Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 will arrive this year to make us feel the harshness of the Middle Ages

I still remember when Warhorse Studios showed off Kingdom Come: Deliverance, a game developed by just 11 people in a tiny booth. It was one of those sensations where I was sure it was a very original project that would undoubtedly go far. Now, 6 years later, they arrive with a Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, developed with a team of more than 250 people, the same ones who, according to Daniel Vávra, creative director, have been trying to create what they originally had in mind from the beginning, but who were prevented from doing so due to uncertainty, lack of experience, lack of staff and budget. To understand a little of what awaits us, it is worth recapitulating.

What is Kingdom Come: Deliverance all about?

Part of the charm of this action RPG is that it tries to be as realistic as possible, according to the historical elements on which it is based, so your character will need food, sleep at his hours, medical attention, and so on, just like any human being. But unlike in other games of the genre, here food can spoil during a journey, so you have to be careful even when taking it. The same goes for wounds, so we can forget about potions, magic, etc. With that in mind, I am excited to imagine the world of possibilities that await us.

What’s in store for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2?

Going back to the preview, I noticed some of the same excitement that the development team had in 2017 with Tobias Stolz-Zwilling, the PR manager of the studio, you could see it on his face, even though it was an online demo. Through the video, we saw a significant improvement in the visual level, with more animations, better textures, and the faithful recreation of the Middle Ages that they had already captured in the first game.

This installment will continue to unfold in the early fifteenth century, but now in Kuttenberg (a town mentioned several times in the first game) in Central Bohemia of the Czech Republic, with the same protagonist of the first title, Henry (played by Tom Mackay), that peasant, son of a blacksmith, who witnessed the murder of his parents and swore to avenge them. The difference now is that while the first part dealt with conflicts between the small nobility and the bandits who attacked the small villages, now we are faced with problems directly related to the royalty.

In this sequel we will follow his path, but now as a nobleman (a condition earned in the previous game) in a new adventure that features a new combat system with better movements, and weapons such as crossbows and the first pistols. Much of the effort has been focused on making the combat as close as possible to the reality of that time and how the character is developed, as we can go from being a very good knight or a cautious thief, without forgetting that each of our actions will have consequences. For example, if you get drunk in a tavern, the next day people will start insulting you on the street, but you will have the opportunity to apologize or tell them to go to hell. The same is true if you try to make suspicious moves to steal or get into places you shouldn’t be. Other new features we saw in the demo were that there will be the ability to upgrade weapons and even create medicines.

We also expect at least 5 hours of dialog as opposed to the 3 hours the previous game had, a world twice the size of the first game with beautiful open fields, and a story that promises to be epic.

As for the soundtrack, Jan Valta returns and his work sounds spectacular. In fact, they showed part of it with an orchestra playing in the church of Kuttenberg where they filmed this preview.

Although it was only a few minutes of video, the fact that it was announced for the end of 2024 leaves me with a very good taste in my mouth, because I can feel the studio’s desire to make us feel what life was really like in the Middle Ages. And the story of Henry, this orphaned peasant who is now on this new quest to become a hair thanks to his warrior’s heart, reflects the studio’s intentions.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 will be published by Deep Silver for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.