Kingdom Come Deliverance 2: The AGExp Review

Over the course of the last month I have been lucky enough to have played just over 30 hours of Kingdom Come Deliverance 2. A sequel in every sense of the word to 2018’s breakout hit for Warhorse Studios. At first glance my time with KCD2 has been a Jekyll and Hyde affair but a game of this size cannot be fully unpacked in a short time, nor can you really appreciate it in small gaming sessions. More on that later though, let’s jump back in time to 15th century Bohemia and into the shoes of one Henry of Skalitz and get ready for his next adventure.   

KCD2 takes place quite literally after the events of the first. Henry, a blacksmith's son who after the death of his parents at the hands of King Sigismund's mercenaries, rose through the ranks to become a powerful figure in the service of Sir Radzig and personal bodyguard of mouthy noble but friend Sir Hans Capon. Henry is to accompany Sir Hans as he travels to Trosky Castle a letter in tow outlining their want to become allies with the local Lord, Otto von Bergow. A chance encounter and decision to stop for their last night before arriving at the castle sets in motion a series of events taking you through the early tutorial of some of the games core mechanics like speech options and the fighting mechanics.

While your guard is down Henry and company are besieged by a group of mercenaries who kill all bar Sir Capon and yourself before turning their attention to you forcing you to flee into the woods until you stumble upon an old woman who is able to help heal your wounds.

This all happens before the opening credits roll and sets you up for the long task ahead of returning yourself to a prominent standing within the Trosky region so that you may get an audience with Lord von Bergow, a not so easy task given you are now essentially a beggar literally covered in filth.

It is in these early moments where you begin to really understand just how deep the RPG elements are ingrained in everything that you are doing on screen. It is up to you to help Henry grow and prosper, either through positive actions or a more nefarious outlook if you are inclined for that side of the coin. There are no black and white choices but more a light grey or darker grey outlook with Henry even at times feeling like his responses are the complete opposite of what you were expecting. My initial playthrough I tried to go the high road. Henry was given a tip that a local blacksmith was creating a special sword for an upcoming wedding and was in need of assistance. Being a blacksmiths son I figured this would be a home run and a way for me to make easy money making swords and selling them to get myself better equipped easily. I was greatly mistaken. The blacksmithing is somewhat of a mini game itself with you having control over every part of the process, heating the raw steel, hammering out to the shape of a sword making sure to keep the heat right through the process before finishing the process with a new sword. How well you hammer out the shape and your consistency all count towards the quality of the sword, don’t forget you need to sharpen your sword for the best results. Some would call this mechanic in depth and insightful, others will call it tedious. It’s a cool way to make a little bit of money early game by making and selling your wares but early on you won’t have the skills yet to turn a profit quickly.

Unfortunately my first playthrough ended with frustration as the ongoing missions to help the blacksmith saw me in moments of conflict that I was not ready or prepared for causing many, many deaths. Culminating in me taking my frustrations out on an NPC that I needed to complete the quest line, effectively leaving me stone walled. I later learned that I could have switched tact and tried another way to progress the story, but instead I restarted, not something you need to do.

My outburst opened me to a new way of building Henry and the restart did help a little bit. This time around I decided to help another and began my life in the shadows. With the combat mechanics still not clicking for me I quickly found myself a dagger, some dark clothes and found solace in the dark of night. Bandits were my main source of income while slowly going about my main missions and I very quickly progressed not only my main story line but with the extra Groshen in my pockets I was able to buy better clothes, get lodgings when required and food and drink at will. All in all a better experience.

Graphically KCD2 is once again a few steps above the original with the team showing the fruits of their extra skills learned over the past 7 years and the bigger budget for the sequel. The world is amazing to take in and I implore you to take a walk and just immerse yourselves in the sights and sounds. From rolling countryside with little towns scattered throughout, to large cities full of people and life it really is amazing to see what can be accomplished and ultimately accomplished well. Warhorse Studios has learnt from the rocky start of the original and polished everything. While visually it isn’t on par with some other titles from more recognised or seasoned AAA studios KCD2 is stunning in its beauty, especially for a game of its size. I do have some nit picks revolving around the character models themselves looking a little flat and lifeless and having spent so much time traversing the countryside at night there is some work to be done to sharpen things up. Night time does hold a certain beauty, especially on a clear night where you can see for miles and up ahead a lone torch is being carried through the woods.

Every character in the world is its own living entity. They each get up and go to work, pick a spot on the street to beg, or can be found drinking away their troubles at the local tavern. The world around you is a living breathing entity that lends itself to how you approach each encounter. I have spoken with characters that sent me on amazing missions to find lost things, and I have been sent on wild goose chases, it is up to you how you respond to each and you choose what and who you want to engage with. Just let it be a warning, if you were to dispatch a character, that character is no longer there, and it has repercussions in the area that you are in. If you’re seen dispatching said individual your reputation will be damaged locally and in the next 5 towns or you can find yourself at the mercy of the law.

Unfortunately this is where my glowing praise of KCD2 comes to an end. I am happy to admit this is an amazing title, but I cannot give it a blanket endorsement that everyone will like what it has to offer. While this all boils down to a me problem and how I like to play games, there are some points I want to address within KCD2.

For some 20 hours the combat did not in any way shape or form click with me. I would die within 1 or 2 strikes unless I was using stealth. If stealth didn’t work I was running away. The biggest issue was that on more than 1 occasion I lost hours of progress. Saving is not easy and you need to brew a special potion to save on the fly, sleep in your owned bed or if you’re playing on PC you can save and quit back to the desktop before an encounter. This caused many play sessions to be abandoned due to being completely frustrated and not enjoying my time. I admit my play style and want plays into this. I want to play a game where my character is stronger than everyone around them. I want to be able to help that character through the story, at speed if it strikes me. Henry though is just your average everyday human, no special abilities just a skill set for you to grow and a world for you to work your way through. Missions are a mix of amazing and drawn out much like any RPG but combined with the frustrations above cause me to look at them with a much darker view.

Ultimately I am torn. I could walk away tomorrow and not be concerned with helping Henry ever again, but on the other hand I want to experience the story that has been unfolding in front of me. I am worried though with what I would estimate as an 80 hour play through for the main story, will the frustrations get the better of me or will things click?

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is a game of two sides. A true sequel to the original with a gripping story, beautiful scenery and an in depth RPG system that allows you to craft Henry into the character you want him to be, and yet the depth of the games core mechanics will be confronting for some players who don’t have the time or the want to learn the systems effectively enough to enjoy the story in its entirety. With no difficulty setting I can see players that are not aware not having the best time.

Ultimately, I leave you with these final thoughts. If you played the original and enjoyed it, you will find so much more this time around and once again fall in love with the world created. If you didn’t like the first, you won't find anything new here and for those on the fence, KCD2 is a challenge but with the right mindset can be one of the best and most in-depth RPGs you will play for some time.

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 releases worldwide February 5th, 2025, and will be available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series systems.