by Chris PenwellThere isn’t a lot I’m ashamed of, but I confessed one of my sins to a priest at a comic convention, MCM Comic Con, in London. Yes, you heard that right; this is weird, in the best way. Bandai Namco set up a cubicle for The Blood of Dawnwalker with a priest inside, asking you thought-provoking questions after you admit your sin. For those heading to MCM from May 22 to May 24 in London, I’ll try not to spoil what occurs; that would be a sin in and of itself!
At one of the main entrances to the show floor, you’ll instantly see Bandai Namco with a heavy presence at the event. There’s a giant Gundam that is two or three times as tall as me (and I’m 5’11”!), in addition to a bunch of merch available. They even showcased some new-school Tamagotchi with a zoom-in-and-out feature with pretty colorful visuals.
While it was disappointing that there were no game demos on the floor for titles such as Echoes of Aincrad, a strange medieval cubicle awaited me. It’s elaborately made with fake candles, a cool stone wall, and a wooden cubicle that looks ripped from the game. Before you enter, four priests welcome you and ask what your sin is. They are deep in character and even talked about their feet next to me. Perhaps the shoes they were wearing were uncomfortable as it was reaching the end of the day.
Regardless, I confessed that I stole some chocolate from my sister the other week (which is very much true). While it was a childish answer, I couldn’t think of anything else. The priest who was talking to me did not laugh and took it dead seriously. He feared I would take a dark route. After a few minutes, I unfurled the curtain and entered the space.
It was dark, and a priest with his hood on greeted me. I could only see his intense gaze at me. He asked me about my sin, and then, in a grave voice, asked me a few questions about my conscience. It was a fascinating, if not awkward, experience. I couldn’t help but laugh, but the man on the other side did not shake out of the character. They were all in top form. After speaking to the unnerving priest, he said I was worthy of an item: a poster for the game. I will protect it with my life, as much as I can, after traveling for almost two hours on a coach and around London.
What was quite the change in direction of the experience, however, was being welcomed by two Bandai Namco reps in regular clothing with a camera. It was quite a sharp change that took me a little while to get adjusted to. Like being in a theme park, a picture is taken in front of a faux-stone wall. It is printed and placed in a picture frame. It’s quite the genius marketing event to remind you that The Blood of Dawnwalker launches this September.
Despite the fun premise, I do wish I were able to play the game at MCM Comic Con, but the experience was well worth it. The PR rep from Bandai Namco told me he had two months to prepare for this. He deserves a raise, as it is such a unique experience I won’t forget anytime soon. You can experience it on the 23rd and 24th of May in London.
As for The Blood of Dawnwalker, we don’t know how the combat is like, but I can definitely tell you that the game will be out on September 3, 2026, on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
The writer was given press access to the convention by organizers.
The Blood of Dawnwalker
