Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a bigger, better historical medieval RPG that could do for the Czech Republic what The Witcher has done for Poland

Games have a pretty healthy obsession with medieval fantasies, but few are able to capitalize on it like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Giving you the fantasy of experiencing medieval life for real was the unique proposal from the game's 2018 predecessor, and this sequel only seeks to go further. In the seven years since its debut, Warhorse Studios' vision has only grown more ambitious. It's there from the get-go with its technically polished opening sequence in the midst of a castle siege, and then when we're reacquainted with Henry of Skalitz, riding as part of Sir Hans Capon's entourage to deliver an urgent message. Who needs magic when you have the rich history and natural beauty of 15th century Bohemia with a rousing score to boot?

With its emphasis on a realistic immersive simulation of medieval times, this is still a very systems-heavy game, hence the considerably lengthy prologue onboarding you with everything from persuasive speech to the consequences of crime and punishment, while also providing some background for newcomers. It's nonetheless a more accessible entry if only because this time you're not starting as an illiterate blacksmith's apprentice from the peasantry. Not that you're starting as a fully formed character as you'll also have dialogue options early on to indicate what kind of playstyle you want to focus on.

Clothes maketh the man

That isn't to say that Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 isn't afraid to be video gamey when it needs to. Such is the case that its prologue takes a leaf from Metroid after an ambush leaves you fleeing from a pond half-naked, culminating in a nasty fall that weakens you by resetting some of your levels and perks, while your trusty steed and dog also go missing. And yet the contrivance also feels plausible since the simulation isn't just about stats but appearances.

Being stripped of your armor and knight's stripes is essentially a power reset, with no one believing who you are, not least when you're dressed in beggar's garb and can't afford a bath (not that it stops the spoilt Capon from putting on arrogant airs, with hilarious results for the both of you). It's also why it's important the game has moments to snap you out of its first-person perspective during dialogue or cut scenes so that you can see Henry and realize that, yeah, maybe you should wash the blood off your face before trying to speak to someone of nobility.

Another bit of welcome goofiness comes from an animated hare icon to keep you on alert of how others are behaving towards you. It's a welcome and lighthearted way to know if you've wandered into a private house you shouldn't be in or whether someone's actively searching for you. Fortunately, there's also subtlety to the system so that you're given fair warning to leave if you're trespassing before anyone decides to choose violence. The flip side is that if villagers spotted you where you shouldn't be and then find something's gone missing, they can still deduce that you're the perpetrator without catching you in the act.

It's something of a reminder that it wasn't all off with their heads (or off to the stocks) in medieval times. Indeed, it's more realistic that we have the opportunity to talk our way out of conflict, whether that's trying to be reasonable or resorting to intimidation tactics. Of course, when it's time to get our hands dirty, it's also important to be prepared. That's not just about making sure your blade's been sharpened but that you're also kitted out with the right armor – that is, you have the appropriate coif over your head before donning a helmet, and soft garments that go under rigid, heavy armor plates. And if you come out of a scrap barely alive, then making sure you've got bandages to stop any bleeding and food to get your energy back – but also making sure what's in your pockets hasn't gone rotten (such as by smoking them).

Whether getting into the nitty gritty details of medieval life will appeal to players more used to an immediate and empowering fantasy will be up for debate, especially when that will factor into Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's estimated 100-hour playtime (which we suspect may also include many hours wasted on gambling dice). But when just you're walking through the Bohemian countryside, basking in the gorgeous light falling on the foliage rendered in CryEngine, it's those little details that make this historical epic come alive.

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