Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 review: A Bohemian adventure that's "absolute cinema"

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 has arrived, as Warhorse Studios continues the narrative of Henry of Skalitz right where the first one left off. The title garnered a lot of attention pre-release for various reasons, raising the hype in the gaming community. While I found Kingdom Come Deliverance decent and anticipated an enhanced experience in the latest release, the sequel significantly surpassed my expectations with a deeply immersive journey that was sentimental and innovative.

The game emphasizes medieval Bohemia, intricate role-playing mechanics, and profound storytelling that evokes emotion, rather than relying on flashy gimmicks or unnecessary action. Nearly every action taken yields distinct consequences, thereby altering the narrative meaningfully.

Although KCD 2 may not appeal to all due to its challenging learning curve, skill-focused melee combat, and deliberate pacing, gamers embracing it with patience are bound to have quite a fulfilling experience.

Akin to Red Dead Redemption 2, I found the beginning of Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 very slow, like watching a long film. Nevertheless, as the narrative unfolded and the role-playing elements proved impactful, I became obsessed, ultimately enjoying one of the finest role-playing experiences I've ever had.

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Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 tells a fascinating, emotionally stirring tale

Does fortune really favor the brave? (Image via Deep Silver)

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2's narrative resumes from its predecessor's conclusion, allowing players to once again assume the role of Henry, the blacksmith's son from Skalitz. This time, he embarks on a journey to Trosky, accompanying Lord Hans Capon.

Although Hans Capon utters "Audentes fortuna iuvat!" i.e., fortune favors the brave, the initial events unfold as a sequence of misfortunes that are, nonetheless, quite thrilling. Henry is once again confronted with the memories of his past adversities, potentially offering a glimpse into the preceding game, as the term "revenge" reemerges.

Without spoiling the story, it can be stated that Henry’s pursuit of vengeance is intricately intertwined with his developing sense of duty and ethics. Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 compelled me to confront difficult decisions—should I focus on personal retribution or should the kingdom's welfare take precedence?

Throughout the dialogue prompts, I frequently found myself reconsidering my choices (and loading previous save files), as the narrative's moral ambiguity stands out as one of its most compelling features.

The game neatly highlights the past (Image via Deep Silver)

Notably, playing the initial game is not essential for grasping the overall narrative, as the game effectively emphasizes significant moments from the past that illustrate Henry's journey. Admittedly, my recollection of the plot of KCD 1 was somewhat vague, given that I played it in 2018. However, as I embarked on this new journey, I was immediately impressed by the sense of familiarity combined with the refreshing quality of the experience.

The medieval world of Trosky and Kuttenberg

Delve into a true-to-life world of Bohemia (Image via Deep Silver)

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 features two distinct regions, beginning with Trosky and progressing to Kuttenberg. The extraordinary level of detail found within these areas significantly revolutionizes the landscape of modern open-world gaming.

In addition to engaging with the extensive array of main and side quests, I mostly wandered around the world and thoroughly relished both nature and human habitation. I found the intricate day-night cycle and the dynamic weather system extremely appealing, which significantly enhanced the vibrant, verdant landscape of Bohemia. Although I couldn't interact with every NPC (except robbing them), they possess distinct daily routines and personalities.

Later, upon reaching Kuttenberg, it felt like I was transported to an entirely new dimension of the gaming experience. The remarkable level of detail and liveliness present throughout made it seem as though I had begun the game anew, albeit within a far more meticulously crafted setting.

Notably, the remarkable background music is flawlessly integrated with the unfolding events within the game. It genuinely elevates the experience and provides an additional surge of excitement that complements the engagement with the gripping storyline.

Combat is more gratifying and less chaotic than its predecessor

Combat is quite satisfying, despite the steep learning curve (Image via Deep Silver)

A significant enhancement I really enjoyed was Kingdom Come Deliverance 2's combat mechanics. While I understand the narrative and role-playing elements are paramount within the series, I've consistently appreciated a game that features a combat system that's satisfying to engage with. This aspect posed a challenge for me in the initial installment, as I found the experience rather chaotic when confronted by multiple enemies in KCD 1.

Warhorse Studios significantly improved the combat mechanics in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 compared to its predecessor, resulting in a thrilling and fun experience whenever I was engaging multiple enemies simultaneously. Each encounter provided a sense of enjoyment and motivation to improve with every battle. Also, now you can make your sword with the blacksmithing mechanics, and later use them in combat.

Although the combat can present considerable challenges in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, it is ultimately very rewarding as you start to "get good."

Each quest is brilliant, providing a distinguished experience

The main and side quests result in a memorable voyage (Image via Deep Silver)

In recent experiences with modern-day RPGs, it has become apparent that certain side quests exhibit notable similarities. The overarching themes of these missions often lead players in the same direction or are motivated by comparable objectives.

However, in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, despite the multitude of main quests, side quests, tasks, and additional activities, each endeavor presents a distinct experience, offering a unique narrative with every engagement. Some side quests are unlocked depending on specific choices made during the journey, while others are scattered deep in the world, allowing for the possibility of accidental discovery.

At one point, I became so engrossed in completing side quests that I lost track of advancing the main storyline. Each quest prominently showcased characters with rich backgrounds and extensive lore. The cutscenes, emotional depth, narrative, and interactions conveyed a sense of authenticity, not fantasy.

Role-playing mechanics at its finest

Navigate the narrative in your own way (Image via Deep Silver)

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 embodies the essence of a true RPG, as every choice I made, ranging from my approach to quests to my interactions with NPCs, significantly influenced the overall experience. I progressed further through various methods, employing speech skills, stealth, or sometimes with a sword. This liberty of choice rendered the entire gameplay captivating, and I thoroughly appreciated the agency I had in steering the narrative.

The progression system is thoughtfully constructed and represents a substantial improvement over the prequel. I explored the world in search of Skill teachers who enhanced my strength and steadily increased my charisma stat through engaging in dialogues and formulating persuasive arguments.

On one occasion, I was on a main quest that required me to kill a character's daughter as dictated by the storyline. Subsequently, I embarked on another side quest during which I interacted with this character, who exhibited considerable anger and sorrow. However, after completing the quest, he suddenly became comfortable with me and ultimately rewarded me. These types of events occurred a few times, and I found them a little underwhelming.

Performance and visuals

The drawing distance is spectacular (Image via Deep Silver)

The performance enhancement in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 represents a significant improvement over its predecessor, operating more efficiently even at maximum settings. I played it on Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti with medium settings, yielding an average of 90 FPS. Although there were some occasional frame drops, particularly at the beginning or conclusion of a quest, adjusting the resolution scaling to FSR and Performance effectively resolved this issue.

Warhorse Studios hasn't implemented ray tracing or path tracing in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, which are present in most of the modern-day entries. However, the title effectively utilized the global illumination technique and achieved a stunning and immersive aesthetic in all respects.

The quality of the drawing distance particularly captivated me whenever I gazed into the expansive world. Consequently, I've spent a lot of time in the game's easy-to-use photo mode.

KCD 2 showcases a stunning open world (Image via Deep Silver)

In a separate observation, I have encountered a few visual glitches throughout the playthrough. While these instances are infrequent, there were occasions when certain characters failed to appear on the screen despite their dialogues being audible. Additionally, there were moments when horses were in motion, yet the drivers were missing. However, none of these bugs had any major impact on the overall playthrough.

Final thoughts

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 felt like one of those rare experiences that leaves a deep mark. And it may well be the finest role-playing game I've played in recent years. It boasts a highly optimized engine, coupled with extraordinary gameplay elements and an exceptional narrative that continuously improves over time, making it an experience that seems almost too good to be real.

The game may feel lengthy, given the abundance of activities available throughout the playthrough. Nonetheless, at no point did I feel that any aspect of the storyline was being unnecessarily prolonged. Even during moments of aimless exploration, I found enjoyment.

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 may not find universal approval; however, those who loved the predecessor will surely find great enjoyment. Additionally, if players have the patience to engage with the narrative and want to try out a distinctive RPG, this title can be one of the most exceptional gaming experiences.