Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Review

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 returns to the Middle Ages. Although it offers a steeper adaptation curve compared to the first game, Warhorse Studios has created one of the new cornerstones of the RPG genre. Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 offers an incredible medieval adventure that rewards the patient player abundantly.

Expectations from a sequel are often shaped by the portfolio of the series developer. For example, if the studio’s first game was a medieval RPG like Kingdom Come Deliverance, which had its own features but was relatively lacking in polish, we wouldn’t have astronomical expectations from the sequel.

Therefore, it may not be fair to expect a production that advances the first game in almost every aspect. That’s why Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is a game that eliminates all possibilities. Perhaps going beyond the great expectations that very few people had, the game has managed to combine the difficult life of the middle ages with a unique reality.

Although we, as the end consumer, do not have the responsibility to consider the studio’s talent pool, development budget, and investors’ concerns, I am very curious about how Warhorse Studios achieved this success with Kingdom Come Deliverance 2. Let’s take a look at Henry’s new story, with its realism and knitted world.

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Review: Improving the original in every way

Warhorse’s sequel, with its opening in its first minutes, signals that a very difficult life awaits us in the middle ages. We begin our journey from desolation to heroism in the first game by returning to the period of desolation.

However, the familiarity of knowing Henry before helped me enter the immersive world of Kingdom Come Deliverance 2. But despite this familiarity, I could hardly help but be surprised by the dynamic relationship between Henry and Bohemia, which I created in a matter of hours.

How I dressed, what I did where, what weapon I fought with, or how I talked were perhaps more important than in any RPG. Although Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 put me in the role of a blacksmith on a letter mission, I could be almost anything I wanted in harsh Bohemia. All possibilities were systematically supported with the new skill system and the narrative design that was woven in every aspect.

The believability of the game world’s response to the Henry I created is perhaps the biggest thing Warhorse Studios has achieved with this sequel. If there is a bigger success, it might be “the exquisite balance it has struck between being such a free sandbox and being an RPG with a clear line.”

The balance of open world and main story in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is great

These things that are great to me are also risky things for an ambitious sequel. Because such an understated promise of freedom actually means constructing a game vertical that the majority of players will remain unaware of.

Of course, RPGs, by their nature, should offer as many different stories as possible to each player. But the experience that two players will get in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is so different that Warhorse’s tailoring of things that have little chance of gaining experience made me fall in love with the game.

It’s as if the developers thought of every possibility and aimed for me to enjoy the experience both in the main story and in all the interactions I would fail in the open world. Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 made me happy until I lost everything and turned myself into a penniless looter. When I reached this point, I drank my recording potion and went back to a few hours ago. Not only did I not get tired of repeating this entire cycle several times, I felt like I could do it for hours.

So while Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is an incredible game for true RPG lovers, it may be a game with a relatively high adaptation curve for those familiar with the genre. This stems from the commitment of almost all systems of the game to realism. But I can say that this fidelity to reality was a breath of fresh air after RPGs where we constantly save the world.

Just as the adventures in a medieval swamp can be risky, the troubles we encounter in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 are as great. Without enemies to end the universe, poison the lands, or rain down on us from the portals, you may find yourself caring more about the characters and their stories.

Thanks to KC:D2’s organic development system, you are trying to make your life in Bohemia a little easier, not because of the XP points and dopamine that come with it. Proven RPG formulas, such as skills improving with use, also suit the game very well. Although the development is quite slow, it will be very difficult for you to get bored while spending time in the game’s world full of details.

For side quest lovers

I always say that if the main story is the meat and bones of RPGs, the side missions are their soul. Of course, a main story with high production values can delight you from the beginning to the end of the game. However, the open world that sets the stage for the main story should also promise experiences.

In games that fail to achieve this, the open world can serve as a showcase. At this point, gorgeous graphics cannot save the job. Because the RPG open world, which should be a sandbox, has become an exhibition table that only serves the main story.

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, on the other hand, puts the goal in the opposite direction of this understanding, offering an open world that is believable in every aspect and full of things to do. While it includes funny characters and interesting side missions to balance its realism, side missions that seem like small adventures can turn into huge adventures when you least expect it.

medieval trouble house

But in addition to your adventures in the remote corners of Bohemia, you need to eat properly, prepare potions and be well versed in blacksmithing. The sequel, which offers all of these with enjoyable mini games, is not an RPG where you can always wield your sword and resort to violence.

Of course, you can draw your sword in the middle of town and say hello to a clean medieval welcome. But fighting will be one of your last resorts – even though Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has improved the combat formulas a lot. Because the game’s fidelity to realism forms the basis of the combat system.

Therefore, many players will bounce off Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 because the combat system is difficult to master and there is a lot of punishment for unnecessary violence in the game. Unfortunately, although it sounds exciting, gunpowder weapons are not an add-on that takes the fighting formula even further. It is necessary to use them constantly in order to develop weapons that make wars much heavier rather than faster. However, due to their cumbersome nature, I gave up at one point and resorted to my sword again.

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Review – Last Word

When Kingdom Come Deliverance was released in 2018, it made it clear that it would appeal only to a certain segment of people and established a very clear distinction between players. Even though a large number of players rejected the game at the beginning of the game, Kingdom Come Deliverance was a game that fulfilled the wishes of the patient with both its story and technical infrastructure.

The first game, which presented the blacksmith’s son’s journey to knighthood with realistic tendencies, was also faced with performance problems, an undercooked combat formula and various lack of polish.

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, on the other hand, comes by solving all the problems that Warhorse Studios has heard from the players and, obviously, they themselves are disturbed by. I embarked on incredible adventures in the middle ages as Henry, with almost no errors or performance problems on the PC.

I enjoyed learning all the character development challenges and gameplay systems the game had to offer, and lost myself in its spacious open world full of meaningful interactions, far from empty side activities. Despite the stubborn registration system and the character development formula that feels very slow at times, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is a touchstone that will be played for many years and will leave different memories with each playthrough.

Positive

• A huge, stitched-together open world full of meaningful interactions
• Admirable acting performances
• Gripping main story
• Deep and rewarding character development system

Negative

• The adaptation curve is quite steep
• The combat system can become quite unbalanced at times.