Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Preview

Summary

• Warhorse Studios returns with Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, offering 80-100 hours of gameplay.
• The sequel picks up story where original left off, but is accessible to newcomers.
• Combat in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 shows improvement with different weapon mechanics.

What once started as a Kickstarter-backed project, Kingdom Come: Deliverance went on to make a name for itself as a medieval RPG with a uniquely grounded approach when it launched in 2018, eschewing some of the fantasy elements commonly seen in the genre and focusing on a story more rooted in the history of the Czech Republic, and developer Warhorse Studios is officially returning to its world with the upcoming Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. The story of the original title followed a blacksmith’s son who sought revenge after the decimation of his hometown and murder of his family, and the sequel sees him far more involved in the politics of the land as he interacts more with the nobles of the land.

In the years that followed, Warhorse Studios has grown significantly as a studio, going from 90 people to 250, and the scale of the sequel seems set to reflect this, with the studio’s PR Manager, Tobias Stolz-Zwilling (aka. Sir Tobi), revealing that there will be between 80-100 hours in the base game alone, over double the length of the first game. Of course, this likely doesn’t include the various side quests and other activities – most of which will be replayable due to their different outcomes – which will extend the game’s length significantly.

I was invited to a press event in the city of Kuttenberg – or Kutná Hora as it is in Czech – where I had the opportunity to get hands-on with the title, playing a total of four hours while also seeing more of the place a large portion of the story is situated in. The event not only provided an opportunity to see what was next for Henry’s journey but also to further understand the work Warhorse Studios was putting into creating a faithful medieval experience through its depiction of many locations, such as the stunning Saint Barbara’s Church, or the Royal Mint – also known at the Italian Court.

While not being fully constructed by the time
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
takes place – a fact noted by Warhorse Studios, as it appears in a half-built state in-game – Saint Barbara’s Church was the setting for the sequel’s announcement video and the first location we assembled at, and it’s clear why as it is one of Kutná Hora’s most well-known locations. It was also the place where we were treated to an incredible orchestral concert conducted by the game’s composer Jan Valta, which teased some of the upcoming game’s more emotional moments through Valta’s introductions to some of the pieces.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Picks Up Where The First Game Left Off

But Is Easily Accessible To Newcomers

The first section of the preview was made up of the opening section of the game, giving us an idea of where the story picks up after the original Kingdom Come: Deliverance while immediately showing off some of the improved and expanded combat mechanics. After an action-packed opening that threw us into the deep end with a full-on siege to fend off, the story flashed back to shortly after the ending of the first game, with protagonist Henry serving as the squire to Sir Hans Capon and traveling across the Bohemian Paradise with his squad to deliver a letter to Otto von Bergow at Trosky Castle, and this is where the main story of the sequel begins.

Those who haven’t played the original Kingdom Come: Deliverance shouldn’t worry too much about feeling left behind, as the events of the first game are very quickly recapped through organic conversations with the traveling companions. The siege of Henry’s hometown of Skalitz – the moment that set Henry on his journey in the first game – is also covered in a dream-like hallucination caused by an injury sustained fairly early on. Therefore, while those who played the first title will understand more of the references and nods to past events, it is extremely accessible to newcomers who want to just jump in with the newest entry.

When I got the chance to speak with Sir Tobi himself at the event, he did note that the Warhorse’s intent was to make sure this introduction didn’t feel like a recap, saying the following:

Tobias Stolz-Zwilling: We tried very hard to make sure that the fans feel right at home. And meanwhile, we of course want to attract new people to the game that don’t feel left out. So the way we did it is that, slowly, was at the beginning of the game, we only gave you the very necessary information. “That’s you, that’s your best friend, or your lord, you’re his squire. This is a letter, bring it there.” That’s it. And then throughout the game, naturally, and in a small pace, they will tell you the other information that you should not realize that it’s a recap in some form or shape. It’s not like you have to watch a 20-minute video to get where you are and what you do. So it should all come naturally.

It should be noted that progression from the first title doesn’t carry over into the sequel. While Henry’s key character development from story moments, such as him learning to read, or getting a dog called Mutt, will continue in the sequel, players will still have to essentially start rebuilding their version of the character and reacquiring items after these are taken from Sir Hans and Henry’s group early on. The first section did walk us through different skills Henry would need on his journey fairly quickly, with combat sequences, a stealth section, and an alchemy mini-game, so an idea could form fairly early of what kinds of tactics were preferable for each player.

Stolz-Zwilling also commented on this matter, noting that adventure had moved up to a far grander scale, and he would need to hone his skills differently, teasing new minigames for these, saying the following:

Tobias Stolz-Zwilling: KCD1 is really like rural areas and villages, and you deal with bandits most of the time. In KCD2, now you’re being dragged among kings and armies, and you’re part of a partisan group, and you have to do sabotages and there’s gunpowder weapons, and so it’s huge, way bigger stages now, and I sometimes say that Henry was the champion the Sunday league, and now he’s invited to play in the Premier League, and he will quickly find out that the Premier League is a totally different challenge that he needs to hone his skills.

He knows how to play football, but he needs to get way better in that to be able to keep up with the other guys. So some stats will stay the same, so Henry will be able to read. He learned it in the first game, and it would be absurd if he forgot that. These stay, but for the other ones, the weapons and, of course, the new skills and new minigames that are coming, like blacksmithing. Those are, of course, something you have to either hone or learn anew.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s Combat Is a Huge Improvement

While Also Being Familiar In Its Approach

As I previously touched upon, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2‘s combat feels like an improvement over the original. While it still features the same overall approach, with a reticle showing the different directions Henry can attack from, it certainly seemed easier to master this time with more fluid animations – a result of Warhorse’s expansion as a studio over the years to have more people working on the animations – and I found it made it slightly clearer when to prepare for a block, dodge or counter. It was also notable that each weapon now plays differently, with maces feeling weightier as they deal out their blunt damage, while swords can be quicker, both slashing and stabbing opponents to quickly deal damage.

Aside from the melee weapons that many will be familiar with from the first game, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 also features ranged weaponry, and within the opening sequence of the game, Henry is very quickly provided with a crossbow to fend off foes from afar. This essentially works the same as one would expect from a first-person shooter, as it involves pointing and firing the right trigger on the controller to shoot. However, it should be noted that the crossbow can take some time to reload, so shooting from a place of cover and also being aware of the surroundings and prepared to switch to melee combat to attack nearby foes was imperative to survival.

In the evening of the event, we were treated to a live demonstration of how each of these weapons worked and got to use them firsthand, and it was clear just how much attention to detail Warhorse had put into recreating stances, attacks, and more. Seeing the crossbows of this time in real life also made me appreciate just how long some would take to load in comparison to newer models and further showed the care and attention to detail Warhorse has put into making a faithful yet satisfying Medieval experience.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Has A Great Variety Of Approaches To Its Quests

Freedom In The Open World Led To Several Different Outcomes

The second section of the preview jumped forward approximately 50 hours into the game, with Henry already in the city of Kuttenberg, and we were only given one instruction by Warhorse: Approach the man opposite where we spawned, and please don’t stay silent during the main confrontation that follows. While this section featured a massive recreation of the city to explore, this ensured that we all essentially did the same side quest, which saw a rivalry forming between a German swordsman, Menhard von Frankfurt, and Kuttenberg’s established sword-training school.

A tour to various real locations later in the event showed just how faithfully Kutná Hora was recreated with the aid of historians and access to documentation from many officials and residents in the area, with the mayor of the city, Lukáš Seifert, making an appearance to share his passion for the game, and it soon became clear how passionate many locals were about the series and its depiction of their country’s history, with Stolz-Zwilling noting in our conversation that for Czech people,
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
is ”
more than just a video game,
” comparing it to what
The Witcher
is for Poland.

It should be noted, however, that while there was plenty of information provided to Warhorse, some areas weren’t as well documented as others, so Warhorse did have to take some creative liberties with the knowledge of historical buildings of the time.

After the initial confrontation between the parties, Henry was tasked by Menhard to steal a longsword from the school and put it outside the city hall, leading the locals to believe the leader of this brotherhood was challenging Menhard to a duel, where the latter could prove his skills in combat and hopefully acquire more students of his own. From here, how we went about doing this was entirely up to us, and it was great fun hearing what others at the event experienced and how they opted to approach the same objective.

Personally, I attempted a stealth approach – it is breaking and entering and theft, after all, so this felt natural – and while this section did have the Savior Schnapps from the first game to save at any point, I did opt to roll with the punches and just see how things could play out, for better or for worse. As it turns out, in my playthrough, this was mostly for the worst as while I was successful in stealing the sword, I did immediately open the door to leave the building, only to walk straight into the leader of the brotherhood. From here, I figured I’d try talking my way out of the situation calmly, with an added bribe to look away, but unfortunately, while he did take the money, he also searched Henry before he left and obviously found the longsword and confiscated it.

Instead of putting it back, he then carried the sword for safekeeping, but determined to stick to a stealthy approach; I attempted to pickpocket it off him. This went about as well as anyone would expect, trying to pickpocket a longsword off someone to go, and this time, there was no talking my way out of it. I tried to retreat, ducking into an alleyway and out onto the street, but unfortunately, the conflict followed as word caught on that Henry was a thief, leading to a fight against the leader of the brotherhood in a crowded street with plenty of witnesses.

I attempted a non-lethal approach and used only fists, and it got to a point where my opponent was staggered. I thought that him taking a step back would have been preparing for a heavy hit, and readied my finger over the left trigger of the combat for another block, but what I hadn’t realized was that after a certain point, the left trigger function changed from “Block” to “Slaughter,” so my non-lethal approach very quickly turned extremely lethal in front of a busy street full of witnesses. This, of course, meant Manhard had nobody to duel, which failed the quest, and everyone in the area knew Henry was a cold-blooded killer. Even worse – albeit very impressive for a gameplay mechanic – was that everyone remembered, and no matter where Henry went, his name was tainted.

Talking to others afterward, some managed to flawlessly pull off the heist, planting the sword and watching the duel unfold, while others ended up in a variety of different predicaments, including having the town know that Henry stole the sword even though he planted it, which went against Menhard’s tactic, but could still result in a fight, albeit with the brotherhood given an advantage over Menhard in combat. While I was a bit disappointed that my playthrough had ended in such a manner, I was truly impressed by just how many outcomes one side quest had.

As someone who enjoyed the first Kingdom Come: Deliverance back in 2018, I am thoroughly looking forward to diving more into Henry’s journey again. With the refinements and enhancements Warhorse Studios has made and the sheer replayability that will come from the multiple approaches to situations, I can see myself sinking plenty of hours into Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 upon its launch on February 11, 2025.