With the recent release of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, it's time to delve into whether Warhorse Studios' second attempt at portraying Czech history through video games is worth exploring. After spending 10 hours in the game, my initial impressions are overwhelmingly positive. The urge to launch Kingdom Come: Deliverance II instead of working speaks volumes about its engaging nature. Let's dive deeper into the game's key aspects.

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Comparison with the First Game

Like its predecessor, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is an open-world Action RPG that emphasizes historical accuracy and realism in its mechanics. Players can choose to be a valiant knight, a stealthy thief, or opt for diplomatic solutions. Essential activities like eating and sleeping are crucial for maintaining efficiency, and tackling three bandits alone remains a challenging feat.

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The graphics immediately stand out, with landscapes that are even more stunning than before. Notably, the game manages to achieve this without putting undue strain on PCs and consoles, a rare feat among modern AAA titles.

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The combat system has seen minor but significant improvements. With one less attack direction, easier enemy switching, and a more rhythmic parrying system, combat feels more intuitive yet retains its challenging nature. The game introduces more tactical variety, with enemies displaying smarter behavior.

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When facing groups of enemies, their strategic advantage is more pronounced. They attempt to surround you and attack from behind, and if seriously injured, they retreat, allowing their allies to take over.

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In addition to returning activities like alchemy and dice games, players can now engage in blacksmithing. This new feature offers both income and high-quality equipment. The variety of items to forge ensures that the process remains engaging, though I found forging a horseshoe more challenging than crafting swords and axes due to the unique controls.

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Bugs

Many recall the initial technical issues with the first Kingdom Come: Deliverance. Fortunately, the sequel has launched in a much more polished state, typical for a large-scale RPG.

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In my playtime, I've encountered only minor bugs. Early on, dialogue selection buttons flickered and became unresponsive, but a simple restart resolved the issue. Another time, a tavern maid climbed onto a table before teleporting back to the floor. These are small visual glitches, not significant enough to detract from the overall experience.

Realism and Difficulty

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II strikes a balance, avoiding excessive realism that might make gameplay tedious while maintaining a believable atmosphere crucial for immersion.

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There is no difficulty selection, which may pose a challenge for those who prefer less demanding games. However, it's not as punishing as Dark Souls. If you've completed The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt or The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on any difficulty, you should be able to handle Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, provided you avoid overly challenging scenarios like solo attacks on groups of enemies.

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The historical accuracy is commendable. As a non-historian, I appreciate how the game encourages interest in history without forcing facts upon the player.

Should You Play Kingdom Come: Deliverance II?

Even those who haven't played the first game can jump into Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. The prologue gradually introduces the events of the first game, ensuring newcomers understand Henry's backstory.

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The epic opening blends solid tutorials with an engaging pace, allowing players to fight, laugh, and immerse themselves in medieval Bohemia within the first hour.

It's too early to fully evaluate the story and quests. What I've experienced so far is impressive, but whether this holds true for the entire 100-hour journey remains to be seen.

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These are my initial impressions after 10 hours in this medieval life simulator. The improvements across all aspects compared to the first game are evident, and it's shaping up to be an exceptional RPG. Whether it can maintain its strengths throughout the full playthrough is something we'll discover in time.