Kingdom Come: Deliverance II: A First Look After 10 Hours
With Kingdom Come: Deliverance II now available, it's time to determine if Warhorse Studios' second foray into Czech history through video games is worth your time. After 10 hours of gameplay, I'm compelled to share my initial impressions. The game is captivating enough to pull me away from work, which speaks volumes. But before I succumb completely, let's delve into the details.
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Comparison with the First Game
Like its predecessor, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is an open-world action RPG emphasizing historical accuracy and realistic mechanics. You can play as a knight, thief, or diplomat, with survival elements like eating and sleeping impacting your effectiveness. Solo combat against multiple opponents remains challenging.
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Visually, the game is stunning. Landscapes are breathtaking, yet the performance is surprisingly optimized for both PCs and consoles. This balance of visuals and performance is a rarity in modern AAA titles.
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Combat has received subtle yet significant improvements. The attack system is streamlined, switching between enemies is smoother, and parrying is less of a guaranteed win, adding a layer of strategic depth. Enemy AI is more sophisticated, creating more tactical challenges.
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Facing multiple enemies feels more perilous than in most games. They actively attempt to surround and flank you, and injured foes will strategically retreat behind their allies.
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Beyond alchemy and dice games, blacksmithing has been added. This engaging craft provides both income and access to high-quality equipment, offering a potentially long-lasting source of gameplay. The controls, however, add a unique challenge; forging horseshoes proved more difficult than swords and axes for me.
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Bugs
While the original Kingdom Come: Deliverance had a rough launch, the sequel appears significantly more polished. I encountered only minor glitches, such as momentary UI issues and a single instance of minor object clipping, all easily resolved with a simple restart.
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Realism and Difficulty
The game's realism enhances immersion without hindering gameplay. The lack of a difficulty setting might deter some players, but it's not excessively punishing. Players familiar with titles like The Witcher 3 or Skyrim should manage, provided they approach combat strategically.
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The historical setting is well-executed. While I can't assess historical accuracy definitively, the game subtly encourages players to learn more about the period, rather than explicitly lecturing them.
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Should You Play Kingdom Come: Deliverance II?
New players can easily jump in. The prologue effectively summarizes the first game's events, providing newcomers with the necessary context for Henry's story.
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The opening hours blend tutorials seamlessly into the narrative, offering a captivating introduction to medieval Bohemia. While the long-term story and quests remain to be fully explored, my initial impressions are very positive.
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In conclusion, after 10 hours, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II shows significant improvements over its predecessor. It's shaping up to be an excellent RPG. Whether it maintains this quality throughout the full experience remains to be seen.
