Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Preview

Kingdom Come: Deliverance didn’t get the love it deserved when it released seven years ago. While it was fixed eventually, the significant technical problems at launch took attention away from everything the game did well. With lessons learned, Warhorse Studios have returned with a sequel that tells the next chapter of Henry’s story and aims to expand on the incredible immersion the series introduced.

The early quests in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 are both impressive and overwhelming. Stepping into the shoes of Henry once again will test your patience. Being a pretty hardcore simulator, there are a lot of systems to learn as you get to grips with how everything works. Many of the mechanics remain unchanged from the first game, they simply work more reliably this time.

The first eight hours of the sequel essentially act as a tutorial, slowly teaching you that you can’t just brute force things or outsmart the game’s logic. If you steal something, there’s a high chance you’ll be caught, whether someone sees you commit the crime or not. Guards can search your inventory to find stolen items, merchants won’t pay full price for things that aren’t yours, and anything you steal will be tagged as stolen forever. That, and countless other systems, are so much deeper than in most other RPGs. Things don’t work like they do in Skyrim here. You can’t steal something and run off to make sure everything is fine. NPCs have a memory in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.

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The combat tutorials are a lot of fun.

They also have lives that are more important than whatever you want from them - they don’t care about you and your problems. You also need to say what is right for each situation and conversation, not just click on whatever response is represented by the highest stat. It’s an immensely intelligent game, even in the early quests. Everything exists to make Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 as immersive as possible, and, wow, is it effective.

It’s the early days of what’s shaping up to be a massive game, both in scope but also in terms of its standing in the gaming pantheon. I can count on one hand the number of times an RPG’s world has grabbed me like this. The complex mechanics are woven into a story that’s engaging, but not expansive so far. After being attacked on their way to deliver a message, Henry and Hans need to get the message to its intended recipient. Of course, that quest doesn’t go as smoothly as they might have hoped.

The Story Is Only Getting Started

I’m sure the story will become more expansive and consequential in time, but the writing maintains its outstanding quality from the first game that quests of any nature are fun. Whether it be meeting a perennially drunk hunter, a ram with an unhealthy obsession with carrots, or a mysterious Hermit hiding from civilization, each and every character is interesting.

You need to treat them all differently to get what you want from them. There’s personality in every character that goes beyond how they speak and what they do for a living. Every side quest, conversation, or main quest is spectacularly deep. I even completed a quest that had a ‘Part Z’, having started at A. These aren’t 10 minute fetch-quests - you can expect to spend at least a couple of hours at a time on some quests.

Technical Woes Begone!

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s first open world area is also staggeringly pretty. The medieval villages and lush forests are incredibly detailed and a joy to explore. If you thought Kingdom Come Deliverance had some of the best forests in gaming, you’ll be ecstatic that they have returned, just with added polish. The sound design from the original was also some of the most accurate and captivating work we’ve heard in a RPG and the sequel is no different. In towns and villages, the way NPCs go about their own lives as you go about yours makes for a world that feels truly living. The sequel takes what worked from the original and hones it to the next level. Warhorse Studios have definitely maxed out their Maintenance perks for this one!

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There’s a lot of humor to the writing and it retains its unique style.

So far, there are very few signs of the bugs that plagued the first game when it launched. The sequel isn’t technically perfect - I’ve encountered disappearing quest markers, pause menu flickering, and glitching goats - but there’s nothing of any real consequence. For the most part, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a beautiful game that runs shockingly well for a game of this magnitude, even on the base PS5 model on which we’re playing.

A Complex Web They Weave

Still, I keep thinking about the interplay of systems and mechanics that underline everything. You’ll have seen many of them before, such as dialogue being impacted by stats such as charisma, but I’m not sure any other game has the same depth and variety.

The interplay of systems is interesting and adds real consequences to what you do. I even deliberated for ten seconds over whether to steal one thing, considering whether I could sell it and whether it was worth the hassle. Have I slept enough? Do I need to eat the food I’m carrying soon before it goes bad? Will this aggressive NPC act differently if I approach them slowly? Will Hans get angry if I leave him for a few hours to complete a side quest? You have to constantly ask yourself questions, trying to understand how each choice you make will affect the world and story.

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(1 of 2) Villages and towns are carefully crafted and feel truly alive

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Villages and towns are carefully crafted and feel truly alive (left), The improved graphics and lighting add an extra layer of spectacle onto an already impressive world. (right)

At times, you’ll need to come back to quests when you have the means or money required. You need to act correctly in certain places at certain times of the day so that you don’t arouse suspicion. Kingdom Come Deliverance was ambitious in its complexity and the sequel is no different. It’s such a smart recreation of how life works, making for an enchanting experience.

There are moments when the mechanics trip over themselves. I’ve had guards let me off one second, then get angry the next as if they’ve never met me, and conversation choices don’t always have the tone I expected. However, everything works far more reliably than it did in the first game and I’m confident the developers will improve the behavior systems in time.

The Best is Yet to Come

When it comes to combat, I’m yet to really see any complexity to it. In the early sections, you’re taught how targeting one of four parts of an enemy’s body works, as well as how to block and counter, but that’s about as far as it has gone. The system from the first game is in tact, complete with the initial clunkiness that I hope is ironed out as you learn more techniques, unlock perks and gear becomes more important.

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Hans returns and plays a vital role in the story.

Not once in the first eight hours have I had to even think about my stats or what gear Henry has equipped before getting into a skirmish. It simply hasn’t mattered. I don’t doubt that’ll change at some point, though.

While the first eight hours of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 are very story-set-up and tutorial-heavy, I’m stunned by how well everything works. The world is as gorgeous as ever and the depth of the mechanics make for an RPG that’s more captivating than any I’ve played for years. The story is a little inconsequential so far, but the quality of the writing means I’m convinced it’ll be more expansive in no time. My time in Henry’s shoes will be long, but I’m excited to see where I’m taken along the way.