Kingdom Come: Deliverance II: A First Look After 10 Hours
With Kingdom Come: Deliverance II now available, let's delve into whether Warhorse Studios' sequel successfully delivers another captivating slice of Czech history. After 10 hours of gameplay, I'm already hooked. Before I completely lose myself in medieval Bohemia, though, let's analyze my initial impressions.
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Comparison with the First Game
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II retains the open-world Action RPG formula of its predecessor, emphasizing historical accuracy and realistic mechanics. Players can choose their path – valiant knight, stealthy rogue, or diplomat – with survival elements like eating and sleeping impacting effectiveness. Combat remains challenging, especially against multiple opponents.
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Visually, the game is stunning. The landscapes are breathtakingly detailed, yet performance is remarkably smooth across platforms – a welcome achievement in modern AAA game development.
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Combat has received subtle but significant improvements. The streamlined attack system, smoother enemy switching, and more nuanced parrying make engagements feel more intuitive and tactically rich. Enemy AI is noticeably enhanced, creating more dynamic and challenging encounters.
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Group combat is particularly noteworthy. Enemies actively attempt flanking maneuvers and coordinated attacks. Injured foes strategically retreat, highlighting a more intelligent and adaptive enemy behavior.
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Beyond alchemy and dice, blacksmithing has been added, offering a rewarding crafting system with economic and equipment benefits. The diverse range of forgeable items ensures longevity, although the unique controls presented an unexpected challenge (horseshoes proved trickier than swords!).
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Bugs
While the original Kingdom Come: Deliverance faced criticism for its technical state, the sequel appears significantly more polished. During my 10 hours, I encountered only minor graphical glitches (flickering dialogue options, a briefly teleporting NPC), easily resolved with a simple restart.
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Realism and Difficulty
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II strikes a compelling balance between realism and engaging gameplay. The immersive experience isn't hampered by excessive realism, maintaining a believable yet enjoyable pace.
The lack of a difficulty setting might deter some players, but the challenge isn't insurmountable. Players familiar with titles like The Witcher 3 or Skyrim should find the difficulty manageable, provided they approach combat strategically.
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The historical setting is meticulously crafted. While I lack the expertise to verify its accuracy, the game's approach is commendable; it subtly encourages players to explore the historical context without being overly didactic.
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Should You Play Kingdom Come: Deliverance II?
Newcomers needn't worry about jumping in without playing the first game. The prologue effectively bridges the narrative gap, providing context for Henry's backstory.
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The opening hours are expertly paced, seamlessly blending tutorials with captivating gameplay. Within the first hour, players will engage in combat, experience humor, and immerse themselves in the world.
While a full judgment of the story and quests requires more playtime, initial impressions are extremely positive.
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Conclusion
After 10 hours, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II shows significant improvements over its predecessor. It's shaping up to be a fantastic RPG, and I'm eager to see if it maintains this high standard throughout the entire experience.
