'I'm Tired of Games That Are Too Big': Open World RPG Dawnwalker Doesn't Want to Waste Your Time
Push Square • • technology
Key Points:
- Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz, creative director of The Blood of Dawnwalker and former lead quest designer on The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, emphasizes a preference for focused, dense game worlds that maximize player agency and meaningful choices.
- The upcoming RPG Dawnwalker aims to balance open-world design with a more limited scope, creating a "narrative sandbox" filled with emotional stories and characters that respond dynamically to player decisions.
- Tomaszkiewicz cites inspiration from the Gothic series, valuing smaller, detail-rich worlds over expansive but often empty open worlds that can lead to player fatigue.
- Despite its focused approach, Dawnwalker offers substantial content, with current playtests lasting between 50 and 75 hours, indicating a deep but condensed gameplay experience.
- The developer's philosophy challenges the trend of bloated open-world games by prioritizing quality and player engagement over sheer size, catering to players who prefer meaningful exploration within manageable game environments.
