Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 First Look. Meet the contender for «Game of the Year 2025»

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is the sequel to one of the most unique and ambitious role-playing games of recent years. The first part, released in 2018, captivated everyone with its realism, historical accuracy, and unusual approach to the genre. Seven years later, Warhorse Studios, led by Daniel Vávra, returns with a sequel that not only retains the spirit of the original but also amplifies all its strengths. From the first moments, the project makes it clear that it's bigger, cooler, more expensive, and more thought-out than the first part. We were completely thrilled by the first hours spent in medieval Bohemia, and now we are eager to share our quick impressions with you.

Note: A classic review with a score will come later, once we complete the game to the end credits.

The first part of Kingdom Come was an incredible medieval adventure with an unusual game design and a truly mature story. Warhorse Studios had to go through fire, water, and brass pipes to bring their unique «creative madness» to fruition: literally from raising funds on Kickstarter to porting the massive role-playing game to home consoles. The game was undoubtedly excellent in many aspects, but it was not without optimization issues, broken scripts, and technical bugs. And let's not forget how many players criticized the first part for its slow gameplay, drawn-out beginning, and excessive hardcore. Now the game is recognized as an immortal classic, but in 2018 it was often called solid «eurojank» (eurojank — European video games with ambitious concepts but insufficient execution).

After spending the first few hours in the sequel, we can definitely say that it's the same «beloved» Kingdom Come: Deliverance, but much more cohesive, polished, and expensive in all aspects. If the first part struggled to deliver a stable frame rate in open spaces at release, now even on the most basic RTX 3060 with high settings, we not only have a beautiful picture but also smooth FPS. And even DLSS with FSR doesn't need to be enabled by default — beauty!

If in the first part you had to learn all the main mechanics on your own, now key things are taught in a rather lengthy prologue. The combat system has become more responsive and understandable: after all, Henry is no longer a squire but an experienced knight with a wealth of skills and abilities. Of course, the developers made the main character a bit weaker at the start so that the player has something to strive for throughout the long adventure.

The beginning of the game is exciting and eventful. The authors immediately tell us that this is no longer a project built on sheer enthusiasm, but an expensive and rich role-playing game with staging and a dark setting. But in reality, the prologue was just a teaser for upcoming events, and the main action moves back several weeks when Henry and Jan peacefully arrive in a new region of medieval Bohemia. Through the extended introduction, the developers subtly outline the local situation, recount key events of the first part, and allow players to choose the style and main skills based on their planned style of play. Each training fragment is skillfully integrated into the narrative, which undoubtedly enhances the smooth immersion into the world of Kingdom Come.

Stopping for a rest, our brave heroes go to wash in the lake and at the same time check out the local girls. This peaceful introduction ends, and the «signature» brutality of the first part begins. Jan's escort squad is brutally killed by bandits, a key plot item is taken, and all equipment and valuables are sent to the «road robbery development fund». Additionally, while fleeing from the bandits through the ford, our main character gets hit in the shoulder by an arrow, resulting in the loss of experience and skills gained in the first part. However, we should thank Warhorse for at least not taking away the reading skill.

Overall, the introductory part looks like a very engaging movie, where every plot situation is polished and refined to perfection. After the not-so-successful escape from the bandits for our heroes, the pace of the narrative returns to the usual Kingdom Come flow. That is, no one will lead you by the hand anymore, and all actions and deeds will start affecting the subsequent narrative. The healer who nurses Jan and treats our main character asks to pick flowers and bury one of the bandits' bodies where the ground is softer. It seems like the simplest quest for a role-playing game, but it already has several branches that immediately show that the game is not so simple.

For example, if you first go to bury the body, you will meet bandits looking for you and your friend upon returning home. Most likely, before disposing of the body, you will take all the equipment off it and put it on the main character. And, of course, you won't think to wash the blood off the clothes, by which the bandits will understand where their friend went, and you are the one who fled through the lake. If you wash the blood off the equipment, the plot will take a different turn. If you don't wear it and pretend to be a local in conversation, you will avoid conflict. If you first go to gather herbs and leave burying the body for later, a fight is inevitable. Players familiar with the original will immediately understand what and how to do, but newcomers will have «a lot of fun».

Afterwards, you will be taught alchemy, which the developers have significantly upgraded and improved. Potions are now also classified by quality. For example, «Saviour Schnapps», when brewed successfully, will restore energy after loading.

In the end, after learning the basics, your hero and Jan will head to the castle gates to report what happened. But in the harsh medieval times, it's not so easy to prove who you are and what family you come from. The brave comrades, of course, are not allowed inside, forcing them to find an alternative way to meet with the high-ranking person. But this rapid descent down the hierarchical ladder does not end there. After a series of small quests, the game’s authors leave the heroes at the very base of the reputational hill, offering gamers to find a way to prove themselves. And only from this moment does the boundless gameplay freedom with interesting quests and plot twists begin.

Among the gameplay improvements, we noticed a more convenient combat system. In the original, you not only had to choose the direction of the sword strike but also keep track of timings, memorize combos, and skillfully block attacks. In the sequel, there is a sense of simplification, but not at the expense of the overall authenticity of the events. The main aspects remain the same, but the system itself has become more convenient, responsive, and understandable for newcomers. You get much more enjoyment from battles compared to the first part. It's now easier to distinguish the direction of attacks, plus there's always an opportunity for a successful strike.

Controlling the hero has also become simpler and more responsive. The authors have significantly reworked the character's physics and updated the key press responses. It can be said that the sequel has become more like a video game rather than just a medieval simulator.

The crime system is now more complex, with more possibilities. For instance, in one of the quests, we stole a lute from a carpenter — he didn't want to sell it, so what else could we do! But since we tried to bargain with him before the theft, he quickly figured out that we were the ones who stole the instrument. As a result, we received an unpleasant notification of a report, even though a lot of time had passed since the theft. We haven't fully explored all the game's possibilities yet, but from the first hours of experimenting in the open world, it's clear that complaints about you will be constant, regardless of whether you committed evil intentionally or out of necessity.

And what's a game without a loyal four-legged friend, who needs to be fed and trained. As in the DLC for the first part, A Woman’s Lot, you can give commands to the dog. For example, to find some useful item in the location or to start barking to attract the guards' attention. Traveling with the dog, you will not only gain useful skills but also additional buffs during sleep if the animal lies by your side.

***

Just a few hours are enough to feel the greatness of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Now it's a real polished blockbuster with well-thought-out progression and spectacular plot staging. The game has become more accessible for newcomers and doesn't require familiarity with the original. Fans can also rest easy — it's still the same Kingdom Come, only better, bigger, and cooler. If you're not playing it yet, it's time to start: many major games are expected to be released this year, and the overall length of Deliverance 2 will be more than enough until the next blockbuster release.