The Kickstarter platform is a perfect tool for people who have a dream but lack the means and resources to make it a reality. This was exactly the case for Daniel Vávra, who had the idea for a medieval RPG that focused more on realism than magic and dragons. So he left 2K Czech and founded Warhorse Studio with a few other developers. After four years of development, they have now released…Kingdom Come: Deliverance“, a title that carries many hopes and wishes, but also brings with it many of the usual problems.
Welcome to Bohemia
The year is 15: King Charles IV has died, and King Wenceslaus succeeds him. However, since he is more interested in pleasure than in taking his duties seriously, he is kidnapped by his brother Sigismund and his alliance with other nobles who see this as an opportunity for social advancement. Sigismund's army then marches into the undefended country to plunder and seize it. As a result, war and anarchy spread throughout the region.
We take on the role of Henry, the blacksmith's son, who leads a quiet and normal life with his family in the small town of Skalitz, until our village is attacked and burned to the ground by the very same army, and almost all the inhabitants are slaughtered. We barely manage to escape, but return shortly afterward to bury our loved ones. During this time, a sword is stolen from us, a sword our father had forged for the ruler of Skalitz, Lord Radzig. Since we promised our father we would deliver the sword to Lord Radzig, our journey begins, chasing after the thieves to reclaim our property.
Our adventure takes us through a 16km² game world, which closely follows the road layout of the era. Some locations have even been recreated almost identically and with remarkable realism. For this, the developers consulted historians who provided invaluable assistance. The graphics themselves are therefore perfectly acceptable, even if the depiction of flora and fauna and the character models still fall short of AAA titles. This is particularly unfortunate, as this was a key focus during development, at least according to Warhorse.
The main story offers roughly 30-40 hours of gameplay, but this is significantly expanded by numerous side quests and activities. These include drinking bouts, fistfights, and dates with stunning women. The order and method of completing these quests are entirely up to us. We can independently control dialogues and thus influence events by threatening, bribing, or simply persuading someone. Several factors affect our charisma, such as our social rank, our clothing, and even how we are covered in blood, wounds, or dirt. RPG at its best! In some cases, it's even possible to fail quests without interrupting the flow of the game. The story simply continues in a different direction.
Anyone expecting Henry to rise from the son of a salt worker to the ruler of all Bohemia will be surprised. While Henry is involved in many important events, locations, and battles, he never becomes history's greatest hero. This provides an interesting perspective on history, one rarely encountered. A definite plus in terms of story and atmosphere.
As already mentioned, this is about “Kingdom Come: Deliverance"This is an RPG that places a strong emphasis on realism. This is also reflected in the skill system. Here you'll find classic skills like stamina, charisma, and horsemanship, but also special talents such as drinking prowess or the ability to read, which was rather unusual for a typical blacksmith back then. Unfortunately, without reading, there's no way to improve your skills through books. Very well thought out and very appealingly implemented."
Overall, the story, scope, and RPG elements make a truly fantastic impression and can therefore provide long-term motivation. The freedom with which one approaches the adventure and its tasks, as well as the well-designed skill system, which encourages practice and study, are particularly appealing.
I challenge you to a duel.
Everyone knows that duels and fights are simply part of medieval life, whether with fists, swords, axes, or bows. Each weapon inflicts its own type of damage, and mastery is honed over time. The fights have their own dynamic, as we can precisely aim our weapons and, with practice, parry enemy blows. Combos and tricks can also be learned. When we take damage, our limbs bleed and become less effective. The right equipment and sufficient muscle strength are absolutely essential; otherwise, we have little chance against stronger opponents. Even so, mistakes are punished mercilessly.
Unfortunately, the combat isn't the only challenge, as the game is riddled with various bugs, glitches, and other problems. For example, there's a character we can practice pickpocketing on without being punished. Unfortunately, he sometimes changes his mind and flees into the castle with his daughter, only to report us to the next guard. This is quite a problem, since pickpocketing and lockpicking are inhumanly difficult, even on the easiest difficulty setting. One small consolation: a corresponding update This will be published shortly.
Furthermore, horse and rider occasionally merge, horses get stuck on fences, or people attack us for no reason. Even Warhorse Studio has admitted that they should have spent more time polishing the game. As a result, a lot of rework and numerous patches are needed until everything is as it should be. I don't mean to say it's a bad game, but these problems constantly disrupt the otherwise good atmosphere and could largely have been avoided.
To make matters worse, automatic save points are very rare. This means that bugs can't simply be undone by loading a previous save without being thrown back hours. While manual saving is possible, it costs a shot, and who thinks to save before a bug occurs?!
The numerous bugs are a major point of criticism! They disrupt the flow of the game, ruin the atmosphere, and often set us back significantly. However, if you can overlook these issues, or simply have a lot of patience, you'll discover fantastic gameplay with numerous unique elements that are easy to immerse yourself in and provide a great deal of enjoyment.
