Among the major games anticipated for release in 2025 is Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, scheduled for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series on February 4, 2025. As a sequel arriving seven years after its predecessor, which established itself as a significant title among fans of high-quality medieval RPGs, it holds considerable promise. Despite initial issues with bugs upon release, the original Kingdom Come Deliverance achieved notable success, selling 8 million copies worldwide. For a debut project, Czech studio Warhorse Studios, founded by former 2K Czech developers who worked on the first two Mafia games, demonstrated their potential. However, for this sequel, the developers have taken steps to avoid past pitfalls, including delaying the release by several months and now sending it to press and content creators after completing extensive development work. This allows us to share our hands-on impressions following 8-10 hours of gameplay.
The Same Thing, But Better?
We will once again assume the role of Henry of Skalitz, accompanied by Sir Hans Capon as his bodyguard, in our quest for vengeance against Sigismond’s forces, who are responsible for the death of his parents and the complete destruction of his native village. However, before Henry can claim the title of knight, he must navigate through the tutorial mode to reacquaint himself with the fundamentals of this unique combat system. Similar to the first installment, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s battles are rigorous, somewhat austere at a glance, and most importantly, the game does not guide you. It is up to the player to grasp its complexities; charging into battle without understanding will result in unnecessary deaths. According to the developers, the combat system draws inspiration from real medieval martial techniques combined with elements of professional wrestling, creating an unusual but intriguing blend.
Each encounter and battle presents its own unique challenge, particularly when confronting enemies that outnumber you. Success in these situations will always demand strategy, patience, and precision. It is crucial to effectively manage your stamina bar and execute perfect parries, as these skills will determine your proficiency.
The system is similar to the first episode, featuring a reticle that you must monitor as it enables your escape. There are still directions to follow to land successful blows, but most importantly, there is a green shield indicator for perfect blocks and to prevent exhausting your stamina. In Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, it is advised not to keep the guard button constantly pressed but to counterattack after each perfect parry, dealing maximum damage by varying attack angles. Reading enemies remains crucial, considering their attire, identifying weak spots or less protected body parts, as surprise can provide an advantage. This aspect has remained unchanged. What has changed in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is the introduction of firearms; however, given that this game is set at the start of the 1400s, these are extremely primitive firearms. If used correctly, they can inflict significant damage on enemies. However, since reloading takes a considerable amount of time, you cannot shoot continuously like a Kalashnikov, and thus the sword remains your most effective defense method as enemies will not wait for you to reload before attacking.
Among the major games anticipated for 2025 is Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, set for release on February 4, 2025, across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. This sequel follows seven years after the initial game, which established a significant presence among fans of high-quality medieval RPGs. Despite encountering bugs upon its original release, Kingdom Come Deliverance achieved notable success, selling 8 million copies globally. Czech studio Warhorse Studios, founded by former employees from 2K Czech who worked on the first two Mafia games, saw their debut project as a successful venture for a new developer. For this sequel, developers have committed to addressing previous issues and have opted to delay its release to ensure it is polished enough to send out for press and content creators for an intensive week of playtesting.
If open-world games that overly guide players or oversimplify tasks are not to your liking, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 should appeal to you, as it stands in stark contrast to Ubisoft-style open worlds. Some may find this approach austere or demanding. The game is designed to immerse players in the life of a 15th-century Bohemian man, highlighting its educational value by exploring the relationships between different social strata and various environments through Henry’s adventures. Players have the freedom to shape their character into either a virtuous individual or a morally questionable one, facing consequences for their actions. Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 promises a more organic world where non-player characters (NPCs) live and interact based on your appearance, demeanor, and actions. Given the developers’ realistic approach, situations, dialogues, and exchanges will always play a significant role. The game is both talkative and requires players to manage numerous parameters. Vitality gauges for life, stamina, hunger, sleep, injuries that need tending post-combat to avoid bleeding out, personal hygiene—these are all major elements of this sequel. Each vital function must be performed meticulously; overeating can lead to poor digestion and reduced athletic capabilities, while prolonged fasting is fatal. Consuming spoiled food can cause harm. Every inventory item has a lifespan, with weapons and armor wearing down, perishable goods decomposing. Gathering resources remains essential for various purposes, including obtaining food, crafting bouquets to court a lady, or gathering ingredients for potion-making.
For those who have played the first Kingdom Come Deliverance, this sequel will feel familiar, as it appears to be an enhanced version of the original game in every aspect. The basic mechanisms remain largely unchanged but are now more refined and offer deeper progression. While the world looks similar, it is actually larger and more expansive. It is the organic quality of its writing, characters, varied situations that can range from humorous to serious, and numerous side quests that set Kingdom Come Deliverance apart. More visually appealing and notably free of bugs, this sequel focuses on delivering an immersive and robust experience. I will provide a final verdict after completing the game; there are still many hours of gameplay ahead before my review in one month’s time.
