Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Review (Jumbik)
10 hours in. Game is gorgerous, runs flawlesly, the optimisation is superb. It's KCD1 on steroids. It's slow though and demanding of the player the same way as the first one was.
You can get dirty in this game. Tldr at the end
Every piece of equipment you have becomes dirty eventually. Gradually over time or quickly caused by specific activities like digging graves and when you are dirty enough, you will start to smell. NPCs are aware of your dirtiness and smelliness and they will comment on it and behave accordingly. Not only during dialogues, but just being near you. They can smell you even when they do not see you, so sneaking around while you stink like a pig will be really hard. You can wash yourself at near tub, lake, river or in bathhouse, or you can choose not to and the game counts with it. And there is also difference between being dirty and covered in blood.
You may wonder why I mention this, well, every aspect of the game is approached this way. It is build to be immersive medieval sim RPG where you play as a peasant (or rather now, after the events of KCD1, as somewhat experienced warrior). It strives to be realistic and give you great amount of fun for the time your invest in getting better at it. Crafting minigames could be released as a separate mobile games with a bit more work added and they would be great on their own! The game mechanics are incredibly deep and rewarding. There is a whole drinking skill path you can train in by drinking alcohol and get perks for it! I should not forget about the fact that you follow long and immersive story inspired by real events from medieval Bohemia.
NPC's will talk to you differently based on how you look and your reputation with them. The type of cloths matter, the state of them too. Game rewards you for listening to what NPCs tell you too, because often it can lead to a hidden objective on a map or in quest if you follow the hints. If a quest has more than one objective, it changes based on in which order you take on them including the endings as one would expect. You are never stuck with just one way how to do things. The game allows you to approach all situations the way you prefer. The openness of KCD2 is the main advantage, it pays off to take on things without rushing it.
The crime simulation part of the game is its own universe with things like NPCs being able to hear you, smell you, detect opened doors that were not opened before, they will check their stash if they saw you sneaking around their property. They can identify their items if you wear them around them. If you steal items in a village without being detected, NPCs will start to behave differently, being more alert, having weapons on them, even having dialogues about it. If you are caught you can be put in stocks, or be punished, branded or even hanged!
And the whole game is like this! Everything is approached to be as immersive as possible.
Originally the first game was very different to what mainstream gamer would expect. It was hard game asking a lot from player in many ways. Combat was hard, yes it was janky too and KCD2 tackles this accordingly. It keeps the core of the system there, but makes it more approachable and fun. Exploring the world was challenging too because Henry was still a peasant who knows nothing about fighting, hunting, herb gathering, sneaking... you name it. Story was hard to get into for a regular mainstream gamer too. You are no chosen one, you start slow as a villager, no grandiose dialogues. You speak with your mother at first, it takes hours to get out of game prologue and see the first game credits ... My point is, the game was not for everyone but it was absolutely rewarding for those who stayed with it long enough. And that's a good thing because when you try to make a game for everyone, you only make sure that it will be bland and forgotten in few months. I could summarize KCD1 as mature game with mature story for mature players.
KCD2 is very similar to KCD1. I could make a parallel to Witcher 1 and Witcher 2, the games and their evolutions are very similar in many ways. I'm yet to see the most of it but I can already tell you that the game is much like the first game but better in every way. Combat is less janky. Start of the game is less tedious. It looks absolutely great. It plays well. Alchemy is also better and it was already superb in KCD1. You can now craft your own weapons and be a real blacksmith! You can have your dog back. Pebbles is there too. Hans Capon is with you on your journey from Rattay and story begins where KCD1 ended.
This game is absolute behemoth. Bigger and better than KCD1. Everything a fan of KCD1 could wish for. And it runs really smooth, the performance and technical state of the game is superb.
I can't wait to experience it all and write a proper review it deserves when I finish in few hundred hours.
Audentes Fortuna iuvat
TLDR
Game is better, bigger and even more immersive version of KCD1. Everything is improved, from game systems up to the performance.
Buy if: You like large open world RPGs. Enjoy immersive systems. Love history and as realistic combat as possible. Crave great storytelling and characters. Want branching story with consequences to your actions and love exploring large maps.
Do not buy if: You do not have the patience for the realistic systems this game offers you. This is not the type of game where you press a button and stuff happens. It requires time to learn and grow along with your character. It's hard game which get easier only later on if you train.