Former Witcher 3 lead says his new vampire RPG Blood of Dawnwalker has a smaller open world because "it feels more like you actually know the place" compared to "behemoths"

Former Witcher 3 lead quest designer Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz says his new vampire RPG Blood of Dawnwalker has a comparatively small open-world because he wants you to feel like you actually know the place.

Talking to GamesRadar+, Tomaszkiewicz says his favorite open-world games growing up were leaner ones like Gothic compared to something like The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall.

"It was an open world, but it was much smaller, and it kind of made me experience it differently compared to these behemoths where it's just impossible to really know every nook and cranny because it's so big, so you kind of rush through it," Tomaszkiewicz says. "But when the world is a bit smaller and you explore it more calmly and more relaxed, you kind of get to memorize these places, and it feels more like you actually know the place. It makes you feel like you're more inhabited."

For someone who writes about video games for a living, I complain about them being too big quite a lot. I think it's a product of my review embargo-wary mind and simply having a busy life and other passions siphoning my free time, but yeah, there is no sweeter formula to me than the rare game that offers the thrill of exploration and discovery without the commitment of a 90-hour campaign. Blood of Dawnwalker sank its fangs into me with its beautifully gothic cinematic reveal trailer last month, and this has me well and truly under its spell.

Tomaszkiewicz also tells me the game is aiming to achieve the same quality as The Witcher 3 but in a 30-40 hour campaign, which isn't just any ol' music to my ears, it's a gosh darn symphony.

The Blood of Dawnwalker is already showing its Witcher 3 roots, but it also reminds me of my favorite underrated vampire RPG.