Kingdom Come: Deliverance II – A First Impression After 10 Hours

With Kingdom Come: Deliverance II recently launched, it's time to assess Warhorse Studios' second foray into interactive Czech history. After 10 hours of gameplay, my initial impressions are overwhelmingly positive. The game's pull is so strong, it's distracting me from work – high praise indeed! Let's delve into the details.

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Comparison with the First Game:

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II remains a historically-inspired open-world action RPG, prioritizing realism and accuracy. Gameplay options are diverse: embrace knighthood, master stealth, or navigate conflicts through diplomacy. Core mechanics like eating and sleeping remain crucial for character effectiveness, and solo encounters with multiple bandits remain challenging.

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Visually, the game is stunning. Landscapes are breathtakingly detailed, yet the performance optimization is impressive, avoiding the performance issues of its predecessor. This balance of visuals and performance is a rare feat in modern AAA titles.

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Combat has received subtle yet significant enhancements. The attack system is streamlined, switching between targets is smoother, and parrying is more nuanced, less of a guaranteed win. The result is more intuitive combat, but not necessarily easier. Enemy AI is improved, leading to more tactical depth.

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Group combat feels more challenging and realistic than in many other games. Enemies actively attempt to flank and outmaneuver the player. Injured enemies strategically retreat to allow their allies to continue the fight.

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Beyond alchemy and dice games, blacksmithing has been added. This engaging craft offers both income and access to high-quality equipment, and the variety of forgeable items suggests lasting appeal. The unique controls, however, made forging horseshoes surprisingly more challenging than weapons.

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Bugs:

While the original Kingdom Come: Deliverance had a rocky launch, the sequel appears much more polished. Minor bugs have been encountered (e.g., flickering dialogue options, a minor animation glitch), but nothing game-breaking. A simple restart resolved the dialogue issue.

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Realism and Difficulty:

The game's realism enhances immersion without hindering gameplay. The lack of a difficulty setting might deter some players, but the challenge is manageable for those experienced with RPGs like The Witcher 3 or Skyrim, provided tactical approaches are employed.

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The historical detail is impressive. While a full historical assessment is beyond my scope, the game effectively encourages player interest in the historical context without being overly didactic.

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Should You Play Kingdom Come: Deliverance II?

New players can easily jump in. The prologue effectively summarizes the first game's events, ensuring newcomers understand Henry's background. The opening hour expertly blends tutorials with engaging gameplay, immediately immersing the player in medieval Bohemia.

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While the long-term story and quest quality remain to be fully assessed, the initial impressions are highly promising.

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In conclusion, after 10 hours, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II shows significant improvements over its predecessor. It's shaping up to be an exceptional RPG. The full game's longevity and consistency remain to be seen, but the early signs are exceptionally positive.