Kingdom Come Deliverance II Announced
Warhorse Studios have just announced a sequel to their cult Historical RPG, Kingdom Come Deliverance. The sequel (simply identified with an II) is once again set in 15th Century Bohemia and follows the story of Henry of Skalitz, an ordinary fellow who gets caught up in the machinations of the world when his parents are murdered and he sent off to avenge their deaths. As far as setups for a game go, it isn’t exactly a new one, but it is one that works well so it is hard to be upset with the lack of originality.
During the announcement presentation the developers and voice actors went through a host of features and improvements that are coming to Kingdom Come Deliverance II. The first thing they mentioned was the size of the world. The map size is significantly larger than the original game and will feature more detail, more NPC interactions and a variety of locations including cities, villages and isolated farmsteads. There will be a host of true-to-the-time-period activities to engage in, including archery and blacksmithing all adding to the immersion levels.
Perhaps the most notable improvement that I noticed however was the combat. I found swinging the sword quite clunky in the first game but it appears there has been a concerted effort to improve the combat in the sequel. Not only are whopping big swords and shields are back, but ranged weapons like crossbows and early rifles make an appearance, giving players more options for engagement. There seem to be more developed stealth mechanics this time around as well, so those who like to play like a thief in the night should be catered for.
I must also say the game is looking great. It is being built in CryEngine so that isn’t a surprise, but it is nice to see the amount of detail present in the character’s faces and their animations. Overall, from the announcement information, it looks like Kingdom Come Deliverance II is doing everything a good sequel should, improving and expanding on what came before without losing what made the first game a surprise hit in the first place. I still have a lot of questions, namely about the RPG progression and writing, but Deliverance II is shaping up to be a good bit of roleplaying when it arrives on Xbox Series, PS5 and PC later this year.
