There’s a fine line between historically accurate medieval gameplay and interesting medieval gameplay. The overall reception situation is Kingdom Come: Deliverance shows that Warhorse Studios achieved this balance well in 2018, but as Xiaotuo’s reviewthere are still many areas for improvement. After playing (Recently delayed) Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 At about three hours in, it was clear that the team was aware of the first game’s missteps, as well as its strengths. KCD2 On the surface, this is a sequel to a classic video game—bigger, better, and with more to do. But I was surprised by how “immersive a simulation” it was, even if I sensed that Warhorse might shudder at this feature. While its introduction is slow and mostly focused on getting newcomers familiar with the gameplay, what I played late in the game felt like an exciting digital LARP session that I can’t wait to try further.
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Slow but “real medieval” begins
The game begins in Toski Castle, which is KCD2The first (of two) major areas: Bohemian Paradise in 1403. etc. It was an interesting scene showing off the new crossbow weapon in conjunction with other additions like early guns and missile weapons, but as things have progressed, we’ve cut that back to just a few weeks ago.
Protagonist Henry, his former rival but now best friend Hans, and their crew, unaware of the impending invasion, set up camp after a brief run-in with some wardens looking for bandits, here used to demonstrate the gameplay based on skill checks dialogue system. I was immediately drawn to the music created by Warhorse’s in-house composers Adam Sporka and Jan Valta. It’s refreshingly medieval and whimsical, eschewing the more generic heroic tone that sometimes accompanies music in the genre. At camp, I played a few rounds of the dice-based mini-game Tankard, figured out how to feed my dog (which you could pet, of course), and practiced swordplay with Hans.
fbThe duel with Hans felt heavy and deliberate, as I used the right stick to select my direction of attack and then swung with the correct trigger. I do this while watching Hans’ attack and direction so I can use the left trigger to block. It’s very difficult because you have to manage your directional input, enemy input, parries, etc. The game plot-wise does a good job of foreshadowing what’s going to happen next, but there’s still a lot that needs explaining. I hated it at first. But after playing it a few more times, I began to feel the appeal of this combat system. Warhorse says their focus is on making the sequel’s combat more engaging and accessible, addressing one of the most common criticisms of the first game.
Warhorse communications manager Tobias Stolz-Zwilling, who spoke on behalf of the studio during the event, said KCD2 is a “real medieval game, but not a medieval simulation”. Combat illustrates this best. It feels like how I imagine medieval combat to be – intentional, heavy, a little clunky – but still fun.
“Real Medieval” also allows the team to escape things like “Remedium Savegamium”, a potion that must be drank to save the game. Judging from the groans and laughs I heard in the preview when War Horse mentioned this, it’s clear that fans of the series found the potion to be both a frustrating element of the first game and one of its The well-known difficulty and the loveliness of the challenge.
After spending some time in the camp, Hans invites Henry to adventure with him, following the voice of a woman he hears nearby. This moment is the game’s introduction to stealth, which seems simple but useful, but more importantly, it kicks off the events of Hans and Henry’s escape. The robbers attack the crew and then the women in the camp, and Hans and Henry are forced to flee, but not before Henry is shot in the back with an arrow.
As the two attempt to escape across a nearby pond, Henry is forced to relive tragic (and psychedelic) moments in his history through flashbacks likely caused by extreme blood loss. I love these moments because they inject a bit of fantasy and surrealism KCD2A love of “real medieval times” might hold back, and the flashbacks helped me, a newcomer to the series, understand how Henry went from nobody to big shot.
I eventually arrived at a ramshackle remote cabin and met Pavlina and Herzbona, who restored Henry to health and taught me alchemy (a fun multi-step mini-game for making potions) and the effects of my dialogue choices. Henry gained reputations with different people, such as Pavlena and Hezbollah, as well as factions based on the choices I made, which provided the type of introspection I felt good about even though the dialogue didn’t rely on skill checks. R&D role play. When I selected the “Counsellor” playstyle in the game’s intro, my Henry was more knowledge-driven in dialogue, but the “Soldier” playstyle could appear more brutal, and the “Rogue” could be more sinister.
Choosing an advisor, soldier, or thief allocates your starting ability points, but Warhorse says you’re not locked into one direction and are free to allocate your Henry however you like. One thing I liked in my short time with the game is the way it rewards you for direct action. War Horse calls it “real role-playing,” but it reminds me of most of the classics Runescape In a sense, if I want to improve my combat behavior, I need to actually do something like swing a sword or shoot a bow. It’s nice to interact with the world to improve Henry’s abilities, rather than randomly gaining points that can be assigned to any skill after completing a mission, and adds a satisfying level of action and immediate consequences to the world.
i finally reached KCD2 Just before I could finally interact with the open world of Bohemian Paradise, I was kicked out of the game. While it’s clear that the sequel’s introductory time is designed to introduce new players to the series and how it works, even I, a newcomer, found it to be slow once everything was said and done. It’s a lot of dialogue, admittedly well-written, but enough to make your eyes glaze over between the sparse gameplay sequences.
A little bit thief exist Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Thankfully, though, there’s more to do. I was told that the second half of my playtime occurred 60 to 70 hours into the game, KCD2Another major region, Kutenberg, a place that didn’t appear in the first game but was teased throughout. It’s a sprawling medieval city populated by hundreds of NPCs, surrounded by villages and wilderness worth exploring. According to Warhorse, Kutenberg and Bohemian Paradise cover an area of 25 square kilometers KCD2 Exploration, twice the size of its predecessor.
Here I met Master Frankfurt Menhard, a loud but charming figure who attempted to become the local guild leader by challenging others with titles. Henry stumbled upon this conversation and could have chosen to ignore it, or at least remain quiet. But you can also side with Menhard or the opposition. I sided with Menhard, and after a sly conversation over a beer, found myself tasked with stealing a special guild sword and hanging it in the town hall.
It was now noon, and out of curiosity about the request, I immediately headed to the waypoint. This brought me to a locked door, which I attempted to pick, apparently forgetting about myself, as a nearby guard immediately arrested me. Henry must endure the humiliation and embarrassment of being captured before being released, and now must sleep to get rid of the debuff that makes him easier to detect. I slept long enough to shake it off and woke up at 1am, the perfect time to commit the daring theft. Here I learned that if you went out at night you had to carry a flashlight to avoid facing questioning and scrutiny by city patrol guards (which I failed to do)…and it turned into a prison again. Quickly, this time with a torch in hand, I attempted another nighttime guild sword heist, and finally arrived at the correct location.
After successfully prying open some locked doors, I entered. I saw a guard at the table, so I sneaked up and tried to knock him out. This is where I learned the importance of bathing. During my time in Kutenberg, almost every NPC I walked past commented on my smell, but I ignored it. I wish I hadn’t, because as I was sitting behind the aforementioned guard about to knock him out, he smelled something bad, turned around, and spotted me…in jail again. After a third try, I finally retrieved the sword and hung it in the city hall, following Menhard’s instructions. As a guild challenge of sorts, Menhard, Henry, and a third NPC must now face off against other potential guild members in a tournament. I love that when Henry isn’t dueling, he has to stand on the sidelines and watch other NPCs duel. I welcome this sense of realism after expecting the game to fast forward or have Henry join other battles.
It was during the Kutenberg portion of the preview that I discovered the freedom, variety, and variety that was lacking at the beginning of the game. While the first two hours of the game feel paint-by-numbers, what I saw in Kutenberg more than halfway through the game’s story hints at a sprawling medieval role-playing game that borders on immersive simulation – I hope. I get to experience more than just 60 minutes.
Warhorse emphasizes that there’s a linear story here – Henry is still seeking to avenge his parents’ murder in the first game while fighting back against the invading Hungarian army – and I’m looking forward to seeing how it plays out. I particularly enjoyed the comedic friend dynamic between Henry and Hans, and how their relationship affects the broader narrative moments happening around them (and sometimes because of them). What excites me most, however, are the steps I took to reach these moments and the choices I made mechanically based on the true history of this medieval landscape. KCD2 It will be launched early next year.
pre order Kingdom Come: Deliverance II: Amazon | best buy
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