Wait, Did *The Blood of Dawnwalker* Just Rip *The Witcher 3*'s Theme? (Spoiler: It's Cooler Than That)
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Rebel Wolves' upcoming RPG, *The Blood of Dawnwalker*, has unveiled a main musical theme strikingly similar to *The Witcher 3*'s, a connection explained by its director and team being former *Witcher 3* veterans; however, the game promises significant structural innovations, like a non-linear experience, that distinguish it from its spiritual predecessor.
Right, so I was tinkering with a fascinating piece of news originally brought to light by Robert Purchese over at Eurogamer (cheers for the intel, mate!), and bloody hell, it’s wilder than it first appeared. You know that feeling when you hear a new track and your brain immediately screams, “I know this vibe!”? Well, that’s precisely what’s happening with *The Blood of Dawnwalker* and *The Witcher 3*’s iconic main theme.
Rebel Wolves, a studio we’ve been keeping a keen eye on, just dropped the main musical theme for their upcoming dark fantasy RPG, *The Blood of Dawnwalker*. And let me tell you, it's got an uncanny, almost mystical resonance with Geralt's adventuring soundtrack. They even unveiled it with a swanky chamber orchestra performance – quite the spectacle, honestly. It's all there: the eerie, almost primal folk singing, the scraped violins building to a frantic crescendo, those thumping drum beats pushing everything forward, culminating in a wailing vocal line that just burrows into your soul. If you'd played this for me blindfolded, I might’ve wagered it was a newly unearthed track from a *Witcher* expansion.
Now, before anyone gets their knickers in a twist about creative pilfering, let's pump the brakes and channel our inner digital wizard. The composers and performers are entirely different people. Nikola Kołodziejczyk penned the *Dawnwalker* theme, featuring the vocal talents of Karolina Matuszkiewicz and the fiddling wizardry of Kacper Malisz. All brilliant Polish artists, mind you. *The Witcher 3*, on the other hand, had the legendary Marcin Przybyłowicz working his magic alongside the Polish folk-metal powerhouse, Percival. It was Percival’s distinctive sound that really cemented *The Witcher 3*’s sonic identity, making it as memorable as its monstrous beasts and morally grey choices.
So, why the striking similarity? Is it a cosmic coincidence? Or did Rebel Wolves just stumble through a portal into CD Projekt Red's sound studio? Nope, it's far more intentional, and frankly, rather clever. See, *The Blood of Dawnwalker* isn't just *like* *The Witcher 3* in its music; it's a spiritual sibling, perhaps even a direct descendant, in many other ways too. We're talking dark fantasy, a supernaturally gifted protagonist, a mature tone, and that familiar third-person perspective with gameplay that feels… well, familiar.
Here's the kicker, the bit that makes all the pieces snap into place like a perfectly cast spell: *The Blood of Dawnwalker* is directed by none other than Konrad Tomaszkiewicz. Sound familiar? It should, because he was the director for *The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt*. And he didn't just walk out of CDPR alone; he's brought a whole brigade of former CDPR developers, folks who were instrumental in crafting that universally acclaimed RPG, to form Rebel Wolves. Ah, so that's why it smells like elderberries and surprise! It’s like discovering your favourite band has formed a new supergroup and is about to drop an album that scratches all the same glorious itches.
Speaking of Percival and *The Witcher*, Robert from Eurogamer also gently poked CD Projekt Red about Percival’s involvement in *The Witcher 4*. Apparently, nothing’s confirmed yet, but Percival did perform music from the *Witcher 4* trailer at an anniversary concert. Call me optimistically chaotic, but I’d be genuinely surprised if they weren’t back. Their sound *is* *The Witcher* now, isn’t it?
Now, my gentle skepticism usually flares up when I see a game that looks and sounds so much like a beloved predecessor. Is it just going to be *Witcher 3.5*? But, and this is where the excitement really kicks in, Tomaszkiewicz himself has hinted at some pretty significant deviations from the *Witcher* formula that actually make *The Blood of Dawnwalker* incredibly intriguing. This isn’t just a simple reskin, mate.
Firstly, you’re not playing a grizzled monster slayer; you’re Coen, a part-human, part-vampire chap who can do very cool things like walk up walls and teleport when the sun goes down. That’s a fundamentally different power fantasy right there, promising some fresh gameplay possibilities. But the bigger, bolder, and frankly, more experimental departure for me is the game's structure. *The Blood of Dawnwalker* isn't going to have a traditional, linear main campaign. Let that sink in for a moment.
Instead, you’ve got a core objective: find and free your family within a 30-day in-game timeframe. But how you go about that, the choices you make, the path you carve through the forested valley before you – that’s entirely up to you. This is less a guided tour through a meticulously crafted narrative and more a wild, open-ended adventure where player agency isn't just a buzzword, but a core design philosophy. It's a far less 'led' experience than *The Witcher 3*, which, for all its brilliance, did guide you quite firmly along its epic tale.
This is where my optimism, albeit a cautious one, truly shines. Taking the proven dark fantasy bedrock of *The Witcher 3* and injecting it with a genuinely innovative, player-driven structure? That’s not just copying; that’s building upon a legacy and trying to forge something new and exciting. It's like taking a classic spell, tweaking a few runes, and seeing what gloriously unpredictable chaos ensues.
Rebel Wolves is aiming to release *The Blood of Dawnwalker* on PC and consoles this year, and I, for one, am genuinely curious to see if this blend of comforting familiarity and bold innovation pays off. Could we be looking at a new standard for player freedom in action RPGs? Only time, and a hefty dose of gameplay, will tell. But for now, consider me cautiously hyped for this intriguing spiritual successor that’s trying to walk its own path, even if it hums a familiar tune.
Tags: DarkFantasyRPG, RebelWolves, TheWitcher3, GameMusic, IndieSpotlight
Original article: Eurogamer