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Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is an RPG done right, with the depth of its mechanics matched only by the vastness of its open-world sandbox.
Warhorse Studios has forged an exciting experience of mishap adventures, deadly encounters, and a bustling medieval world in which to immerse yourself.
This game captivated me from start to finish; my journey, full of victories and quirks, is one I won’t forget any time soon.
Adventure awaits
The game kicks off right after 2018’s Kingdom Come Deliverance. Though prior knowledge is not required to follow the story, it is advantageous.
The sequel thrusts you into 1403 Bohemia amid a civil struggle between two brothers fighting for their claim to the throne. Wenceslas is in prison, and the older brother, Sigismund, is destroying the lands of those who oppose him.
We play as Henry of Skalitz, a blacksmith’s son revealed as a noble’s child, accompanying Hans Capon as he delivers a crucial message, hoping to turn the tide of war.
The entire story hinges on Henry’s interactions with the world and its inhabitants, influenced by an expansive dialogue system.
I was always amazed at the options available; a single line would make the difference between conversations ending peacefully or with bloodshed. It is one of the few games that invoked a sense of consequence to one’s actions.
Effects such as buffs, armor stats, and skill proficiency are all tied to success rates in dialogue. From lock-picking to potion crafting, more options would become available based on my play style.
While the sheer quantity of lines in this game is nothing to scoff at, with over 2 million words in total, the quality didn’t always hold up.
Most NPCs in the game, and even the main cast, sound incredibly dull and monotone. There are a few good moments here and there, especially with some of the antagonists, but most characters speak without an ounce of personality.
Hungry for more
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 isn’t exactly the easiest game to go into, with a fairly steep learning curve to climb. The game doesn’t hold your hand, which is a refreshing change of pace, but it can, on occasion, be overwhelming.
There’s a lot in this game to wrap you’re head around, and it is worsened by the game bombarding players with walls of information glossing over mechanics and UI systems. The first few hours of the game can be rough.
Despite how daunting the game is, mastering its systems is both incredibly rewarding and satisfying. The high difficulty at the beginning of the game quickly becomes a cakewalk if you play your cards right.
The combat in this game is a double-edged sword that shines in the best of times and can be incredibly frustrating in others.
My favorite moments in the game were the single duels against a fully armored foe; attacking, blocking, and master striking with a sword feels satisfying to execute.
Fighting more than one foe is more manageable in the sequel, but it still feels a bit clunky in part due to the first-person perspective. It doesn’t always work to the game’s benefit, especially when enemies attack you from the side or behind.
Large-scale battles are the worst offenders and are rarely enjoyable. Most of these encounters take place in enclosed spaces rather than open fields, which means characters are always clipping into each other, and locking onto enemies never works as intended.
There are also moments in the game where the quality of gear, unlocked perks, and buffs gained through potions overshadow player skill. In addition, some weapons, such as polearms and short swords, feel a lot more powerful than others.
With that being said, this game nails the sandbox experience. I spent most of my time playing as a silver-tongued bandit, lying to people to avoid conflict, assassinating enemies, and stealing goods for a few groschen.
A large 80 GB day one patch has resolved a lot of the issues that were prevalent in the earlier builds of the game. However, the issues that I encountered rarely ever prevented enjoyment or progression.
This game doesn’t enjoy playing in the rain or when it’s dark, and it gets even worse when the two combine. A certain boss fight in the main story saw rain falling indoors and a well-lit room looking dim.
On the flip side, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is incredibly well-optimized on PC and consoles.
On the PS5, games ran at a smooth 60fps at 1080p resolution when shifted to performance mode. Visual bugs were the main issues I encountered the most throughout my playthrough. Some textures failed to load, NPCs occasionally desynced, and my game froze once during my 100+ hour playthrough.
Though these are minor issues at best, they are few and far between. These problems scarcely affected my enjoyment of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.
The game frequently reuses character models, resulting in many characters eerily sharing the same facial features. This is especially noticeable with major NPCs involved in both the main story and significant side quests. Such repetition can be jarring in a game that emphasizes role-playing and immersion.
Chinks in the armor
There are secrets scattered around the two zones in this game, with surprise encounters on the road to keep you on you’re toes. There were several instances where my curiosity was rewarded with pleasant surprises and shocking encounters.
Kuttenberg is the game’s magnum opus when it comes to location designs. A bustling city crowded with NPC’s and some of the most interesting side quests in the whole game, from murder mysteries to sword fight tournaments.
The rest of the map looks and feels mostly the same across the two zones you can swap between. Much like the original, the sequel lacked any geographical variety – mostly featuring forests and open grass fields. Towns rarely ever stood out from one another because they all looked the same.
In my opinion, the game’s save system is needlessly restrictive. An exit save ensures you always have a safety net, otherwise, an unexpected death can set you back hours and force you to grind through waves of dialogue again. An auto-save is sorely needed in a title that boasts multi-choice narratives to encourage players to reload saves and explore different outcomes.
A worthy successor: 9/10
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is nothing short of a royally good time, even with its bells and whistle. The options in dialogue complement the freedom of its open-world sandbox gameplay.
Even though the game isn’t available on Game Pass or PlayStation Plus, the RPG more than justifies its premium price tag.
Though I have a few gripes surrounding some of its aspects, they are heavily overshadowed by the abundance of well-designed mechanics that flood this title. Henry’s adventures tell a story that anyone can enjoy, from veterans to new players.
The game lives up to its motto, “audentes fortuna Iuvat,” or “fortune favors the bold.” It has made some bold design choices, and though it doesn’t always pay off, the result is nothing short of sensational.
