Combat

Day combat

During the day, Coen fights as a human. His primary weapon is Peregrini Aurorae the only sword he carries, a skill learned from his father. There are no bows, crossbows, or alternative ranged weapons. Combat is melee-focused with a directional system.

The directional system works across four angles: up, down, left, and right. Players choose a direction to swing and a direction to block. Enemies telegraph their attacks, and reading their movements correctly lets you strike where they can't parry. Successful attacks, blocks, and parries build activation charges.

Activation charges power two things: hex magic abilities and execution moves. Hexes include Burning Blood (damage over time), Feral Mind (forces enemies to attack their allies), and Compel Soul (speak with the dead). Execution moves like Artery Attack deal heavy finishing damage. Players start with three ability slots, expandable through progression. You earn charges by fighting well, which creates a loop where offense enables bigger offense.

Coen can also fight barehanded. Punches and blocks follow the same directional system as sword combat.

Omniblock mode

For players who find the directional system too demanding, an omniblock/omniattack mode is available. This removes the need to choose a direction. Attacks and blocks work in all directions automatically. The trade-off is higher stamina consumption. The developers added this based on community feedback, keeping the directional system as the intended experience while offering an accessible alternative.

Night combat

At night, Coen fights with claws instead of a sword. The pace is faster and more aggressive. His claws can tear through enemy armor, and dismemberment is present, limbs come off. His vampiric powers add new options:

Night combat ties into stealth. Coen must avoid detection by guards and civilians while in vampire form. Getting spotted can escalate into fights you're not ready for, or trigger narrative consequences.

Acquiring vampire powers

Coen obtains new vampire abilities by draining other vampires. Each vampire has distinct powers, and defeating them lets Coen absorb what they had. Xanthe's Blood Whips, for example, are acquired this way. This ties character progression to the enemies you choose to fight rather than a generic upgrade menu.

Blood craving in combat

The blood craving system connects directly to fighting. As Coen takes damage, his hunger increases. At night, the health bar also represents his hunger level. Biting enemies serves the dual purpose of healing and managing the craving meter. If craving reaches critical levels, Coen can involuntarily drain NPCs, including story-critical characters.

Feeding can be partial (knocking victims unconscious) or total (killing them). The choice between restraint and efficiency creates a persistent tension during and between fights.

Difficulty and accessibility

At easier difficulties, enemy attack animations slow down to give players more reaction time. This affects timing rather than inflating enemy health or deflating damage numbers. The radial ability menu slows time rather than fully pausing it, keeping some pressure even during ability selection. Camera options let players switch between close and far perspectives separately for combat and exploration.

Skill trees

Character progression uses three skill trees: Human, Vampire, and Shared. Human skills improve sword combat, hex abilities, and daytime effectiveness. Vampire skills improve claw attacks, supernatural powers, and nighttime capabilities. Shared skills benefit both forms. Skill points come from leveling up.

Design influences

Press previews from Gamescom 2025 compared the daytime swordplay to The Witcher 3's directional combat but with faster response times and quicker direction changes. The nighttime vampire gameplay drew comparisons to the Arkham series and Dishonored, particularly the emphasis on supernatural mobility and predatory stealth. The overall design takes inspiration from Fallout 1 and 2's approach to non-linear quest structures.