Let me preface by saying that it took me a few tries to really appreciate Kingdom Come: Deliverance and get into it. By putting immersion, an astounding degree of realism and deliberately slow actions at the forefront of the gameplay experience, it’s unsurprising that it didn’t win the hearts of many players not accustomed to its unique offering, but within reason, of course. So it’s hard to say that this year’s sequel, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, delivers more of the same because developer Warhorse Studios listened to feedback and elaborated on its best ideas while trimming its worst. After a handful of hours so far, it feels like a superior sequel is starting to take shape.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is set in early 15h century Bohemia and puts players in the shoes of Henry from Skalitz, the son of a blacksmith who is entrusted as the bodyguard of Sir Hans Capon on a diplomatic mission to ease unrest in the midst of a civil war. Events transpire and Henry is set on a path of vengeance and betrayal.



It’s a classic setup for a medieval hero tale and one that hooked me from the get-go, wasting no time in throwing players into a simple plot with surprisingly layered characters. A short prologue sets up the narrative before taking players a week back in time to see – or rather, experience first-hand – how it all unfolds. If I had any major issue with the first game, it was the storytelling, which felt stilted at times with moments where the plot felt completely drained of forward momentum. From what I’ve played of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II so far, it has no such issues - there’s a much greater emphasis on telling a more fleshed out, grounded and compelling story with an instantly likeable protagonist in Henry.

Warhorse Studios listened to feedback and elaborated on its best ideas while trimming its worst. After a handful of hours so far, it feels like a superior sequel is starting to take shape.

The same can be said about who Henry surrounds himself with. Hans, for example, is such an endearing character that you quickly warm up to, even if his introduction paints him as a wet-behind-the-ears adventurer who’s more interested in chasing booze and women than proving his diplomatic skills. All of this is helped by a notable amount of engaging cutscenes and cinematics compared to the first game, which is definitely a boon to the narrative.



The finer-tuned narrative aside, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II also surprised me with how well it managed to take the first game’s best ideas and tweak them without completely streamlining them. Combat still feels a bit floaty and wonky but each successful strike with your sword or crossbow feels weightier and more impactful – from parrying to positioning to swinging your sword in a certain direction to attack or block, it all feels very deliberate. Again, I must stress that much like the first game, this isn’t a combat system everyone will get into but fans will definitely love the improvements here.

Dialogue is the true meat of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, in my opinion. Warhorse Studios doubled down on the role-playing elements with a deep branching dialogue system that never ceased to surprise me. It doesn’t help to just be charismatic during dialogue checks. This is because the game takes into account Henry’s presentation and appearance while he’s speaking, now pushed to the tenth degree. For instance, when you insist on being a noble knight or dashing aristocrat, if you’re dressed in a potato sack, NPCs will take note of that and it won’t matter how silver your tongue is. I can’t tell you how many times I called myself an educated guard while looking like a shirtless crackpot covered in dirt, just to be met with “sure, buddy” or “hectic” reactions from NPCs. It’s fantastic, actually.



Many of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II’s interactions so far have revolved around this ingenious dialogue system – with consequences, naturally – that I honestly can’t get enough of. It’s a shame because the gameplay loses some of its charm once it throws you on rails during some unavoidable stealth or combat encounters. It remains to be seen how often this will happen during the campaign but in the early hours of the game, it does feel a tad bit restrictive, especially after it teases you that conflict can be circumnavigated by saying the right words (and wearing the right attire after taking a shower too).

I can’t tell you how many times I called myself an educated guard while looking like a shirtless crackpot covered in dirt, just to be met with “sure, buddy” or “hectic” reactions from NPCs.

Once you’re free to go on your merry way and stretch your legs while keeping an eye on your stamina and various debilitating attributes, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II ups the immersion factor. There’s a very fine learning curve; one equally as demanding as the first game that forces you to get on its pacing. Don’t expect an action-packed swashbuckling adventure - it’s rare to find a game that spikes your anxiety levels while also being oddly relaxing at the same time. That level of realism really defines this series and I’m glad that instead of making a more mainstream experience out of the sequel, Warhorse Studios is sticking to what it knows but still being mindful of past criticisms.



Hopefully this results in a much more robust package when all is said and done. I’ll be playing Kingdom Come: Deliverance II for the next few weeks and taking my time with it. From what I’ve learned so far in my experience with the sequel, it’s a game that doesn’t ask for your time, it demands it – so, much like the first game, to be honest. I’m thoroughly impressed by its gripping storytelling and deliberately slow pace. 2025 might just have a gargantuan action-RPG in the waiting.