The Witcher 3 director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz and his fellow CDPR veterans at Rebel Wolves have shared an extended gameplay demo from the studio’s first game, The Blood of Dawnwalker. As revealed earlier this year, Dawnwalker’s protagonist is Coen, a young man in a medieval European country that has been taken over by vampires. But as seen in the video below, Coen has different ways of opposing the new regime, both as a vampire and as a human.

According to design director Daniel Sadowski, the side mission showcased in this demo takes place near the middle of the game. Coen only has 30 days and 30 nights to save his family, and Sadowski notes that he could storm the vampire’s castle and rescue them at any time. But without allies or enough power to stand against the game’s most powerful vampires, that attempt probably wouldn’t end well for Coen.

Coen isn’t helpless during the day, as the demo shows he can draw upon some magic when fighting his foes. But none of his vampire abilities can be used while the sun is up. This allows for some advantages, as he can walk through the front door of the cathedral uncontested and ask questions inside. But waiting until nightfall gives Coen the ability to climb the walls and sneak inside just as an elder vampire, Xanthe, is conducting some kind of ritual.

Sadowski added that there’s not much difference between the side quests and the main story, as players are given the chance to shape their own narratives within the 30 day timeframe. He also added that it may be possible to reason with Xanthe or even to defeat her. But she proves to be more than Coen can handle on this playthrough.

Bandai Namco will release The Blood of Dawnwalker on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC in 2026.