Director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz said this was in response to The Witcher 3 players ignoring the main story to play Gwent non-stop.
Doubling down on the concept of a narrative sandbox, The Blood of Dawnwalker will allow players plenty of freedom in its story.
"If size is your measure, then yes, it's not the size of a AAA like The Witcher. But I don't know if the size is the measure, to be honest."
Even seemingly minor and inconsequential quests in The Blood of Dawnwalker might end up affecting the overall story, according to the studio.
Game director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz says that writing a protagonist like Coen is quite enjoyable, rather than writing a superhero yet again.
The fantasy RPG's magic system will apparently be more subtle, focusing on occult elements, including rituals and summoning.
Coen also isn't a "grizzled veteran who's seen it all" but a "young guy who, at heart, is emotional," say writer Jakub Szamałek.
While The Blood of Dawnwalker's narrative will feature some sort of 30-day time limit, the developer has confirmed that this won't affect gameplay.
Developed by former Witcher 3 devs, the AAA open-world dark fantasy RPG will see players step into the boots of a vampire.
Indie team Rebel Wolves' debut title is described as a AAA dark fantasy action RPG, and is being published by Bandai Namco.
