Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 review: a magnificent medieval masterpiece

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.

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.

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.