In 2018, Warhorse Studios released the massively ambitious RPG Kingdom Come Deliverance. Despite its rough launch, I fell in love with the game. Over time, patches and DLC improved the experience, and to this day, Kingdom Come Deliverance remains one of my favorite RPGs. Now, we have the sequel Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, which promises to build on the original’s strengths and deliver an even more immersive experience!
The world-building was good but not overly saturated, and I adored Henry. He’s a burly blacksmith’s son who likes drinking and fighting and is sucked into the growing conflict in Eastern Europe for vengeance. It was flawed, but 2018’s Kingdom Come Deliverance was brilliant.
All those lessons were taken by Warhorse in developing the sequel, and Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 should be out for everyone to enjoy by the time this piece goes live. Thanks to both Warhorse and the folks at Plaion PR for giving me a review code weeks in advance to get a proper feel for the game! This article provides an early impression of the match between nasty illness bouts and other projects. This is a massive RPG with even more ambition than the original, so it will take me a while for an in-depth review. I’ll try to keep things as spoiler-free as possible.
While this is a direct sequel, I appreciate how Warhorse approaches accessibility regarding following the story. You should be able to play Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 without playing the original’s 50-hour campaign and not get overwhelmed, as the opening act does an excellent job picking up where the first game ended. Given the long development times necessary to make a game like this, I was always skeptical about how the series would pan out, but I have not been disappointed so far.
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 picks things up with Bohemia locked in a brutal war from Sigismund, and our favorite medieval bros, Henry and Hans Capon, lead a diplomatic mission to gather allies for the coming conflict against Sigismund. Things quickly descend into chaos when their diplomatic team is attacked by brigands, Hans Capon and Henry almost getting killed, and after a happy bar brawl, Hans buggers off to do his own thing. As Henry, we’re left to experience the game from there.
The prologue in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is a tutorial for both the narrative and the gameplay, and it’s a significant improvement over the first game. It feels more natural and allows the game to show off the character growth and gameplay without feeling frustrating. The creative way of digging into the previous game without overloading the player with information is a welcome change.
I remember my early hours with Kingdom Come Deliverance 1 being a test of anger as I struggled to get into the combat, but the sequel eases players into its mechanics much better. This is important, as this is one of the most complex RPGs, with many moving parts.
The world and immersion are both beautiful. While the original game set a high visual standard, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 raises the bar. The game’s non-linear gameplay and numerous survival systems make exploration rewarding, making one hell of a gorgeous feast on the eyes. The forests are as stunning as always, and there are two regions to explore as the main quest opens up. Warhorse have always paid attention to detail, even in the menus. The game also has a lot of lore about the locations, history, and medieval life. I am a massive sucker for in-game codexes, and this is one of the best ones out there. I highly recommend digging through them as you play.
While my initial impressions are very positive, there are a few things to note. The limited save system is one of the most significant stickler points in Kingdom Come Deliverance. It wasn’t enjoyable in the original game and is back in the sequel. In the beginning, saves are limited, although you can save on exit if necessary. Requiring the limited item in Saviour Schnapps might not require much effort to make with alchemy, but I still question the need for a system in the first place. I understand its design, but single-player games should allow players to have control over when they save. There are plenty of ways to save: securing beds at inns or important locations is a reasonably easy affair, and there are saves during quest milestones, but it is a matter of principle for many people.
In 2018, the original was notorious for its buggy launch, with crashes and glitches out of the wazoo. Much to my relief, things are considerably smoother with Kingdom Come Deliverance 2! That doesn’t mean things are perfect, as there will always be some issues with any game this size and complexity. I had problems with the mentioned save system when getting killed early, sending me back further than expected. It takes a little while to secure the first safe house, especially when you don’t know what you’re doing. When crashes are considered or while grappling with the combat system’s learning curve, it is something to watch out for. I don’t find the limited saving design as annoying as some, but I would prefer it if it weren’t in the game.
Finally, let’s talk a bit about performance. Kingdom Come Deliverance II is a heavy hitter, but you should be OK with the performance. On my RTX 3060 laptop, I could keep a steady 60FPS across the board with high settings, and as my current rig is mid-tier at best, it is a solid indicator of how you will fare. It is also reasonably playable on the Steam Deck, as my coworkers at SteamDeckHQ have shown. This improved performance should give you confidence in the game’s technical aspects.
Between work and bouts of sickness, I am further behind than I would like with this game, but I wanted to get some early impressions out. It is an easy game to get lost in, and I imagine the story tapping its foot impatiently, pointing at its watch. Sorry, narrative, but I keep getting distracted by the gorgeous open world! I haven’t gone on crime sprees yet, like in the first game, but that will allow me to feel the crime and lockpicking mechanics. Expect a more in-depth review from me in the future, but things are looking good for now.
