There is a fine line between historically accurate medieval gameplay and medieval gameplay that is fun. Generally accepted Kingdom Come: Deliverance It shows that Warhorse Studios has achieved this balance well in 2018, but as noted Kotaku's reviewA lot can be improved. After playing (recently postponed) Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 For nearly three hours, it was clear that the team was aware of its mistakes and strengths from the first game. KCD2 on the surface, it's a classic video game sequel—bigger and better, with more to come. But even as I got the feeling that Warhorse would bristle at that characterization, I was surprised at how much of an “immersive sim” it was. Though its intro is slow and narrowly focused on introducing newcomers to the game, what I did play much later in the game feels like a thrilling digital LARP session that I can't wait to experiment with further.
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A slow but “truly medieval” start
The game's opening takes place in Trosky Castle, which is the center of the game. KCD2's first (of two) major regions: The Bohemian Paradise, set in 1403. Hungary is being invaded by the Red Fox King Sigismund, and Henry, Hans, and the other soldiers find themselves at the mercy of arrows, catapults, and more. It's a fun scene, showcasing the new crossbow weapon, which joins other additions like early firearms and missile weapons, but we jump back a few weeks before things get going.
Unaware of the incoming invasion, protagonist Henry, his former rival-now-best friend Hans, and their crew set up camp after a brief fling with some guards watching over the bandits, where the game's skill-check-based dialogue system is used to showcase. I'm immediately captivated by the music, written by Warhorse's in-house composer duo Adam Sporka and Jan Valta. It's refreshingly medieval and whimsical, and avoids the more generic heroic tone that can sometimes accompany music in the genre. At camp, I play a few rounds of the dice-based minigame Tankard, find a way to feed my dog (which you may enjoy, of course), and practice my swordplay with Hans.
Dueling against Hans feels slow and deliberate, as I swing with the right trigger before selecting a direction for my attack with the right stick. I do this while watching Hans' attacks and their direction so I can block with the left trigger. It's surprisingly difficult, as you have to manage your directional input, enemy input, parries, and more. The game does a great job of dialogically signaling what's coming next, but there's still a lot to take into account. I was a mess at first. But after a few fights, I started to feel the appeal of this fighting system. Warhorse says it focused on making the combat more engaging and easier to understand for the sequel, addressing one of the most common criticisms of the first game.
Speaking on behalf of the studio during the event, Warhorse PR Manager Tobias Stolz-Zwilling said: KCD2 “it's really a medieval game, but it's not a medieval simulation.” The combat is the most telling. It feels like what I imagine medieval warfare to be like—deliberate, slow, and a little clunky—but it still manages to be fun.
“Truly medieval” also allows the team to get away with things like “Remedium Savegamium,” a potion that must be drunk to save the game. From the groans and laughter I heard during the preview when Warhorse mentioned it, it's clear that fans of the series find this potion both an annoying element of the first game and an endearing aspect of the difficulty and challenge it's known for.
After some time in the camp, Hans invites Henry to join him on a little adventure by following the voices of women he hears nearby. This moment represents the game's introduction to stealth, which seems simple but useful, but more importantly, it sets off an event that sends Hans and Henry running for their lives. Bandits attack the camp crew and then the women, and Hans and Henry are forced to flee, but not before Henry takes an arrow to the back.
As the two try to escape across a nearby pond, Henry is forced to relive tragic (and strange) moments from his past through flashbacks, most likely caused by his excessive blood loss. I like these moments because they add a touch of fantasy and surrealism. KCD2Its commitment to the 'truly medieval' might have prevented this otherwise, and the flashbacks help me, as a newcomer to the series, understand how Henry went from nobody to somebody.
I eventually arrive at a dilapidated forest cabin and meet Pavlena and Hezbonah. They rehabilitate Henry and teach me alchemy (a fun, multi-step minigame for making potions) and the effects of my dialogue choices. Henry gains reputation with different people, like Pavlena and Hezbonah, and with factions based on the choices I make, and even though the dialogue isn't based on skill checks, it makes for the kind of introspection that feels good. Dungeons and Dragons Roleplaying. Since I chose the Advisor playstyle at the beginning of the game, my Henry comes across as knowledgeable in conversation, but a Soldier playstyle might seem more brutish or a Thief more cunning.
Choosing Counselor, Soldier, or Thief will allocate your starting skill points, but Warhorse says you're not locked into one direction and are free to classify your Henry however you want. One thing I enjoyed in my short time with the game is the way it rewards your direct actions. Warhorse calls this “real role-playing,” but it feels most like classic to me Runescape so if I want my fighting moves to improve, I have to do things like swing a sword or shoot a bow. Interacting with the world to improve Henry's abilities is nicer than arbitrarily getting points to assign to any skill after completing quests, and it adds a satisfying level of action and immediate results to the world.
I finally reached it KCD2 title card, and just before I could finally interact with Bohemian Paradise's open world, I was fired up. While it's clear that the sequel's introductory hours are there to familiarize new players with the series and how it works, even I as a newbie found it slow when all was said and done. There's a ton of dialogue, which is admittedly well-written, but enough to make your eyes wander between sparse gameplay sequences.
A pinch of Thief inside Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Fortunately, there's more to come. The second half of my play session takes place, I'm told, 60 to 70 hours into the game. KCD2The other major region of 's is Kuttenberg, which was not seen in the first game but was hinted at throughout. It's a huge and sprawling medieval city, home to hundreds of NPCs and surrounded by villages and wilderness to explore. According to Warhorse, Kuttenberg and Bohemian Paradise cover an area of 25 square kilometers KCD2 to explore, twice the size of its predecessor.
Here I encounter the Frankfurt Meister, Menhard. A loud but charming character who is trying to become the local guild leader by challenging the others who hold the title. Henry, who stumbles upon this conversation, is free to ignore it or at least remain silent. But you can also side with Menhard or the opposing group of people. I side with Menhard, and after a suspicious conversation over a mug of ale, I find myself responsible for stealing a special guild sword and hanging it in the Town Hall.
It's noon and I head straight for the waypoint because of my curiosity about this request. This brings me to a locked door, which I forget myself and try to unlock, as the guards nearby immediately arrest me. Henry has to suffer the humiliation and embarrassment of being chained before he can be released, and due to his arrest, he has to sleep to get rid of a negative effect that makes him easy to spot. I sleep long enough to get rid of him and wake up at 1am, perfect time for a daring theft. Here I learn that if you're out at night, you have to carry a torch to avoid being questioned and scrutinized by the guards patrolling the city (which I fail)… and prison again. Soon after, this time with a torch in hand, I try to pull off this guild sword heist again at night, and finally reach the right place.
After successfully opening a few locked doors, I enter. I see a guard sitting at a table and sneak up on him to knock him out. I learn here that bathing is important. During my time in Kuttenberg, almost every NPC that passes by remarks on my scent, but I ignore it. I wish I hadn’t, because as I sit behind the aforementioned guard and prepare to knock him out, he smells something awful, turns around, and sees me… prison again. After the third attempt, I finally get the sword and hang it in the Town Hall as instructed by Menhard. Acting as a sort of guild challenge, Menhard, Henry, and a third NPC must now face off against other guild candidates in a tournament. I like that Henry stands on the sidelines watching other NPCs duel when he’s not dueling. It’s a welcome little touch of realism after waiting for the game to either fast-forward or allow Henry to join in on the other fights.
It's here, in the Kuttenberg section of the preview, that I find the freedom, variety, and diversity that was missing from the game's opening. While the first two hours of the game feel like paint-by-numbers, what I see in Kuttenberg, more than halfway through the game's story, points to a comprehensive medieval RPG that borders on immersive simulation; I wish I could have experienced more than 60 minutes of it.
Warhorse emphasizes a linear story here — Henry is still on a quest to avenge his parents, who were killed in the first game, all while fighting off an invading Hungarian army — and I can't wait to see how that plays out. I particularly enjoy the comical buddy-duo dynamic between Henry and Hans, and how their relationship impacts the larger narrative moments happening around them (and sometimes because of them). But what excites me most are the steps I'll take to get to those moments, the choices that are mechanically informed by the actual history of this medieval landscape. KCD2 The approaches are set to launch early next year.
Pre-order Kingdom Come: Deliverance II: Amazon | Best Buy
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