Table of Contents
Highlights
- Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 breaks conventional sequel chains with seven years of development, showcasing the dedication of War Horse Studios.
- Graphic design has taken a significant leap with CryEngine, offering improved lighting and detailed environments, bringing characters and the world to life.
- Combat system overhaul makes gameplay more accessible with smoother mechanics, directional combat, and less aggressive enemies during multi-combat scenarios.
- Enhanced social systems and NPC interactions bring more immersive gameplay, where Henry’s social status affects how he’s treated, adding depth to the game’s world-building.
Continuing the Story with New Challenges In a time when sequels depend on previous games’ formulas for success, creating what is close to what can only be close to DLCs, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 has broken chains that had bound its predecessor from greatness. It took War Horse Studios seven years of hard work to create the sequel to its previous title and it clearly shows that they had put their heart and mind into what may be one of the best games of this year.
A Leap in Graphic Design
One of the greatest leaps Kingdom Come 2 has taken is in the matter of graphic design. Compared to the lifeless models of Henry, our main protagonist and other characters who could only express emotions in cutscenes, our new Henry seems like the dashing young knight he was meant to be. The world itself looks grander be it in scale or design, the refined presentation can be due to the use of CryEngine graphics, which allows for improved graphics, including better lighting and more detailed environments making the world feel lived in.
Major Overhaul of the Combat System
The combat system also received a major overhaul, making it more “accessible” to the gaming community. The combat system for the previous game was based on the foundation of single combat, thus on occasions when Henry fought more than one enemy cracks in the combat system would begin to show. This is no longer the case as enemies are less aggressive while Henry is not focusing on them while he fights with others.
Likewise, it seems that for swords and other weapons, the angles of attack have also been limited down to more simple directional combat, making executing combos less hectic. Overall the combat gameplay has received a full retouch making it smoother and less janky than it once was, bringing it closer to what the developers originally wanted.
Enhanced Social System and NPC Interactions
Life has not only appeared in Henry though as the social system within the game has also received a major boost. What once was only relegated to the trade screen or dialogue skill checks, the social status of Henry will now determine how the people see you. Life as a brigand or a thief will mean that you will be treated as a thief, shunned by peasants while being harassed by the guards; it might even lead you to be put on a wooden block being “pilloried”. The NPCs throughout the game also have the potential to be socialised with on a greater scale and might have certain world-building lore that might benefit Henry in his journey.
Continuing the Story with New Challenges
The story of Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 continues where the first game ended, and while Henry is not the same peasant he was in the beginning, certain circumstances have led him to lose his hard-earned equipment and position. One can make the case that Henry, while no longer an incapable fool like he was in the previous game, is still not remarkable when he faces a larger world with greater threats than he has ever faced.
Overall Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 seems to have hit all the right spots to create a standard for what sequels need to be, in terms of scale and gameplay. While we have admitted that the game has become more accessible, the scale of the story and the no-hand-holding principle the previous game has seems to have been doubled down on in the sequel which might discourage new players from playing the game. However, if one tries to invest their time and focus in the game, it can result in a beautiful memory.
