.

Coen, in turn, is just a young peasant.
He should by all means be a nobody in the beginning of the game.
You are spot on about the character development, hope it is good and meaningful.

Yup, just a young peasant... From the little what we know. Something tells me there's got to be something special about him for him to be the 'Dawnwalker.'
But besides that, there has got to be something more to him... his characterization... his aura.

'Aura' is the best word I can think of for it.
It's the subtleties that sometimes determines a character being great, memorable, and attracts players to them... And the piles of 'Meh' characters that are cookie-cutter or monotonous.

Some characters have it when developers don't necessarily mean them to have it.
Some characters don't have it although developers desperately want them to have it.

 

[ssBaldy]

And the majority of Witcher3 players never read a Witcher novel or either of the previous games, yet it's clear he has an aura to his character that immediately draws players attention regardless of their knowledge about him.

I actually played the second game, once, before playing the third and found it impressive with the improvement of Geralt's characterization.


Yup, just a young peasant... From the little what we know. Something tells me there's got to be something special about him for him to be the 'Dawnwalker.'
But besides that, there has got to be something more to him... his characterization... his aura.

'Aura' is the best word I can think of for it.
It's the subtleties that sometimes determines a character being great, memorable, and attracts players to them... And the piles of 'Meh' characters that are cookie-cutter or monotonous.

Some characters have it when developers don't necessarily mean them to have it.
Some characters don't have it although developers desperately want them to have it.

The devs surely read the books and they made the previous games. They had the material to create his "aura".
The important part of Geralt becoming more interesting during the games is him finding out about his past and regaining his memory. He regains it between W2 and W3 iirc.

I am sure there is something special about Coen, all I am saying that him being just a peasant in the beginning of the game is completely OK. Of course he needs a good character ark and development during the game, along with a good plot. It would be weird if he was a peasant and then all of a sudden became an ultra charismatic badass protagonist. I guess the character will find out how and why he is special during the game.

 

[NoSmilez]

I saw some gameplay footage just now. It's not too bad but it's standard Witcher 3 type combat. I like it and can deal with it but I know some people can't stand it. They don't like how the combat is too simple and the hitboxes are a bit loose. Personally I am not looking for a Devil may Cry or Dark Souls experience when I am playing The Witcher. I don't care about juggling enemies and switching multiple weapons during combat in order to chain attacks. I am the bozo that uses quen and attacks. I will roll away when the bubble gets popped.

 

[Your Salad]

This thread got me to start yet another W3 playthrough. I'm finally going to romance Triss this time.
Fucking love that game.