Kingdom Come: Deliverance II: First Impressions

With the recent release of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, it's time to delve into whether Warhorse Studios' second foray into Czech history through video games is worth your time.

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After 10 hours immersed in the game, my initial impressions are overwhelmingly positive. The urge to play trumps my work responsibilities, which speaks volumes. But before I completely abandon my duties, let's dissect the game.

Table of Contents

• Comparison with the First Game
• Bugs
• Realism and Difficulty
• Should You Play Kingdom Come: Deliverance II?

Comparison with the First Game

Like its predecessor, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is an open-world action RPG prioritizing historical accuracy and realistic mechanics. You can choose your path: valiant knight, stealthy thief, or diplomatic peacemaker. Essential actions like eating and sleeping directly impact your effectiveness, and facing three bandits solo is a genuinely challenging feat.

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Visually stunning, the landscapes are even more breathtaking than before, yet the game runs smoothly on PCs and consoles without the ear-splitting performance issues often found in modern AAA titles. This balance is a welcome rarity.

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Combat has received subtle but significant improvements. The streamlined attack system, easier enemy switching, and the more rhythmic parry mechanic make combat more intuitive without sacrificing difficulty. Enemy AI is smarter, leading to more tactical depth.

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Group combat feels more strategically demanding than in most games. Enemies actively attempt to surround and flank you. Injured foes strategically retreat, allowing their allies to take over.

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Beyond alchemy and dice games, blacksmithing has been added. This engaging craft provides both income and access to high-quality equipment. The variety of forgeable items ensures it remains engaging. However, the unique controls made forging horseshoes surprisingly more difficult than swords and axes for me.

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Bugs

The original Kingdom Come: Deliverance was remembered for its technical issues. However, the sequel launched in a significantly more polished state, as expected for a large-scale RPG.

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I encountered only minor glitches. Early on, dialogue selection buttons briefly malfunctioned, easily resolved with a restart. A tavern maid once inexplicably climbed a table before teleporting back down. These were minor visual anomalies—annoying, but not game-breaking.

Realism and Difficulty

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Kingdom Come: Deliverance II avoids excessive realism that could hinder gameplay. The believable world enhances immersion significantly.

The lack of a difficulty setting might deter players who prefer less challenging experiences. However, it’s not Dark Souls. If you’ve completed The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt or The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on any difficulty, you should manage, provided you avoid overtly difficult situations like charging headfirst into a group of enemies alone.

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The historical detail is impressive. While I can't fully assess its accuracy as a non-historian, I appreciate that the game subtly encourages interest in history rather than forcefully presenting facts.

Should You Play Kingdom Come: Deliverance II?

Newcomers can easily jump in; the prologue smoothly integrates events from the first game, ensuring understanding of Henry’s backstory.

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This epic opening cleverly blends tutorials with an engaging narrative. Within the first hour, you’ll fight, laugh, and be fully immersed in medieval Bohemia.

It's too early to definitively judge the story and quests, but my initial impressions are quite positive. Whether this quality persists throughout the full 100 hours remains to be seen.

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After 10 hours, my initial impressions are highly favorable. Improvements over the first game are evident across the board. It's shaping up to be an excellent RPG. Will it maintain this quality throughout? Only time will tell.