Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Brushes With Death review

Brushes With Death — the first story expansion for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. It immerses the player in a new story in which Henry meets the mysterious artist Master Voyta, who suffers from a special mental disorder and seeks to create his last masterpiece. Ahead of the gamer is not just a new story, but also an opportunity to express themselves in new adventures and creativity: from coloring shields to solving moral dilemmas. In this review, we will consider whether it is worth spending time on this adventure and whether the expansion meets the high standards of the game.

The plot of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Brushes With Death

The events of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Brushes With Death begins in the area of Castle Troska. In the woods, Henry finds the artist Master Voyta tied to a tree, talking to a painted skull. The artist tells him that two robbers stole his brushes and dice and asks Henry to return them peacefully. During the search, you find the two men at the edge of the forest: they say that Voight was acting like a madman, and therefore punished him by tying him to a tree.

The plot then leads Henry to secret places and different people, through whom the details of the artist’s past are gradually revealed. The story of the supplement is full of mystery: Voight seems to be suffering from schizophrenia — he constantly hears voices, and his obsession with death and conversations with his skull cause misunderstandings with others.

The goal of the storyline is to help the artist find inspiration and complete his last painting, which will make him famous in his generation. In the course of the investigation, Henry visits hidden places in Bohemia, and the ending of Voyta’s story depends on the player’s choices.

Quest structure

Brushes With Death is structured as a series of interconnected tasks. The initial quest has you rescuing Voita from wolves and then retrieving his brushes and bones from robbers. Later, secondary quests appear to add context. For example, in one quest, Henry has to help an elderly woman gather herbs and repair her clothes so that she can regain her memory and give a clue to a place.

In addition to the main storyline, the DLC has entertainment: a nomadic camp in the northeast of Troska hosts horse racing and archery on horseback. These are standalone events to test your riding skills: the reward for success is unique equipment for your horse. The main thing is Voyta’s services in painting shields. By helping him, you unlock a new opportunity to customize Henry’s shields, which Voita will paint in the style of medieval heraldry. The choice of drawing is quite flexible — you can set the colors, border, and the symbol itself — so in practice, you get more than a hundred options for coloring the shields.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Brushes With Death — is unusual for the series. Instead of political intrigue and highly dramatic battles, the player is offered an intimate and disturbing story. The nature around — gloomy meadows and forest thickets on the outskirts of Kuttenberg — emphasizes the melancholic mood. Scenes of psychological drama reveal the internal conflicts of the characters. It is important that the plot sensitively touches on the problem of mental disorder — the description of Voyta’s condition is portrayed with reverence and understanding, without downplaying the seriousness of the topic, and leaving an optimistic tone at the end.

A strong element that works for the atmosphere is the acting and dialogues. Henry (played by actor Tom McKay) often expresses skepticism and concern when he encounters strange events; his emotions and rhetoric are well conveyed by the voice acting. Voyta’s character is also complex and interesting, and his mask of jocularity gradually changes as his heartache becomes apparent.