The initial stages of the game unfold as Henry, Sir Hans, and their companions enjoy the peaceful scenery of Trosky’s forests while journeying. However, the atmosphere soon shifts to tension when they run into a group led by Captain Thomas, who is from Bergow’s forces. It’s revealed that Bergow has pledged loyalty to Sigismund of Luxembourg, who (with the backing of Bohemian nobility) seized King Wenceslas IV of Bohemia against his will to claim the crown for himself. Concerned about potential conflict, as they are still supporters of King Wenceslas, Henry and Sir Hans brace for a confrontation. Yet, Captain Thomas manages to de-escalate the situation by explaining that he and his men are tracking a ruthless gang of outlaws instead.
Following their departure, it’s chosen that our protagonists will establish a camp by a nearby pond, as they can’t reach Trosky Castle before dark. At this point in the game, players are introduced to the fundamentals of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2‘s dialogue and combat systems. Henry attempts to persuade one of his entourage’s squires to give his dog a sausage, and practices swordplay with Sir Hans. During this campfire gathering, you can assign some initial skill proficiencies to Henry through conversation with your companions, as well as receive some in-depth information about Henry’s past and the occurrences of the first Kingdom Come, if necessary. This is also a chance for players to learn more about Henry’s background and the previous game events.
Before retiring for the day, Henry and Sir Hans decide to wash in the pond close to their campsite. However, they soon become aware of the laughter of young women playing by the water’s edge nearby. As they prepare to meet them, a group of bandits, who Captain Thomas was pursuing, launch an attack. They mercilessly kill all of Sir Hans’ squires (the dog manages to escape and is found later), while threatening harm towards the women. Henry’s loud shouts distract the brigands, giving the females a chance to flee, but at the cost of Henry getting hit by an arrow. As he and Sir Hans swim towards the opposite bank, the bandits pursue them, forcing the duo into hiding to avoid capture. When they finally attempt to escape, one of the outlaws catches up to Henry in a struggle, causing both men to fall off a cliff together. The bandit sacrifices himself by breaking Henry’s fall, but Henry sustains critical injuries (this is the in-game explanation for Henry regressing back to his weak and clumsy state from the beginning of the first game).
In the dark forest they’ve stumbled upon, Sir Hans guides Henry through, as the latter recalls the brutal attack on his town Skalitz and the murder of his parents by Sigismund’s army in Kingdom Come: Deliverance. Their journey leads them to a peasant woman’s cottage where she consents to heal Henry. Unfortunately, a marauder looking for them locates their hiding place and attacks, targeting Sir Hans. Though Sir Hans manages to slay the bandit, he too sustains heavy injuries, leaving both of them critically wounded.
In this peaceful setting, both men take a pause, allowing time to catch up as Henry finds sustenance, gathers herbs, assists the elderly lady in preparing medicine, buries the fallen outlaw, and cleans himself at a nearby trough. An unsettling interaction with some questionable individuals follows, where Henry can either diffuse the situation with his wit or use the old woman’s axe if necessary. The next day dawns, and after a shared breakfast with the woman and her daughter, Sir Hans and the woman continue their journey towards Trosky Castle.
Walking along, their journey was as beautiful as it was lengthy, but it ended unhappily: Henry and Sir Hans were denied entry at the gate, receiving threats and having a chamber pot overturned due to them losing their polished armor and not having their letter with them. They were forced to flee to a nearby village to decide on their next move. While there, Henry discovers that a noble wedding hosted by Otto von Bergow is upcoming, and he plans to seek employment at the event in hopes of meeting the man. Sir Hans, however, instigates a fight with someone who challenges his nobility, which escalates into a town-wide bar brawl. As a result, both Henry and Sir Hans are imprisoned in stocks in the town square. The prologue concludes once they’re released.
During this preview, I was unable to explore beyond the initial scenes of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, as it was primarily a linear experience. However, the sequel appears poised to be just as engaging as its predecessor. The intriguing dynamic between Henry’s noble intent and his vengeful nature against his family’s murderers has always been compelling, set against the stunning contrast of medieval Europe with its breathtaking beauty and brutal realities. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 promises to enhance this narrative further with improved voice acting, a variety of intricately detailed animations, and visually stunning landscapes that left me awestruck for minutes at a time (currently using a 1080p laptop for gaming, but I eagerly look forward to playing it on my powerful RTX 4070 Ti SUPER-equipped ultrawide setup at home).
Through exploring the introduction and lessons provided, I’ve picked up some additional insights about how this game’s medieval environment responds to player actions. The upcoming sequel incorporates a “heat” system that escalates guard vigilance and encourages townsfolk to arm themselves in areas where recurring violence and criminal activities take place. Moreover, NPC characters can now suspect you as the perpetrator if they stumble upon crime scenes or find missing items; aside from ensuring you aren’t witnessed committing the act, you must also be careful not to be spotted departing the scene.
In the new version of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, dialogues have gained more depth. From the initial stages, I observed that the choices made in conversations can have a significant, lasting effect, shaping your ability to persuade or intimidate someone later on. Similar to the original game, this sequel considers various factors such as your appearance, reputation, and an NPC’s social standing when determining interactions. For instance, if you appear unkempt and are wearing ragged clothes, a peasant might not trust your noble status, while a cutthroat may not heed empty threats unless you’re visibly armed or armored.
The original title employs a skill system reminiscent of The Elder Scrolls series, allowing Henry to improve at various game activities as he repeatedly performs them. As these skills grow in proficiency, you’ll gain access to unique perks that offer significant benefits during gameplay. For instance, one such perk causes enemies to lose morale when they witness Henry kill an ally. If this sequel follows the trend set by 2018’s Kingdom Come, players can approach it as an immersive sim and utilize diverse skills and playstyles to accomplish quests according to their preferred methods.
Regarding the battles in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, I have concerns about them potentially losing some appeal compared to previous parts, even with new elements such as crossbows and early firearms. However, without delving too deeply into the gameplay, it’s hard to say for sure. What seems different is that there are now fewer melee attack angles (four instead of five), and the opportunity to parry strikes and execute ripostes has been expanded significantly, making early fights surprisingly easy. Hopefully, things will pick up in difficulty as I progress beyond the prologue.
Despite some initial apprehensions, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has successfully reeled me in with its compelling narrative, well-developed characters, and impressive visuals. I firmly expect it to be among the top Xbox games and PC games of this year. Remarkably, it’s performing smoothly even on my RTX 3070 laptop at medium settings – a significant improvement over the first game’s infamous instability on PC for quite some time (its hardware requirements are similar to the recommended specs for Medium). I can’t wait to dive back in and continue playing, with my comprehensive review scheduled for February 3, so stay tuned for it next month!
The sequel to Kingdom Come: Deliverance, titled Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, is set to launch on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (including Steam and Epic Games Store), and PS5 on February 4, 2025. You can pre-order it now for $59.99 on PC and $69.99 on console, although the Steam version is currently discounted at CDKeys to $44.59. Given that your system specifications allow it, the PC edition offers the best value.
Read More
- TRB PREDICTION. TRB cryptocurrency
- FLOKI PREDICTION. FLOKI cryptocurrency
- CAKE PREDICTION. CAKE cryptocurrency
- XDC PREDICTION. XDC cryptocurrency
- OKB PREDICTION. OKB cryptocurrency
- JTO PREDICTION. JTO cryptocurrency
- MNT PREDICTION. MNT cryptocurrency
- HBAR PREDICTION. HBAR cryptocurrency
- Dandadan Shares First Look at Season Finale: Watch
- OM PREDICTION. OM cryptocurrency
2025-01-10 19:09