I’m going to begin byparaphrasing the comedian Nate Bargatze, as I, too, learned that I know nothing about history by playing historically accurate video games because, as these tales that happened centuries ago play out before me, I find myself with my mouth ajar on the edge of my seat.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance has always been the epitome of this, placing you in a meticulously crafted 15th-century Bohemia in the shoes of a lowly peasant with no innate skills or god-like abilities. Just the grit between his teeth and lady luck on his side.
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Script The Longest In Game History Claims Director
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2’s script is said to be the longest in game history according to its director.
It’s a formula that alienated some when the original first arrived on the scene, as the depth of systems and focus on realism ultimately detracted from the fun factor at times, but many took to this cult classic, and for good reason, asit’s a truly epic medieval RPG.
So, how do you follow that up? Well, naturally, with more of the same. Albeit with some modern polish, new systems, and a focus on not quite as aggressively dunking new players in the deep end and forcing them to swim. KCD2 accomplishes all this and more, stepping up to the plate to compete for 2025’s best RPG.
Fortuna Audentes Iuvat
The two most obvious hurdles that this much-anticipated sequel faced from the offset were how it could contextually make Henry a powerless peasant like the first game and, secondly, how the game could onboard new players seamlessly into this narratively dense epic without missing a beat. It was a tall ask for sure, but one that War Horse absolutely nailed.
Through a wonderful, action-packed, and cinematic opening few hours, the game managed to strip Henry of his physical abilities and past glories in a contextual and riveting way.
The process of getting your bearings, learning the wealth of systems on offer, and mapping out the expansive region around you is as rewarding as ever, but unlike the first game, there isn’t as much of a wonky and obtuse nature to the action.
But more importantly, the title manages to do a much better job than the first game of keeping the pace punchy while still offering a steady stream of well-explained tutorials.
From then on, my initial fears that this game would pander to a less RPG-literate audience subsided as it became clear that KCD2 would be as unapologetically realistic, dense, detailed, and punishing as the first title, which the game is all the better for.
After a tumultuous start to your adventure, evading bandits and being nursed back to health.In the shoes of a powerless and pitiful Henryonce again, the player is forced to carve out a life in Bohemia once more, and this slow burn is a truly amazing experience.
The process of getting your bearings, learning the wealth of systems on offer, andmapping out the expansive regionaround you is as rewarding as ever, but unlike the first game, there isn’t as much ofa wonky and obtuse natureto the action.
Everything from the intricate and branching quest design to the internationally cumbersome combat feels much more accessible and deliberate from a design perspective. Yet, the game still allows you to get lost, make critical mistakes, and feel in control of your adventure for better or worse.
It’s a bold statement, but I think it’s perhaps the first game since Morrowind that made me feel like I was playing an open-world game of this nature where I had the room to make errors, work things out for myself, and make decisions befitting the character I was roleplaying as.
So often, open-world RPGs are made up of tiresome chores highlighted by map markers in abundance, leading to a feeling of checking boxes and mindlessly doing as you are told. But KCD2 is bold enough to put you in the driving seat, and it makes for a true RPG experience.
We’re Not In Skatitz Anymore, Toto
One thing that will become immediately clear to any returning players is that the scope and scale of this series have expanded exponentially.
Trosky is a gorgeous opening area with a sprawling map that you slowly uncover as you become brave enough to travel beyond each settlement.
This area is packed with an abundance of wonderfully crafted quests from both a design and narrative perspective and effectively serves as a training ground for what’s to come later down the line.
Had the game just consisted of the Trosky region, I would have been satisfied, but I was left agasp when the story progressed, and the game revealed a map that dwarfed the initial one, revealing a new region teeming with more exciting quests and places to visit.
However, this would all be for nothing had the game not provided an enthralling atmosphere and eye-catching vistas to drink in, but thankfully, the game offers this in abundance.
From the sea of green fields that seem to stretch on for miles toward the horizon, to the excellent soundtrack that sets the mood depending on what Henry’s up to. The game gives you eye candy and jaunty tracks at every turn.
However, it’s the little details that make this world so satisfying to simply exist in. The game boasts a script that is longer thanthe much-celebrated CRPG, Baldur’s Gate 3, and truly, it shows.
Every NPC has something interesting to share with you, whether that be simply when you pass by others conversing in the street or a random encounter that interrupts your fast travel to challenge you with a riddle.
It’s a rare example of an open-world game that never has a moment where you aren’t learning something new, doing something important, or on a pilgrimage to your next exciting quest.
Every line is delivered exactly as it should be, the lighting and world design are superb, and overall, it takes everything that was great about the original’s core design and achieves everything it faltered on.
A Sacrifice We’re Willing To Make
While the game looks absolutely stunning most of the time throughout your adventure, and it’s remarkable that the game is as polished as it is compared to the original’s launch state. There is still a bit of inherent wonkiness that creeps in every now and again.
Visually, the game often looks like one of the first games that would actually warrant someone to head out and buy a PS5 Pro. But, every so often, you’ll witness a jarring issue that will make you doubt yourself.
At times, the animations and textures will feel like something dredged up from the previous console generation, and it can take you briefly out of the action.
Whether it’s a waxy NPC model or a rock that looks like it’s made out of play-dough, you get the sense that to achieve the scope of the world before you, some sacrifices were necessary, and it’s clear that visuals and presentation were where the developer was willing to make these sacrifices.
But here’s the thing: as long as the game looks great most of the time, and behaves as it should most of the time, which it does, then I am absolutely okay with that approach.
Thanks to the meticulous details elsewhere, you barely have time to dwell on anything like this, as you’ll be monitoring your hunger levels, chased off by a bandit, or keen to read your skill book before bedtime.
Many games would cut their deep RPG systems before they would sacrifice even a smidge of fidelity, and it’s actually refreshing that a sizable game like this ensures that gameplay remains king.
Plus, let’s not be silly here, it’s still a really pretty and polished game, we aren’t talking Bethesda levels of wonky here.
Class Is In Session
When it comes to historical details in video games, Assassin’s Creed has some chops, andwar games often tell some harrowing true stories. But, when push comes to shove, not one game out there can lay a glove on KCD.
This second outing continues this trend with a storyline that is, naturally, altered and dramatized for effect. But equally, is still grounded within reality and tells a true story of power struggles and great battles that shaped Bohemia.
In terms of dramatization, the game feels like a real step up in terms of set pieces, engaging plot points, and pacing when compared to the original. That isn’t to say it didn’t have its moments, but KCD2 blows it out of the water.
The story has a great ebb and flow to it, which ramps up tension and excitement to a boil and then resets for another run-up to the next fantastic set-piece. All the while allowing for ample time to get sidetracked, form relationships with those close to you, and maybe pet your dog every once in a while.
I will state that the game often sticks to its guns in terms of the era of the setting to a fault, which will lead to some rather unpalatable scenes for some. Ranging from torture scenes and ludicrously long sex scenes to sing-songs about drinking and shagging and casual voyeurism.
Is the misogynistic hedonism too much? Yeah, quite often, honestly, but in their defense, it is an accurate reflection of the time period, and pretending it wasn’t the case would be equally jarring.
Then, on the actual undebatable and undramatized history front, the game also includes a rather sizable and detailed Codex that will give you as much info as you desire on just about anything you encounter in the game, allowing you to draw the line between fiction and reality.
Obviously, if you’re in the ‘reading is for nerds!’ camp, then this isn’t necessary to enjoy this title, but having this resource here is a real boon for history buffs and just another of many examples where War Horse has gone above and beyond to make this world an authentic and story-rich one for players.
A Fresh Coat Of Paint
I mentioned that KCD2 is basically an exercise in taking what was good about the first game and simply doing more of the same while expanding and polishing what was already great. That is true, but the game also adds and refines a lot of cool features to further engross players in the world.
One of the most interesting additions is the changes to the Alchemy system, which now requires more intricate steps to achieve the perfect brew. But equally, you have reworks that lower the complexity of certain mechanics, such as the design choice to lower the available notches of attack when in combat, which makes sword fights much more accessible and fun.
Plus, players can also work the Smithy, dry out food items for a longer shelf life, clean their clothes and themselves, hunt, become a master thief, and this really only scratches the surface of what’s possible on any given in-game day.
It’s as much a medieval life sim as it is a survival RPG, and even if you were to sack off your quest alongside Hans Capon and crew, there would still be a lot to love about this game as a sandbox experience.
But it’s not so much the new additions, returning mini-games, and survival mechanics that impress me here. It’s how much smoother and more intuitive everything feels to engage with compared to the previous outing.
The original game was meant to be a clunky and tough experience to master, and it was. However, there was an inherent feeling that everything felt just a touch off.
Which would often lead to cheap moments of distress, instances stuck in save state purgatory, and moments where you simply said ‘nope, not today’ and set the controller down because it simply wasn’t fun or engaging to play.
This is no longer the case as everything you do within the game walks the line between realism and fun perfectly. While still maintaining that feeling of struggling to progress that makes each little victory feel earned.
In Control Of Your Own Destiny
Open-world RPGs of this modern era have a quest design issue. That being, quests tend to be linear, ‘go to map marker’ fuelled experiences where you’re given a morally good or bad decision to pick from at the end. And sometimes, you don’t even get that.
So, I need to take the time to commend this game for bucking this trend and offering quests that actually feel like rewarding, exciting, and varied excursions that can end in more than one way.
On innumerable occasions during side quests in this game, I found myself thinking, what if I was to do this instead of that?
Now, this isn’t anything new in the world of open-world RPGs, but what is peculiar is when the decision or the action isn’t an arbitrary one that leads to the same conclusion.
With the aid of some Savior Schnapps, I took the time to follow different paths and chase down different leads, and on almost every occasion, I was rewarded with interesting dialogue, new outcomes, or alternative rewards, making for an emergent experience.
This made each quest feel worthwhile, but the real standouts were the self-contained quests that tried something outlandish, and actually succeeded this time around.
I’m sure all KCD fans remember the brilliance and potential of the Monastery questline from the first game, which was ultimately marred by cumbersome mechanics, obtuse design, and more.
Well, compare this to say, For Whom The Bell Tolls in this sequel, which places you in an enclosed environment and has you work, persuade, elude, and craft all while against the clock to save the life of your lord.
The difference is that these quests now toe the line between player agency, mystery, and accessibility perfectly, allowing for sublime quests that make you feel like a cunning and intelligent player without having you give up in frustration.
The Devil’s In The Details
In contrast to the whole ‘everything feels fun’ statement I made, I am not naive to the fact that this is still a franchise that will alienate and disorientate quite a few potential players out there expecting typical open-world fodder.
I do feel that this new entry in the series makes this a lot easier to endure, and it now does feel like, with every mistake, there is a way to right your wrongs rather than be stuck in some sort of save state purgatory.
However, due to the game’s obsession with realism and detail, I do feel that many will still view this as a little too far removed from what floods the digital shelves these days.
There are large portions of the game where the developer will simply have you ride on horseback for miles, not saying a word to your travel partner, because that’s what would have happened in reality, as not every second of life is filled with filler conversation.
You may have to search a vague marked area of the map because the game isn’t keen on giving you a pinpoint location to walk to progress the quest mindlessly.
The game is all too happy to keep you on the leash for a few hours to deliver important plot points packed with dense historical info before it lets you off the leash again.
The game might simply fail a quest if you walk away and expect the NPC to wait for you in that exact spot for in-game days, because outside of gaming logic, that’s just plain stupid.
And, the game will crowbar in some obligatory tasks that feel like manual labor because, in reality, that’s how you made coin back in the day, as this is not a medieval world like The Witcher where you can go and kill monsters for some silver.
Once again, it’s this unapologetic approach to world-building and storytelling I mentioned already and cards on the table; you will either love it or you will hate it. And that’s okay.
As they say in the world of game development, albeit less so in the Ubisoft offices. If you make a game for everyone, you are really making a game for no one.
Closing Comments:
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is an unapologetically unique RPG that takes everything that was great about the original and takes it to the Nth degree. It’s a cinematic, historically charged epic with a sublime open world to explore, a depth of systems to master, a wealth of meticulously designed quests to complete, and a sandbox survival format that makes simply existing in this world a satisfying and rewarding experience. Some minor issues carry over from the past campaign, and it still remains a game that will alienate more casual players. But all in all, this is a monumental RPG in terms of scope, scale, and quality. I used to long for an Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion remake. But now, I feel sated by the Bohemian masterpiece War Horse has created.
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