Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 review: a magnificent medieval masterpiece

In nearly 40 years of playing video games, I’ve rarely experienced harrowing moments that had me pausing just to catch my breath. One such instance happened just a few hours into my Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 playthrough. At that point in the campaign, I had to rescue an important character, a fellah, from certain execution in a fortress’ gallows, which would’ve occurred on the twelfth toll of the church bells. I was given a wealth of choices on how to approach my goal, such as doing menial labor for traders, trying to acquire a handful of lockpicks, and sneaking past dozens of guards, all to inch my way closer to the interior of the castle.

When I finally reached my objective as the bells tolled for a sixth time, I was shocked upon realizing that more tasks followed, including a quest to cure a bedridden captain’s ailments. Not only did I need to find the recipe book for the alchemical brew, but I also had to acquire ingredients either by unlocking a single chest or by picking herbs in specific areas. I had but a few scant seconds left when I brewed the potion, causing me to make a mad dash across the castle’s ramparts to deliver the cure just as the bells were about to ring for one final time.

As I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that I had succeeded, I couldn’t help but marvel at Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s presentation. Its predecessor, released in 2018, showed Warhorse Studios’ commendable effort at crafting an open-world RPG. Now, its sequel promises an even bigger adventure across more massive regions, with increased freedom in how players tackle objectives. There are a few quirks to it, but not enough to weigh down an instant genre staple.

Amazing adventures ahead

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 follows the events of the previous game, as Henry of Skalitz, bodyguard and confidante of nobleman Hans Capon, journeys across the war-torn lands of 15th-century Bohemia (present-day Czech Republic). Tragedy strikes as the merry band is ambushed at the start of the campaign, with Henry gravely injured–the incident not only acts as a plot device but also as a way to explain why players mostly have to “start from scratch” with his level and perks.

This sets the stage for a grand campaign, where Henry has to find allies to aid the rightful king Wenceslaus IV against the machinations of Sigismund, Wenceslaus’ half-brother who has usurped the Bohemian throne. There are layers upon layers of political intrigue and ploys, so much so that I’d like Warhorse Studios to be the frontrunner for a Game of Thrones video game adaptation in the future.

Henry’s journey with Hans is filled with all sorts of encounters, from joyous tales where men boast about their travels, to somber and emotionally impactful moments that remind you of the harsh realities of war, the inescapable allure of power, and the soul-crushing grief that takes people on a quest for vengeance. That said, you’re neither required to have extensive knowledge of the first game’s narrative arc, nor its cast of characters, as this sequel has an abundance of cutscenes that serve as recaps, as well as lore entries that provide much needed background information.

Several characters from the first game make their return, while fresh faces, including key historical figures are given a chance to shine. This leads to a resounding romp and a compelling story that’s one for the ages. I’m from the Philippines and I know very little of the Czech Republic’s history outside of the first game and various Europa Universalis and Crusader Kings playthroughs, yet I find the narrative and time period captivating.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s story and the freedom players have are further complemented by explorable open-world locations that are breathtaking. As Henry, I first trek across the Bohemian Paradise, which encompasses fortresses like Trosky Castle and Nebakov, and villages like Troskowitz. Later, I head further south to the massive city of Kuttenberg (modern-day Kutna Hora) and the surrounding countryside.

There were countless times when I had to stop to take in the scenery as I ventured across these landscapes while riding Pebbles, Henry’s trusty horse. Everything from lush fields and farms with wheat ripe for the harvest, to castles seemingly carved from mountains and sprawling metropolises with numerous citizens milling about, all create a striking sense of authenticity. I’d even go so far as to note that city streets littered with manure and dotted with sickly green pools of piss water immersed me in medieval life. It wasn’t just because of the environments that I could see, but also because of the ones that I could smell straight through the screen.

The world map is absolutely gorgeous too, akin to a tapestry from the Middle Ages. I can zoom in at specific towns to see their complete layouts and all the vendors I’ve met. Going off the beaten path is also encouraged, as players might stumble upon several points-of-interest, side quests, and optional activities. In one particular instance, I had to go on a pilgrimage to a shrine, which happened to have a grave that I could dig to obtain hidden treasure. When I was suddenly attacked by wolves, I had to thank Henry’s dog companion, Mutt, for saving the day.

Freedom of choice

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has dozens of quests and the vast majority of them can be tackled in multiple ways. In one particular side quest, I had to rescue the daughter of an herbalist who had a knife to her throat. In another mission, I had to locate the members of a mercenary group that had just disbanded, searching for their whereabouts in various towns just so they could aid us in another endeavor. A couple of other missions delved further into themes of religion, the supernatural, and local folklore, adding more flair and flavor to an already packed experience.

Some quests have several optional tasks that help create a more immersive and expansive journey. One example is a wedding that Henry has to attend just to meet a nobleman. Instead of just focusing on that singular task, I could join in the festivities by playing the highly engaging dice minigame Farkle, watching over a huntmaster so he doesn’t start drinking again, and dancing with the ladies (which leads to a brief tryst).

The branching dialogue options and reputation system make for some engrossing moments. At certain points, I’m given the option to respond using the key tenets of Persuasion, Coercion, Domination, and others. This isn’t just determined by a rudimentary point value system from leveling up skills and perks. Rather, it relies on several factors, such as my standing within a community and even the dirt or blood on my clothing. After all, you probably won’t convince merchants that you’re a member of the nobility if you look like a vagabond, just as how you might not be able to intimidate the guards if you look like a total pushover.

NPCs tend to be smart enough, for the most part, in how they react to the player. Case in point: Whenever I had to sneak around at night, I also had to make sure that guards and villagers didn’t see me in houses, yards, or anywhere that’s a restricted area. Even if I was able to lockpick a chest to steal some goodies without being seen, the mere fact that I aroused suspicion beforehand could cause NPCs to accuse me of theft come daybreak. I’d then have to convince townsfolk or guards to look the other way, lest I suffer reputation drops, though I could still go on a pilgrimage to gain forgiveness.

All these systems are intertwined, creating an unrivaled sense of freedom where every scenario tends to be thought provoking, every action has to be carefully considered, and every choice has a consequence.

Going medieval

Another facet that gives players freedom, in its own unique way, is the combat system which remains fairly realistic and challenging. Melee attacks are primarily governed by a cross-shaped directional system, where players can perform overhead blows, sideways slashes, or straightforward thrusts. However, enemies can effectively counter these by blocking attacks coming from a certain direction. Players can also parry these moves, following up with a vicious riposte to their unprotected flank, or do a “master strike,” an unblockable hit that’s tough to pull off but extremely effective once you’ve gotten the hang of it.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s combat is a lot more forgiving compared to its predecessor, given that defensive maneuvers are easier to do as there’s a more noticeable parry window. Still, continuously attacking to perform combos isn’t viable. Doing so would just drain my stamina and leave me reeling. Instead, each confrontation is a deadly dance, where you and your hostile partners engage in a flurry of carefully planned moves and prepared strikes, sometimes happening in mere split seconds, all to look for that one opening and the finishing blow. Offense and defense are both given importance, while movement and attacks flow with graceful fluidity and brutal barbarism in equal measure.

You can ignore all that completely once you acquire a Pistole, a prototype firearm used during the Middle Ages. The use of gunpowder drastically changed the way battles were fought during the time period, as the era of armored knights with longswords and expert bowmen who spent years in training gave way to the awe-inspiring power of (long-loading) firearms. There were instances when knights in plate armor were advancing toward me, and I muttered dozens of curse words in English, Tagalog, and Czech in a panic as I attempted to reload my hand cannon. Then, as I shot my foes in point-blank range, I couldn’t help but feel saddened, not because I killed an opponent, but because this is exactly the price humanity pays in the name of progress.

Technical troubles

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is bogged down by a few glaring design flaws. Chief among these is its save system, easily the most divisive feature from the original game that’s retained in this sequel. I can only manually save when I sleep in a bed that I own, when I pick the Save & Quit option, or when I drink Savior Schnapps. Granted, I can buy or brew these potions if I have the money or ingredients, though there are also segments where Henry doesn’t have access to his inventory. As such, there’s no other choice but to rely on the unreliable: autosaves that trigger at certain points during each quest.

Going back to my first anecdote, I didn’t have access to any Savior Schnapps in the fortress that I had to explore just to save a fellah. If I made any mistake — be it the wrong dialogue choice that lowered my reputation, an unlucky Farkle dice throw that cost me the match, or running into an NPC who calls the guards on me — I’d have no recourse but to restart from the last autosave.

This problem exists for the first few hours until players finally have a lot of potions in their inventory. However, this still extends to a multitude of quests and countless dialogue choices where one might want to select another reply or see a different outcome. A good example of this is how you could visit a town to haggle with merchants, chat with some NPCs to increase your reputation, change your equipped gear, wash yourself at a trough, level up and allocate skill points, give Mutt some food to increase his loyalty, and then ride across the fields to a marked objective. If you get waylaid by bandits somewhere along the way and die, you’d realize that not a single autosave triggered in any of those previous actions. It’s unlikely that you’d waste potions often and, without quick saves, you could lose a lot of playtime upon reload.

I understand the concept of intentional friction so as to make things more challenging. Be that as it may, the Save & Quit command already exists as a manual save of sorts, though it automatically closes the game, and you have to relaunch it. The system, as it stands, is nothing but an inconvenience to the player, a frustrating contrast to the freedom offered throughout the campaign.

Another concern is the inventory system, where I have to manage the items held by Henry, those that are carried by my horse, and those that are stored in my chest. While the contents are shared across all storage chests, not all villages have these containers. Similarly, I can’t directly sell items in my horse’s saddlebags or those inside chests. Instead, I have to manually grab them from my chest or horse (making sure that the horse is near so I can access that inventory tab), then move them to Henry’s inventory, before I can lug them all the way to a merchant.

Even with its quirks, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a masterful triumph for Warhorse Studios. Learning from the original game, the developers have crafted a sequel with a riveting story, one that immersed me in its historical setting. From its memorable cast of characters and thought-provoking conversation choices to its expansive presentation of quests, a combat system that kept me on my toes, and a vast realm to explore, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is an unforgettable adventure that you shouldn’t miss.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was reviewed on PC with a code provided by the publisher.