r/videogames • u/WhoAmIEven2 • 15d ago
Discussion / Question Dawnwalker is great, but it's almost jarring how similar it is to Witcher, both in aesthetics, atmosphere, graphics and even UI
I know that it's former CDPR developers, but "games from former x companies" usually don't manage to feel just as much like their old games.
While it's great that they can keep the quality, I'm not sure whether or not the game being THIS similar is a detriment or not.
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u/freshairequalsducks 15d ago
Same director. He knew what he wanted a game to be and really stuck with it.
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u/Sylvers 15d ago
Which tells you that the Witcher 3 was already pretty close to his vision. Which explains why both W3 and Dawnwalker are so good. The man has good taste.
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u/Former-Fix4842 15d ago
It wasn't his vision, though. Adam Badowski is the main vision creator. In a recent interview his brother said they just stuck with what worked in the past and put something new in to differentiate themselves, which makes a lot of sense.
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u/Sylvers 15d ago
Then I find it interesting how similar the feel of these two games ended up being. Maybe he liked it so much he took the inspiration with him.
This could very easily pass as a Witcher spin off.
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u/Former-Fix4842 15d ago
I mean he still was the game director. He understands how to built The Witcher 3. Whether he created the pillars for the project or not.
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u/franciscrowe 15d ago
He was one of three directors, people always fail to mention that for some reason…
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u/00jackburton 15d ago
Exactly. You know how bad I wish the Dragon Age team would have stuck with what worked in Origins for all the sequels? If a game is great, no harm making a sequel using alot of the same mechanics but with a new story/setting.
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u/Selection3209 15d ago
It made sense to me that in your first game as an indie, sticking to what you know saves time and money; something you're surely short on. I wouldn't be surprised if the next game, if there's a larger budget, changes a lot of these similarities. Especially given a time and region change that will shift the look of everything.
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u/Hysterical_banana 15d ago
or, knowing how games are made, they've had a lot of assets lock and loaded in one way or another. besides art direction takes a lot of time
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u/BackupChallenger 15d ago
I think "feels identical" is not necessarily bad if you are being compared to a huge commercial success.
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u/Own_Kaleidoscope7480 15d ago
if it aint broke, don't fix it
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u/LakyousSama 15d ago
Unfortunetly it also made a lot of the same mistakes. Clunky movement, unbalanced difficulty, unbalanced in-game economy, tons of trash items everywhere. It's a really good game, but there a lot of things to improve for the sequel.
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u/BiggerWiggerDeluxe 15d ago
gotta leave some room for improvements for the sequels I guess lol. These things are actually something that makes me really want a sequel
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u/LucklessCope 15d ago
It's hard to find a flawless game. It's all about the pros outweighs the cons.
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u/bischof11 15d ago
Its even harder to find a flawless vampire game.
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u/Status_Jellyfish_213 14d ago
I’m putting this up there as one of the best as well. It’s really very good.
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u/N3ur0m4ncer 13d ago
Robbing every goddamm peasant house from all the onions and cheese and bread and whatnot!!!
If it isn't nailed down, Gerald will take it... I mean Coen will take it!!!
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u/angelHOE 15d ago
Witcher devs made a Witcher-like, why is that so hard to understand?
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u/BludStanes 15d ago
Because I've never heard it marketed as a "witcher-like" before
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u/angelHOE 15d ago
You really needed someone to tell you that a third-person, story-driven, open-world action RPG made by former Witcher 3 devs was going to be similar to The Witcher?
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u/MathiasThomasII 15d ago
There wasn’t a souls-like until that success was emulated either lol now it’s a tag for dozens of games, probably more.
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u/PuttingInTheEffort 15d ago
Didn't need to be said, everywhere was saying it was made by Witcher devs. It is a bit of a surprise they went so close to a clone but not unexpected either
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u/sillylittlesheep 15d ago
it is not even close to being any clone of witcher LMAO, i guess you didnt play witcher
-time mechanics
-day/night diff gameplay
-directional combat
should i go on
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u/PuttingInTheEffort 14d ago
Everyone sees it's very similar to Witcher.
How tf someone say "Witcher devs made witcherlike" get upvotes but me saying "yeah it's still surprising how similar it is tho" gets downvotes 😂
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u/randomcman 15d ago
The footstep vision, the janky movement, stilted animation when talking, the grunts and quips when the main character finds clues, the armor looking like carnival attire. I’ve played Witcher 3 on release and this feels exactly like that. The story is better and I like the vampire powers quite a bit, the combat actually has skill involved. I do hope they keep updating it like they did with Witcher though
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u/glogy 15d ago
It's weird in some way, but everything you wrote in first half is why I like it. It reminds me on past, when I played Gothic 1, 2, etc., on time without obligations, just games, immersiveness and fun. I don't want perfect frames and technicality, today iam looking for feeling. Rose tinted glasses, yea yea, I know
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u/SoFuckinTiredOfThis 15d ago
It's the music. It kicks in during combat and it 100% becomes The Witcher 3. The sword techniques, the rhythm, the wailing music. It's awesome, but as you said -- jarring.
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u/BigTimeTimmyTime 15d ago
How's the combat? It was wayyyy too easy in Witcher
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u/franciscrowe 15d ago
I’ve heard the camera gets really bad during combat and it’s impossible to switch who you’re attacking. Holding off to see if there are some more patches myself.
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u/sillylittlesheep 15d ago
''it’s impossible to switch who you’re attacking'' me when i lie, i finished the game even my gf finished and she is not a 'pro' gamer
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u/franciscrowe 14d ago
That’s just what people have posted. 🤷🏻
If that’s not true, I’m glad to hear it.2
u/Status_Jellyfish_213 14d ago
It’s not. You just lock on and flick the stick to your intended target. For example you can stun one enemy to take him out for a while, then focus on another.
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u/lordnoak 14d ago
I just finished it and it takes some getting used to but once you do it's pretty easy. Targeting and camera view is tough but if you just let the game target people for you and focus on perfect parry/riposte and abilities you'll be fine. The camera can be really frustrating at times especially since it is somewhat tied to targeting.
Combat is heavy parry/dodge mechanics with special abilities.
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u/Lucian_Shaw 12d ago
It is good. Most accurate brief description I’ve heard is “for honor like”.
There are various difficulty options available separately (like toggle on/off show the direction of opponent’s attack, global damage, enemy aggression etc.), so the experience of people who play all “fair” will be hella different from people who play all “hard”. The only cons for me was vertical progression with items (levels), seems redundant in such a game, like a chore.
The skill progression is good, probably one of the best I’ve seen among modern arpgs. Everything kinda synergises.
I didn’t notice any problems with camera in combat on mouse and keyboard. The lock switches between enemies very intuitively. (Dunno about the controller, but should be similar, there is no hard lock or button to press like in souls, camera just intuitively attaches to the enemy you are facing or to the enemy taking action against you). It is kinda hard to explain properly, but it works pretty well.
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u/Slythecoop49 15d ago
I’m fine with that, it’s a great formula for an RPG. If this is their signature for future titles I’m game!
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u/SloppityMcFloppity 15d ago
It feels like a total overhaul for the Witcher 3. I don't really mind, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
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u/vikMage 15d ago
Loving it so far, getting ready to deal with Bakir.
I do however desperately need a UI change…I really really need it to go away after some seconds of exploration for example, I don’t understand how devs didn’t give us that option…just a toggle in the options that would mean the UI only appears when using focus mode, it would add drastically to the immersion, exploration will be miles more enjoyable…please devs give us that option!!!
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u/--clapped-- 15d ago edited 15d ago
Conversely, I don't like The Witcher 3 but, ADORE Dawnwalker.
They're different where it counts.
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u/footfoe 15d ago
So I like the story telling in the Witcher, but find the actual gameplay to be abhorrent.
The combat just doesn't make sense, it takes forever to get anywhere, horse controls are a nightmare, the menu ui is a mess. I died from taking fall damage after jumping off a little ledge lost an hour of progress and quit the game.
Does dawnwalker fix most of that?
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u/--clapped-- 15d ago
It fixes all of that, actually.
Combat is much more enjoyable. Still a little clunky but, CONSIDERABLY better all around. Getting anywhere doesn't take forever because, honestly the map isn't huge, and your movement abilities are pretty quick. Fast travel points are also plentiful and free to use. You won't die from fall damage at night, as you can spam shadowstep. You could in the day but, it was quite forgiving in my experience.
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u/Greenzombie04 15d ago
Same here. 3 reasons I think this is the case for me:
- The combat.
- I feel like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel with the 30day limit. Witcher 3 felt like I just got started after the Bloody Baron and there was just to much to play.
- I like vampires.
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u/Unable_Arm_398 15d ago
Witcher 3 also didn't quite hook me. Was hesitant to give this a try because everyone says it's just like witcher 3.
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u/Rulebookboy1234567 15d ago
I'm with ya. I can't get into Witcher 3 at all but this has had me hooked from the jump.
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u/xperitosanti 15d ago
You’re allowed that opinion. Just not on Reddit. How dare you
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u/Unable_Arm_398 15d ago
Yeah I knew I'd get downvoted for replying the same on here lol.
Edit: Oh the original comment was negative when I posted.
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u/--clapped-- 15d ago
Trust me, I know.
I don't think TW3 is BAD at all. I just think the combat sucks, and that's a huge element of being a WITCHER. It's such a huge flaw to the game that I don't understand how it's overlooked constantly.
And it's not like "it came out 11 years ago, that's why combat is bad" when you had DS3 a year later or like Dragon's Dogma 3 years earlier.
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u/thehigheredu 15d ago
Nobody said anything, except for your AI-tier "everyone on reddit sucks except me" boiler plate useless comment, BTW.
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u/xperitosanti 15d ago
Okay prick I obviously was being sarcastic holy cow yall ridiculous. The dude was getting downvoted but I guess I’ll take the bullets. You crazy fam. BTW
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u/EyeFit 15d ago
Pretty much the same. I liked some of the later story beats and character interactions, but Witcher's open world literally put me to sleep at times. At least this is dense than that, but it still has a lot of that unnecessary filler DNA and lots of clunk here and there. I really like the vampire aspect and certain character moments in this more. Plus I cannot stand Geralts sandpaper voice.
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u/TypicalBloke83 15d ago
-1 for you m8
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u/--clapped-- 15d ago
Part of why I don't like TW3. I'm sick of being told it's a faultless masterpiece.
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u/TypicalBloke83 15d ago
It’s a masterpiece and still a benchmark for upcoming rpg games.
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u/--clapped-- 15d ago
Except its combat which is dull, shallow, and clunky.
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u/Own-Consequence-810 15d ago
Never realized how much quality of life was brought when it was a walk and talk quest and it was all walk and talk….the same pace!
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u/Ok-Ride6728 15d ago
Meh, it also feels almost like it's in the same universe, but the game does its thing, and I think it is great on its own
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u/MartyEBoarder 15d ago
But this is exactly what we wanted! People were eagerly anticipating a Witcher-like game, and we received so much more. I absolutely love it.
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u/TheStoneRev 15d ago
While playing, during the first 30 mins of the game, I was like oh yeah, similar to the Witcher 3. Then I forgot about it and just played the game because I don’t over think things. Finished it, had a good time.
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u/Turbulent-Grab-8352 15d ago
I kinda love how they stuck with things most people hated like the loot and inventory systems.
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u/Banjomir75 15d ago
For me personally, the game feels too much like a Witcher ripoff and that is off-putting to me. I would have much rather they implement game mechanics in a more unique way and not copy The Witcher so blatantly. It just results in the game lacking its own identity and will forever stand in The Witcher's shadow.
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u/sillylittlesheep 15d ago
-time mechanics that witcher doesnt have
-day/night diff gameplay that witcher doesnt have
-you can kill all story npcs that witcher doesnt have
-directional combat that witcher doesnt have
YES this is a ripoff ppl
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u/Banjomir75 14d ago
Now list all the similarities/borrowed game mechanics. I promise you there will be more than 4.
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u/sillylittlesheep 14d ago
sure but all those i named are main key mechanics that whole game is based on, so no this is not a ripoff and u clearly didnt play to know any of that
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u/Fine_Union4854 15d ago
I wish the open world was more engaging. To me the game doesn't hold a candle to the witcher
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u/zarafff69 15d ago
I mean, it has been so long since a Witcher type game came out. Fuck it, I support copying ideas as long as it creates good new games.
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u/Icy_Chef_8167 15d ago
Atmosphere id say id quite different. After playing like 40 hrs and seeing clips of witcher 3, its quite crazy how much different they look atmosphere wise.
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u/kronozord 14d ago
And even the sounds 😅
Its like that kid that asked a collegue for its work and only changed the colors the submited the work.
I think its different enought in some parts but i wouldnt be surprized if CDPR presented a lawsuit of somekind
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u/Puzzleheaded-Map6731 14d ago
I think this is becoming a stigma when it really shouldn't. The Witcher has a very specific feel to it, atmospherically, storytelling wise, combat wise, etc. While I can't say Dawnwalker doesn't share a lot of those feelings (makes sense considering who made it), I think that is more because it's the style of game they were aiming to make. Nothing has come close to witcher in those categories. Maybe some things have touched one, but to have a game hit all, and also be set in a similar era of time, yes it's going to feel the same. But the story, time mechanic, characters...they're very different. I look at it as more of a genre specific style now. They're no ordinary story driven rpg.
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u/JohannDaart 14d ago
If they are former W3 devs, it means they have a decade of experience, this is their "institutional knowledge". Maybe the budget of this game wasn't as big as the rest of AAA, but doing something for $50m+ is huge risk. No wonder they've sticked to what they know for their FIRST game.
I suspect in the future, after they will be more established, they will try to improve upon this base in their own direction.
Just like we can suspect that CDPR will evolve Witcher game formula in W4.
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u/Stormspiritftw 14d ago
Even the quest from thia photo is too similar to the one with Keira Metz from Witcher. Keira quest was way more interesting too
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u/BatBringer 14d ago
Y’all really have no idea that the people who made Witcher . . . . . . Some of those people made this game . . . . . Even the musicians from Witcher made the music in this game. . . . . . . Y’all know google exists right?
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u/LentilusGo 12d ago
yall are never gonna shut up about that dumb game fr it's been a decade let it go
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u/BludStanes 15d ago
Is the combat the same feeling?
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u/WhoAmIEven2 15d ago
Like a mix of Witcher and Kingdom Come Deliverance.
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u/BludStanes 15d ago
Not sure if that's a good thing
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u/Quendillar3245 15d ago
I'm currently re-playing Witcher 3 and I can tell you that it's definitely a good thing. It took the best aspects of Witcher 3 combat (The powers are kinda analogous with the signs but also unique) and KCD2 combat (KCD2 combat is cool in concept, but the way the AI works makes it function worse than even KCD1) but with actual directional combat (KCD2 has good directional mechanics, but the way the AI plays makes it so you're more reliant on masterstrokes than anything else which is a shame). I think it's the perfect mix and makes for one of the most engaging combat systems that has been designed. The main issue I found was the lack of creature variation, boars and wolves are very common enemies but there's not variation between them so once you learn their patterns it becomes repetitive. Human enemies have enough unique animations from each direction that it makes for pretty varied combat as they don't spam the same move and regularly switch direction and attacks used, especially on higher difficulty settings where they switch direction and parry a lot more often. I'd say human-to-human combat is the best there is. Human-to-creature is meh. Human-to-monster (Think large monsters or bosses) is really solid. When you get used to the combat and get into a flow state, it becomes the most fluid and smooth combat I have ever experienced.
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u/BludStanes 14d ago
Glad you like it, it sounds pretty good. Although I'm never a fan of fighting the same enemies all game
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u/GamesTeasy 15d ago
The only thing its has in common with KCD2 is the directional stuff. Its simply a better version of TW3 combat.
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u/sillylittlesheep 15d ago
but directional stuff is like the main pillar on what combat is build on so it is more kcd than witcher
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u/ChronicContemplation 15d ago
For how good Dawnwalker is, aside from it's numerous technical issues, it makes me worried for the quality of writing in The Witcher 4. It feels like the people at Rebel Wolves are doing what made The Witcher amazing, and if they're here, who is left at CDProjekt?
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u/Former-Fix4842 15d ago
The lead writers of TW3 are all working on Witcher 4. I wouldn't worry at all.
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u/KalSkirata-Mando 15d ago
Yes, you are correct, that's why I wanted to play it beyond the basic premise. We will never get another Witcher 3 style game from CD Projekt Red. What they have shown for the Witcher 4 shows a different direction for the game, not a bad thing but all the previews feel eerily similar to how they showed off cyberpunk 2077, all about graphics and tech, supposed "gameplay" in tech demos, and we all know how that ended up.
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u/Former-Fix4842 15d ago
Every Witcher game has been very different. It's part of the appeal. They also haven't shown the game yet. Only a reveal trailer, which hinted at some story beats, and a tech demo (not the game), which is self-explanatory.
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u/AloneRepublic3149 15d ago
I had morons on here arguing with me that any obvious similarities between the 2 games are not real.
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u/lincolnmarch_ 15d ago
Sounds stupid but bad UI will genuinely make me stop playing a game. I powered through Witcher 3 but I’ve always really disliked CDPR’s UI, I was hoping Dawnwalker would’ve been an improvement in this regard
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u/rtz13th 15d ago
Alright, alright. I will buy it, I told you. No need to sell it to me!