Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Review

From Blacksmith’s Son to Noble Knight

The first game in this series, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, was a surprise hit when it launched on the previous generation of consoles in 2018. Set in the historically rich region of Bohemia in the year 1403, during the reign of King Wenceslas IV, it cast players as Henry, a humble blacksmith’s son whose life takes a dramatic turn when his family is brutally murdered. Driven by a thirst for vengeance, Henry ascends to the ranks of nobility and embarks on a perilous quest for justice. While enjoyable, it suffered from some technical rough edges and occasionally clunky mechanics. 

Now, with the arrival of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, let’s delve into this sprawling medieval world and discover how the sequel has refined and expanded upon its predecessor’s foundation.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II’s Opening and Introduction

This time around, the game opens with a dramatic cutscene depicting a fierce castle siege and a large-scale battle that immediately throws you into the heart of the action. We witness our hero, Henry, amidst the chaos, facing seemingly insurmountable odds. The narrative then rewinds a few months, providing an extended introductory sequence that serves as both a narrative setup and a comprehensive tutorial. 

During this initial hour or so, you accompany Henry and his doppelganger on a mission to deliver a message, encountering various challenges and scenarios that reacquaint players with the events of the previous game and introduce new mechanics and gameplay elements.

A World of Stories

The story and writing in Kingdom Come: Deliverance II are good, with authentic dialogue, well-developed characters, and a strong sense of pacing and narrative structure. The open world feels vibrant and alive, with numerous side stories and subplots unfolding organically as you explore the richly detailed environments.

It often reminded me of the immersive world-building in Red Dead Redemption 2, where chance encounters and narratives would add depth and complexity to the gameplay experience. I was thoroughly engrossed in the main storyline and found myself constantly drawn into the activities that the game world offers.

Medieval Life: Survival, Quests, and Mini-Games

The gameplay is primarily that of a first-person adventure with a deep and intricate layer of mechanics and menus. While this might initially seem overwhelming, especially for newcomers to the series, the systems become more manageable with practice. Exploration is a key component, and the world is a joy to discover, with diverse environments, hidden secrets, and a plethora of activities to uncover. 

However, survival is paramount, requiring you to monitor your stamina, hunger, thirst, and sleep levels. Food can be acquired through various means, including purchasing from vendors, stealing from unsuspecting others, or foraging for resources in the wilderness. You can rest in beds, however, sleeping in certain places carries the risk of being caught, potentially leading to unwanted consequences. Maintaining your health is also crucial, requiring you to use bandages or potions to heal injuries sustained in combat or through misadventures.

Honing Your Skills

As you traverse the vast world of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II you’ll encounter a variety of quests, side quests, and even opportunities to take on jobs to earn money and improve your reputation. The game features engaging mini-games, such as dice and blacksmithing, which play a significant role in crafting and upgrading equipment. Alchemy is another intricate system and these crafting and resource management mechanics add depth and complexity to the gameplay, providing a satisfying sense of progression and accomplishment as you master their intricacies.

The combat has been refined too, offering a more challenging experience compared to the first game. You can hone Henry’s skills with swords, unarmed combat, and ranged weapons like bows and arrows. Sword fighting involves mastering a variety of techniques, including light and heavy attacks, blocks, and counter moves. And there’s an on-screen indicator that displays the direction of incoming attacks, allowing you to react accordingly and time your defenses or counter attacks effectively. Unarmed combat utilises similar mechanics, with a focus on timing, positioning, and exploiting openings in your opponent’s defenses. The combat system is well-designed, preferable to that of the first game, and provides a satisfying sense of progression as you improve your skills and experiment with different fighting styles.

A Visual and Auditory Delight

For the good, there’s no doubt that Kingdom Come: Deliverance II exhibits the occasional performance hiccup, such as jerkiness in animations and a few minor bugs encountered in the early access version I played. That said, it’s a significant improvement over its predecessor. 

On a personal level, I appreciated the emphasis on dialogue and charm, allowing for a more diplomatic and strategic approach to resolving conflicts and completing quests. Replaying encounters with different dialogue choices often results in surprisingly varied outcomes too, highlighting the attention to detail that has been included. This encourages experimentation and rewards players who invest time in developing their character’s social skills and exploring different conversational approaches.

Visually, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II represents a significant step up from the first game. The environments are beautifully rendered, with lush forests, detailed towns, and impressive interiors and exteriors. There is a diverse range of locations to explore, from sprawling castles and bustling villages to dense forests and treacherous swamps. While there are occasional visual inconsistencies between cutscenes and gameplay, these are relatively minor. The lighting has also been significantly improved, with this one showcasing the capabilities of the Xbox Series X and creating stunning vistas and atmospheric environments.

The soundtrack is excellent as well, with an epic orchestral score that dynamically adapts to the on-screen action, heightening the tension during combat encounters and creating a sense of grandeur during exploration and cinematic moments. The sound effects are equally impressive, ranging from the clash of swords in battle to the friendly bark of your canine companion, Mutt. The voice acting is generally of high quality, particularly for the main characters, who deliver convincing and emotionally resonant performances. However, some minor characters suffer from robotic and unnatural delivery, which slightly detracts from the immersion.

A Worthy Successor with Room for Refinement

I enjoyed Kingdom Come: Deliverance II even more than its predecessor. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II builds upon the foundations already in place, offering a more polished experience with improved visuals, a larger world, and a deeper narrative. The gameplay mechanics are engaging, and by taking in various activities you’ll find countless hours of entertainment. There’s no doubt that technical issues remain, but much less so than previous, and highly likely to be addressed in future updates. 

If you enjoyed the original, you’ll appreciate Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, especially with the promise of additional story content on the horizon. I’m eager to see where Henry’s journey leads him next.

Important Links

Fortune favours the brave – Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is announced – https://www.thexboxhub.com/fortune-favours-the-brave-kingdom-come-deliverance-ii-is-announced/

Buy Kingdom Come: Deliverance II on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/kingdom-come-deliverance-ii/9pmz6j2rzcjp

Or grab the Gold Edition – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/kingdom-come-deliverance-ii-gold-edition/9NPG2MT83P1C/0017