‘I’m Tired of Games That Are Too Big’: Open World RPG Dawnwalker Doesn’t Want to Waste Your Time
The Blood of Dawnwalker, an open world RPG, is positioning itself against the excess of modern AAA games. Creative director Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz, a veteran quest designer who previously led quest design on The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 at CD Projekt Red, has expressed frustration with games that are simply too expansive and unfocused. The game’s core philosophy centers on “maximising player agency” through deliberately focused settings that meaningfully reflect the consequences of player decisions.
Tomaszkiewicz cited Baldur’s Gate 3 as a exemplar of this design philosophy, praising how the game balances complex narrative with genuine freedom and choice. By prioritizing intentional scope over raw content volume, The Blood of Dawnwalker represents a more deliberate approach to open world design that emphasizes player impact and meaningful choices rather than the accumulation of excessive side content. This design philosophy reflects growing industry recognition that larger games are not necessarily better games.