Maroc - 3RD-STRIKE.COM - A La Une - Hier 04:03

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II – Review

When picturing an action RPG with a medieval theme, we often imagine wizards, dragons, kidnapped princesses, and a grand road to heroism. This is also what we initially assumed when diving blindly into Kingdom Come Deliverance back in 2018. To our own fault, we were somewhat unaware of what the game was about, but we did end up pleasantly surprised for the most part. The realistic RPG had loads of content but also quite a few bugs, somewhat janky controls, and clunky combat. Now, seven years later, Warhorse Studios promised to step up their game to make the sequel a bigger, better version of the first installment. While a few rough edges remained, Kingdom Come Deliverance II was a lot of fun to play.  Story Kingdom Come Deliverance II continues the story of Henry of Skalitz, the protagonist from the first game. The story is a bit hard to encapsulate, as a lot is going on right from the start. You are accompanying Sir Hans Capon, who has to deliver a letter to Otto von Bergow at Trosky Castle. Henry, Hans, and their party are stopped in their tracks by the local guard, who eventually allow the delivery of the letter, albeit when they return from their patrol. As you and the rest of your envoy take some time to rest up, you are ambushed by bandits, with only you and Hans managing to make it out alive. You are wounded during your escape, but luckily, you are aided and recover in due time. When wanting to continue your journey, you run into issue after issue. As Hans is unable to prove his standing, he is treated as a mere peasant. Things spiral further down, and so begins a quest to complete your initial mission, but also Henry’s quest for vengeance will become a focal point of the story. It does take some time before the story gets going here, but once the introduction is over, you’ll be left to your own devices (for the most part). You’ll be able to progress through the main story if you please, or you can uncover more story and lore by simply speaking to many different NPCs. It’s certainly worth it to talk to characters, not only for serious story exposition but for some silly encounters as well. More than once, we simply went through conversations with a complete grin on our face. While this title is still accessible to newcomers, it is advised to play through the first game first or look for an online recap. Graphics Compared to the original that came out on the previous generation of consoles, Kingdom Come Deliverance II looks very good. The game has a lot of character variety, interesting environments to explore, asset diversity, and nice backdrops. We were motivated to explore every nook and cranny, especially if we could score a few new items in the process. That being said, the game does have a few rough edges. Water effects are almost non-existent, certain parts of the terrain look like cardboard cutouts, there are still quite a few odd-looking facial animations, and we encountered occasional clipping as well. Even so, these issues were minor in an otherwise good-looking game. Sound The sound design of Kingdom Come Deliverance II is great. The music supports the onscreen events perfectly, but it’s mainly the voice acting that steals the show here. Not only will you be treated to quality voice acting, but there is simply so much of it. There are so many NPCs to talk to, and while some dialogues are a lot sillier than others, it’s still amazing to see how much work was put into this aspect of the game. We can easily recommend exploring to see what the NPCs have to say. The SFX are also decent, and they provide great audio feedback. Weapons have a proper oomph, which helps with immersion. Gameplay Kingdom Come Deliverance II is an action RPG in a medieval open-world setting. While you do have objectives, you’re fairly free to do as you please, as long as you’re willing to bear the consequences. You can opt to play the valiant knight from start to finish, or you can loot and kill, but the latter will put you on the wrong side of the law. We were initially somewhat overwhelmed with everything we could do and the overload of side content, but this does immediately create replay value in the process. We felt everything was a lot more polished than the first part. That being said, it’s actually rather hard to mention everything the game has to offer in the span of a single review without making this article seem like a guide instead. While the game has a few ways to circumvent slowly leveling up skills, Kingdom Come Deliverance II is a fairly slow-paced game, even if you focus on the main quest. This title is one to savor rather than one to power through, as you’d overlook so many Easter eggs or simply miss out on interesting side content. Exploration is key if you want to experience everything the game has to offer. We found ourselves constantly distracted, albeit in a good way. Loot is plentiful, but you might need to break a law or two at times if you want a few new, shiny items. If that’s not your style, there are still plenty of items and gear to find for law-abiding citizens. Exploration is also interesting in the long run, especially to level up some skills, which will make the main events a bit easier. One aspect that did feel a lot more intuitive than the 2018 game is the combat. While it’s still slower than other similar titles, it feels smoother and more forgiving. You’ll still need to keep track of your opponent’s stance and where he’ll be swinging in order to block and counter, but you’ll have to be less precise, and defending feels easier as a whole. Attacking can still be tricky, especially if your opponent blocks and counters as well, forcing you to block and counter once again. It sometimes feels a bit sluggish, but it is also rather satisfying if you can pull off a few successful counters, ultimately resulting in a win. As this is still a fairly ‘realistic’ game, it’s best to avoid bigger fights at the beginning until you fully master combat. Conclusion Kingdom Come Deliverance II is a step-up in every possible way compared to the 2018 original. You’ll be treated to an interesting story, a great world to explore, loads of Easter eggs, the freedom to do as you please, and many NPCs to talk to. While combat still takes some time to get used to, and some aspects could have been polished a bit more, Kingdom Come Deliverance II is a great action RPG in which you can easily sink over a hundred hours. If you loved the original, you’ll have a blast with this one. If you’re a newcomer to the series, there is no time like the present to check this one out.