Kingdom Come Deliverance 2: A Deep Dive into the Next Chapter of Historical RPG Adventure on Xbox
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is a challenging game, regardless of how you approach it. It’s a tough journey to embark on, difficult to find your footing and to commit time to in its initial hours. It’s also hard in its lack of willingness to easily reiterate its many interconnected mechanics and systems, or to conform to some methods we’ve (perhaps regrettably) grown accustomed to as seasoned RPG players. It demands a significant time investment to make any progress in Warhorse’s narrative sequel, and we suspect that fans of the original game would not have it any other way.
Would we personally still be immersed in it if it weren’t for our review? We’re not entirely sure, if we (or at least this writer) are being completely honest. However, that doesn’t imply it isn’t an incredible RPG. It unquestionably is, as evidenced by the score at the conclusion of this article. It’s just that, as much as we find it enjoyable, it requires immense effort to remain a feasible choice for our limited gaming time – and we believe that might be a daunting aspect for some individuals who cautiously explore this grand time-sink of a game.
As you undertake Henry of Skalitz’s most infamous adventures, be ready to face challenges in ways that only a handful of contemporary RPGs manage to impose on their players, and it’s a prolonged endeavor at that. Expect to dig deep out of necessity, and to dedicate significant amounts of time to transforming your version of Henry into the kind of hero who can endure a day in 15th Century Bavaria. While you’re at it, Warhorse has crafted a medieval sandbox that establishes new mechanical benchmarks for the RPG genre, especially in its unwavering adherence to its own principles to create an authentic world.
In fact, we truly feel it’s essential to emphasize just how time-consuming and punishing this game is upfront, in case it sounds repetitive. It took us around several hours just to learn how to tame a horse. Achieving a proficient level of combat necessitates serious training and extreme dedication to what is genuinely a very punishing fighting system. There are skill trials throughout the journey as well; difficult duels you must conquer to progress through specific missions, and horse races against elite jockeys who will give no mercy.
You can commit crimes and pay the price for underestimating the RPG mechanics that are constantly looming. You better believe it. You can get robbed, lose items, diverted by a quest to find a legendary sword (about as fantastical as this game gets), or perhaps, as we did, you can spend three in-game days crouch-walking inside a vast castle in your underwear, just to level up your stealth skills while learning how to pick locks (which is quite challenging!).
It’s one of those experiences, a true rarity. A game you can easily get lost in. An RPG you can replay ad nauseam due to its astonishingly intricate mechanics that somehow hold together while we play like fools, and a depiction of medieval Europe that’s enjoyable to spend time in, considering how authentic everything feels…how extraordinarily mundane and un-fantastical it is. Indeed, one of the most fascinating selling points of the first game was its absence of dragons and dwarves, elves and mystical spells. In this game, there’s bull**t everywhere. People will tell you to get lost for merely looking at them, and if you’re dirty (which you’ll need to clean periodically), expect a day of wandering around getting insulted by those who don’t want to endure your stench. Have you been rolling in filth again, Henry? What’s wrong with you? Take this seriously and take a bath, for goodness’ sake.
Narratively, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 sees Henry facing off against the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund in the aftermath of the civil conflict from the first game (we won’t spoil any more of the story here), and even though Henry is much more skilled now than he was at the beginning of the first installment, there’s still a lot for him to learn. The combat has its own hefty and deliberate pacing – many may find it off-putting, we’re sure – and diving in to learn combos and practice in battles allows you to start expanding, building new skills that eventually even influence various aspects of your overall character. It’s an incredibly flexible system, and one that’s earned a place in our hearts for letting us mold a vile and foul-smelling Henry who takes delight in digging up graves at night while hammering bags of dried poppies.
“Practice makes perfect” truly embodies the essence of everything in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2. Whether it’s using your bow, a longsword, axe, shield, or pike…you name it, there’s a learning curve, intricacies to master, and tactics to employ when facing foes who approach you with all they’ve got. Initially, it feels almost alien, especially if you’ve not struggled through this in the first game. However, as you learn moves – blocking, riposting, knee strikes, etc., you start to discover the rhythm in it. Movements and inputs can feel slow for a reason at first, but with practice, engaging in some rather delightful and dynamic duels plays out throughout the game.
The same applies to cooking meals, interacting with merchants, using alchemy to create health potions and poisons, blacksmithing, drying food, and more. Cooking requires you to follow a recipe and gather ingredients. You must use a timer to boil items, for crying out loud. Crafting a sword demands you to acquire quality metal, heat it in the forge, transfer it to the anvil, and hammer it out methodically in a rhythmical mini-game of striking to the beat (or whistle) that you can actually become quite adept at. Heck, you even have to dip the sword in water at the end. It’s quite detailed, and with everything happening in the first person, painstakingly and deliberately…it’s remarkably engaging, truly.
Horse riding, hunting, taking care of your dog, drinking, bare-knuckle boxing, sneaking around, stabbing people, stealing items, deceitfully lying, and committing acts of violence against innocent individuals; all of these activities have corresponding sections in your character menus (which look just as sleek as the attractive in-game interface) and you can improve all of them in various ways. Drink a considerable amount of beer and you will begin to experience the benefits of consuming a lot of beer, let’s say (it helps you get a more restorative night’s sleep, among other things), or dash around the environment jumping fences and performing three-point turns with your horse, and you will soon start to see the benefits as a skilled jockey.
All of this integrates with sophisticated overworld systems that remember crimes long-term – locals might not forget your face in a hurry! – and severe punishments imposed for any and all notable infractions of 15th-century societal rules. The world is not vast by any means, but it’s rich, filled with hidden secrets that do not shine or glimmer or try to entice you in any way. It rewards players who are eager to inhabit it fully, those willing to take risks and venture off the beaten path to explore (and face consequences). There are some delightful secret spots to uncover, too, and these are made all the more gratifying due to treasures, armor, swords, and even early versions of weapons that you can either wield or sell. The more you sell, the higher prices you can set, after all, and it all helps when the best gear can often be critically important given the fierce nature of skirmishes at times.
Conversations with NPCs are well-acted and thoroughly voiced across the board, and side missions here also follow The Witcher 3’s lead in how unpredictable they can occasionally appear,