Warhorse Studios returns with a deeply realistic, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, story-driven RPG that builds on its groundbreaking predecessor despite combat shortcomings and a few bugs.
Warhorse Studios made a big splash in the RPG genre in 2018 with Kingdom Come: Deliverance. The game broke the mold by putting you in a very realistic medieval world based on real events. The first game, unlike many RPGs that are heavily based on fantasy tropes, was based on the harsh realities of 15th-century Bohemia.
It combined open-world exploration with complex survival mechanics, weapon handling, and a strong focus on the story. The first one quickly became a cult classic among those who preferred genuine stories over flashy ones. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II picks up where the first game left off and builds on it.
It’s not a complete remake, but it adds more to the world, makes the story more interesting, and makes you feel more immersed by adding new quests, better AI, and more details to the world. The sequel demonstrates that Warhorse remains committed to creating a truly unique medieval RPG experience, but it also reveals some flaws and areas that require further development.
The story takes place in Bohemia, a country that has experienced significant violence and war. It continues Henry’s quest for revenge and justice from the first game. Warhorse writes a story that is full of political intrigue, dark humor, and personal grudges.
The story is driven by strong characters who are flawed, funny, and desperate, just like real people. The main plot is intense and emotional, featuring numerous gut-wrenching moments and moments of triumph. There are a lot of different side quests, and many of them feel like their own mini-novels.
You can run a brothel, explore haunted mines, look into murders, or get involved in complicated crime systems where you can be sneaky, scary, or smart. Some quests are very memorable, while others are more like the generic “fetch and deliver” type of quests. Still, the world and story of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II keep you interested enough that you almost never skip side quests.
The main gameplay of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II focuses on historical realism and accuracy. You’ll be able to spend hours riding horses through beautifully rendered landscapes, talking to people in towns, and doing normal survival tasks like cooking, crafting, and fixing your armor. The game’s quest system lets you explore and make decisions, and there are different ways to solve problems, such as through diplomacy, stealth, or violence.
Because Warhorse pays so much attention to medieval life, you can’t get instant gratification. For example, moving heavy sacks or fixing gear takes real-time work. This slow, methodical pace isn’t for everyone, but it helps people who appreciate authenticity and detail get more immersed in the story.
Many people are very against combat. Directional strikes, timed blocks, and parries are important in Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, but AI that isn’t always accurate and fights that turn into frustrating sessions of pressing buttons can be frustrating.
Even though master strikes and combos make the game more interesting, it rarely feels responsive or smooth. Because the system isn’t very deep, you’ll probably find yourself using the same strategies over and over again.
The stealth mechanics and lockpicking make Kingdom Come: Deliverance II fun and challenging, though some lockpicking can get old after a while. The crime system in the game lets you rob, mug, or kill NPCs and hide the evidence. This makes your actions more complicated and has consequences, which is one of the best aspects of the game’s varied gameplay.
Alchemy has been greatly expanded in the sequel, transforming potion-making into a methodical, hands-on experience. You’ll gather herbs like chamomile and sage in the wild, grind ingredients, boil them over flames, and follow intricate recipes to create elixirs.
For example, crafting a simple chamomile decoction requires pouring wine, boiling chamomile, adding ground sage, and distilling at the right moment. With dedicated alchemy benches in monasteries and towns, this mini-system rewards experimentation and patience, perfect for players who love tactile, craft-based gameplay.
To use a skill, you have to use it. For example, if you use a sword, you get better at using it. If you pick locks, you get better at being stealthy. The early part of the game moves slowly on purpose to show Henry’s weakness after the story’s prologue. In 20 to 30 hours, you go from being a weak beginner to a powerful warrior who can fight many enemies.
There is also Romance in Deliverance II, which is impressively expanded. Players can pursue a variety of relationships, from meaningful, long-term romances like Klara or Rosa Ruthard, to short-term flings with bathmaids and tavern workers.
Long-term romances require completing quests and engaging in heartfelt dialogue, like helping Klara gather herbs or dancing with Doubravka during “Wedding Crashers.” These moments not only humanize Henry but also reward players with temporary stat buffs, such as increased strength or vitality after spending the night with a loved one.
By the endgame, you’ll have enough perk points to max out most of your stats and abilities, so you probably won’t need to play through the game more than once to try out different builds. This design makes it easier to focus on a single, well-explored run, which fits with the story-heavy style of the game.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II looks great with its realistic recreations of medieval towns, dense forests, and wide open spaces. Dynamic lighting and weather effects make the atmosphere feel more real. For example, misty mornings, roads soaked in rain, and flickering torches all look and feel real.
The character models are better than in the first game, especially when it comes to facial features, but the animation quality is still not consistent. There are scenes with natural, flowing body language and facial expressions, as well as scenes with stiff movements and lip sync issues. These visual hiccups occur from time to time and don’t detract from the experience, but they are noticeable if you look closely.
One of the best things about Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is the voice acting. The amount of recorded dialogue is so huge that it’s said to be higher than even Baldur’s Gate 3. You feel like the performances are real, and you’re interested in every conversation. However, voice actors who portray a wide range of characters can make things less interesting when different characters share similar vocal tones.
A live orchestra plays the musical score, which takes important parts of the story to a whole new level. There are scenes with perfectly timed crescendos and haunting melodies that give you chills. The immersive quality of the world is further enhanced by sounds such as bustling markets and crackling campfires.
The game runs smoothly on high-end systems, with an average frame rate of 90 to 100 FPS on a 3080 Ti and an i9 processor. The only time the frame rate drops is when there are complex fire effects at night. The open world, even towns with lots of NPCs, rarely slows down performance.
Still, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II has some bugs. There were a few quest glitches that required reloading, and there were two crashes in more than 100 hours. None of them were game-breaking, but they were still noticeable. A day-one patch should fix a lot of problems and make the game more stable and polished.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is a great medieval role-playing game that makes immersion, story, and historical accuracy even better. It tells a story that keeps you interested from beginning to end, showcasing the toughness, humor, and sadness of life in Bohemia during the 1400s. The combat is still awkward and repetitive, and the pace may seem slow to some, but the world and writing are so good that they more than makeup for it.
In the end, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is a thrillingly immersive experience that, despite its cheesy animations and graphics popping, pays homage to classic role-playing games by engaging you emotionally in the setting. Fans of realistic RPGs and story-driven adventures will enjoy what Warhorse Studios has made.
Even though there are a few small technical issues, this sequel is well worth your time and money if you like deep stories, choices that matter, and worlds that feel alive. If you’re looking for a grand journey full of mischief, this is the game for you.
