Review of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. Time machine in the Middle Ages

Last April, the unexpected announcement of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, which was not preceded by any serious information leaks or hype that the game was in active development. How did it happen that the surprise element of the sequel to a game that sold 8 million copies was not spoiled? It seems that for every employee of the Czech Warhorse studio, the KCD series is a dream project, and it is important for them that the work of their hands is truly something to be proud of. It is said that the best games come from developers who have always dreamed of playing a great game, but no one has ever created it. The continuation of the immersive saga of Henry, a simple peasant living in the turbulent period of 15th century Bohemia, feels like that from the very first minutes.

Home, sweet home

It’s hard to believe, but the story of Kingdom Come: Deliverance series could have ended before it even began. 15 years ago, Daniel Vavra, a game writer-director who had only three major projects to his credit but had already gained recognition for his high level of storytelling, left 2K Czech to pursue his dream of creating a game set in a realistic medieval European setting, without dragons or other fantasy elements.

Having assembled a small team of like-minded people to develop the new project, Vavra went searching for investors. Despite unsuccessful attempts to find them in the Czech Republic, the team was saved by the support of a local billionaire, which allowed them to create a prototype. However, even after that, international investors were in no hurry to invest. In 2014, the studio launched a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of raising £300,000, but players supported the project much more actively — over £1,100,000. This confirmed the interest of the audience and helped attract publisher Deep Silver.

After years of hard work, the game was released in 2018, impressing players with its historical accuracy and detailed world of medieval Bohemia. The total budget of the project, including marketing, reached 750 million kroons (approximately $36.5 million), and the game itself became a notable phenomenon in the historical RPG genre. This did not happen overnight. The game gained recognition gradually. Some people criticized it for being too realistic for a story-driven AAA game (especially if they are into lockpicking), others were scared off by the terrible technical condition at release and eventually gave up, and others were simply bored by the 5-hour-long prologue, during which there are no action scenes.

However, fortunately, there were enough players who got a taste of the game and over time, there were enough of these connoisseurs of the immersive game world and story to fill the web with simple but sincere titles here and there: «KCD — greatest role-playing game in history». So when on April 18, 2024, we heard Henry’s words «It’s been a long time coming, but we can finally show you Kingdom Come: Deliverance II» fans of the first part, including me, were filled with a warm, joyful sense of anticipation.

The smell of mowed hay

In contrast to the beginning of KDC, its successor immediately throws us into the thick of things. Suddenly finding ourselves in the role of Boguta, a minor character in the first part who is in his 50s, we, together with the well-known Mr. Ptacek (Hans Kapon) and other unfamiliar loyal subjects of the rightful king Wenceslas, are defending the castle against the onslaught of Sigismund’s army.

The first scene — during which the players are introduced to the newest addition to the series, the crossbow, and the mechanics of throwing down siege ladders — immediately makes it clear that the budget level has increased significantly compared to the original. And as is common with sequels to good content, whether it’s a movie sequel, a new season of an acclaimed TV series, or a new installment of your favorite game franchise, you immediately get the feeling that this is serious. And this contrast with the beginning of the first part convinces us that the developers did not follow the template of the first KCD; they continued the story in the way they consider appropriate right now.

Speaking of history. We will return to it in more detail in the next subheading. For now, let’s talk a bit about what makes it special: the atmosphere and immersiveness. Let’s look at the opening chapter, which begins immediately after the battle scene of the castle defense. If you would rather not catch any spoilers about the first 5 hours of the game, skip the next section.

After an intense action scene, the story takes us back in time to show the background of these dramatic events. Indro (Henry) and Ptacek, immediately after the open finale of the first part, set off as envoys and accompanied by a small entourage to the governors of Bohemia to enlist their support in the war against Sigismund.

As they approach the first castle, they are met by a detachment of its governor. The atmosphere is tense: the soldiers are unfriendly and clearly wary. Ptacek tries to diplomatically explain the purpose of the visit, but it becomes clear that the lord they have come to see has already sworn allegiance to Sigismund, which effectively makes us enemies. The situation escalates, and then Indro enters the dialog. For the first time, the player gets the opportunity to demonstrate his skills of persuasion and eloquence by choosing lines that influence the development of events. The choices made during this scene will determine the initial character of the hero: a warrior, an advisor, or a watchman.

After the peaceful settlement of the conflict, our group is advised to hang around until the morning, as the castle gates will remain closed until dawn on the orders of Mr. Bergov, whom we are supposed to meet.

But first, we need to get him food. Unfortunately, dog food was not sold at that time, so we had to beg for a piece of meat from Vivsyanka. He was our food officer, a kind gray-haired old man. Someone has to look after inexperienced young men like Ptachek and me. The old man, though kind, is stingy, and he won’t give food to our Ryabko (my dog) just like that. There is not much food, and there are six hungry mouths, so the dog, as he says, will find something for himself. We managed to find out from my grandfather that the night before he had lost his ring in a dice game to Kukul.

I didn’t like that thief from the start. It was obvious that he was only thinking about himself and his wallet. And I doubt very much that he won from Oatmeal honestly. So I decide to win back the old man’s ring (I have to save him from his wife’s wrath), and in exchange we agree to pay for my Ryabko’s food. I won the dice, albeit on the third try, gave the ring back, and fed Ryabko. I also talked to the squire, the horseman (as we call a stable boy), and finally went to Ptachek to discuss my plans.

There is no point in planning too far in advance, but it is possible to get the blood flowing in a friendly sparring session with wooden swords. Ptachek, though a gentleman, is a simple guy, he would not be offended if I won the sparring with him, as I did before. But, to tell the truth, I forgot something, like how to swing a sword. I gave him a couple of bruises, but in the end his lordship caught me between the ribs and I lost. To be honest, it affected my dignity. But I lost to a friend, not an enemy, and it was a training battle, not a real one, so I’ll live with it. Oatmeal is calling for dinner by the fire. It’s good to eat something hot after a long journey.

We’re eating, and we can have a good laugh. But I’d rather go stretch my legs than sit with them. They did not mean it out of malice or anything, but they reminded me of the death of my mom and dad during that attack on my native Skalytsia. They remembered that sword and started to mock me. They still don’t understand why it is so precious to me and how important it is for me to get it back: we forged it with my father, on the eve of his death. I felt a lump in my throat and could not finish the soup. But a little while later, I got over it and went to wash myself in the lake because I was stale from the road.

In this introductory scene, the player has the opportunity to make key decisions from the first part through dialogues. There are three options for choosing the events of the past: the first two for those who remember the plot partially, and the third — for beginners, where the character will ask to tell. This is not the most convenient way to transfer the character’s story, as it can be difficult for those who played a few years ago to remember the details (the Mass Effect series spoiled us in this aspect). During dinner, you will also choose a starting set of skills for Henry. It’s logical that he starts at level 16 — after all, he’s gained a lot of experience during the events of the first part. In addition, you can determine Henry’s relationship to Theresa, which adds even more personalization.

The dynamics of the dialogues are striking in their vitality. For example, when I was asked where I was last night, why I didn’t fulfill my duties as a guard, I replied that I needed to be alone, look for herbs, read and pray for the success of our trip. The reactions were different: Ptachek just nodded and said not to bother me with unnecessary questions, Oatmeal happily noted that finally there was a person who was in no hurry to live, and another character joked that without haste you can miss many interesting adventures. The stable boy, a simple guy, sincerely thanked me for my prayer. And at that moment you realize that it is impossible to please everyone.

The characters’ memory of your actions is also manifested in other details. For example, Ptacek soon recalls how Henry’s sword, which his father had forged for Mr. Kobyla, was stolen. This is a painful topic for Henry, and everyone at the table can feel his tension. This scene not only enriches the plot, but also creates an emotional connection between the player and the characters.

A word about the story, production, and game design

The idyll did not last long. In the evening, the camp is attacked by a group of unknown robbers. Calmness is replaced by panic: those with whom you have just been having fun and to whom you have already gotten used to die in a bloody battle. Ptacek disappears, and now we have to not only make our way through the thicket to avoid bandits, but also find the young gentleman. In the midst of the chaos, we have to navigate with the help of a map, which here is more of an artistic atlas than an accurate navigation tool. Lost in the rocks, I was suddenly killed by a single sword blow, which only emphasized the fact that the game does not change its roots.

After an intense battle, there comes a moment of rest, accompanied by a flashback in a delirium. It’s not just a plot insert, but a real cinematic experience: expensive staged scenes, soulful music, and skillful direction. We witness key moments of Henry’s past: his father’s loving guidance, memories of his mother’s stern but kind gaze, and painful traumas. This scene simultaneously serves as a reminder to the players of the first part and a brief introduction to the newcomers who are just getting acquainted with the hero’s story. Goosebumps run down the skin as the past intertwines with hallucinations.

In the end, there’s no need for a movie adaptation here — the game itself is a cinematic masterpiece, where every frame, every dialog, and every step is full of life and drama that doesn’t let go until the last scene.

One of the most exciting features is the ability to interact with numerous secondary characters. Conversations with ordinary residents of the towns and villages you visit do not feel random or hastily written. The scriptwriters’ skill is evident in every dialog: there are no empty phrases or text for the sake of setting a record. Every line adds to the characters’ uniqueness, making them not just NPCs, but real people with their stories, personalities, and motivations.

The game’s scenario is impressive in its length, but at the same time, it does not cause a feeling of redundancy. Here you won’t see dialogues that exist only for the sake of it — each of them adds depth to the world, helping the player to better understand both the historical context and the inner world of the characters. Workers, servants, merchants — each of them has their own life experience and unique way of communicating.

I’ve never had the feeling of a play where other characters act out scenes because I see them. No, they live their own lives, which is interesting to watch.

An interesting detail is how the game reacts to your behavior. If you move too fast, the environment may perceive you as a suspicious stranger. This little detail adds realism and makes the player think about how his actions affect the world around him.

This attention to detail creates an atmosphere of real medieval life. You feel like not just a player, but a participant in a lively, dynamic Bohemia, where a new story is hidden around every corner and every character has something to say.

Stealth has become more realistic and demanding. Enemies do not ignore obvious mistakes — if your head sticks out of the cover, they will notice you. You can now throw stones to distract them, and although it’s a simple trick, it works. In the darkness, you or the enemy can easily be exposed by the light of torches. Bushes remain a good hiding place, but sudden camera movements create noise that can ruin everything.

The combat system has also undergone improvements: four attack directions are now available instead of five. The direction is selected with the right gamepad stick before the attack, which adds predictability and depth to the battle. The feeling of control has become much more precise — if earlier it seemed that you were only partially in control of Henry, now every movement is felt at your fingertips, as much as it is possible with a gamepad in your hands.

As before, every hit and block consumes stamina, so you can forget about mindlessly «summoning» the enemy. Victory depends not only on the strength of the blow, but also on strategy, endurance, personal skills, and the quality of the armor.

For the full immersion experience, I strongly recommend that you do not follow the advice of other players. Create your own story, explore the world, and, where you want, look behind the thicket, not knowing what awaits you there. Do not deprive yourself of the joy of «living» in medieval Bohemia. This game will only touch the hearts of those players who are willing to give it enough time.

Graphics and optimization

The graphics of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 wasn’t a breakthrough for the industry, but it has improved significantly since the original. Thanks to the transition to the latest version of CryEngine, the world impresses with detail, realistic lighting, and large-scale landscapes of medieval Bohemia. And the game’s appearance is impressive not so much from the technical side as from the pleasant design.

One of the most noticeable improvements of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is the character models. Indro has matured not only in character, but also in appearance: his features have become more expressive, his face reflects fatigue and the burden of his experiences. His gestures have become more restrained and his eyes more serious. In contrast, Ptachek still has a young, almost childlike face, which emphasizes his naivety and carefree nature. The facial expressions and animations convey every emotion, from sadness to bursts of laughter, making the dialogues more lively.

All of this combines to make Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 one of the most beautiful RPGs of our time, where every frame is almost a painting.

Speaking about optimization in general, the few months the game was delayed for did it good. For a modern AAA project, KCD feels great on release, about as good as cyberpunk does two years after its release. Textures sometimes load before your eyes when you change the angle in dialogues, pass through each other, and you can see light flickering, but this happens infrequently, at least on PS5. The frame rate can only get bogged down in scenes with many characters and effects.

Henry, is that you?

Every year, the official translation of major AAA games into Ukrainian is becoming a pleasant trend, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a prime example of this. The localization is of a high standard, with the use of colorful vocabulary that adds even more authenticity to the game. The text contains words like «chatter», «save», and instead of the standard «terrain», the more beautiful — «edge» is used.

It’s nice that the translators didn’t use machine translation or carefully edited it — the text sounds natural, and the proverbs and phrases are adapted to the Ukrainian equivalents. For example, if Indro washed himself in a vat, he would say: «How did you get born!». At the same time, there are sometimes very rarely used words, such as «kebetny», which can surprise even those who are familiar with the language.

There are also some small correspondences: the quest, for example, mentions «shovel», and when you hover over an object, the word «shield» appears. The use of archaisms such as «celadon», although unusual in modern language, perfectly conveys the atmosphere of medieval Bohemia. However, some translation decisions remain controversial. The most controversial decision was the translation of the protagonist’s name: in the original English it is Henry, but in the localization it is — Indro (short for Indřich). Listening to the lines of the original voice acting, where the hero is often called Henry, creates a certain cognitive dissonance and you don’t get used to it even with time.

A spoonful of fly in the ointment

KCD II, of course, like any game, is not without its drawbacks. For example, unfortunately, there are only two walking speed modes: fast walking and a slightly slower, but still intense walking. Games from 15 years ago have learned to accurately display the character’s speed according to the angle of the gamepad stick, but the second KCD does not offer this yet. In such a wonderful immersive world about medieval Europe, it’s outrageously strange that the developers didn’t give you the opportunity to slowly walk through the beauty of the untouched Bohemian nature. Maybe I’m nitpicking, but this little thing is always important to me in games of this kind, to believe that I’m there.

Another discrepancy concerns dialogues. For example, the characters who have just been running through the story, when the cutscene starts, speak smoothly, not at all. Henry is just picking up a spoon to eat from the cauldron, and he says he’s full. Carrying a body for burial with a wounded shoulder does not take energy at all. At such moments, you realize that KCD, although unique in its realistic game mechanics, is not worked out to all the details, like, for example, the same RDR 2. There was not enough budget and time, because I am sure that the game developers had the desire.

In addition, many people write down the lack of normal saves as a disadvantage of both this and the previous game. But why all these people ignore the «Save and exit to the» menu button, which is available at almost any point in the game (except during cutscenes or during some action), is not clear to me.