As long as we have been writing about video games, there are few titles that have so intrigued us as Kingdom Come: Deliverance. After we started the game last year, we came to the conclusion that this was one to keep an eye on. Although that was perhaps more out of hope than expectation, because from the beginning it was obvious that this was a game that had the potential to go both ways. It is an ambitious RPG that is built up in equal measure from simulation and action. It tears apart the pages of the Tolkien-inspired fantasy game and pops into Medieval European history instead.
Warhorse Studios has created an extensive role-playing game and to a certain extent has done a great job: creating some lively characters and a detailed, atmospheric world. The setting is refreshingly different, the tone is strictly mature and during the first few hours it seems as if Warhorse hits the nail and our optimism was right. Unfortunately, the first impression volatile as it becomes increasingly clear that some elements of Kingdom Come: Deliverance are implemented very poorly.
Our frustration and disappointment came together during one specific scene that is one of the worst we have ever endured: a multi-step storming in a bandit camp that took several hours to complete. We have fought so many times that in the end we began to feel guilty for the endless waves of enemy soldiers we were cutting through. Time after time in the same footsteps of Henry, a blacksmith who is out for a bloody revenge. This punishing collection of battles was full of Monty Python-like loop-'glitches' and ragged behavior of computer-controlled enemies. In addition, we were frequently impaled by some unnecessary frustrating difficulty peaks. The whole was then rounded off with a terrible final boss fight against a huge brute, which time and time again cheerfully stabbed us as if we were trapped in a surreal prequel of Groundhog Day. During the fight he chased us through a limited space, stabbing and swinging his sword. No matter how often we hit him with our sword and flaming arrows in his face, he continued to rush at us. Until the game suddenly decided to be tired of seeing us die or feeling sorry for us. The fight stopped out of nowhere and mysteriously we were declared the winner. We thought it was fine.
Fighting in Kingdom Come: Deliverance is quite unique and in certain situations it feels well applied. Especially during the standard one-on-one battles there was enough nuance and tension to drag us along. Directed punches and swaying swords meet during intense battles, with both the ability to skillfully attack and deftly defend with a series of weapons. Fighting, however, works less well in group situations and fighting multiple opponents can be extremely difficult. We are sure this is the intention, according to the developer, but during the more chaotic battles with several soldiers it simply does not feel good.
Archery is even worse. Again it is clear that Warhorse has tried to make the fighting consciously difficult. The shooting of an arch is in fact not easy and the urge for simulation plays a major role here. However, archery is too tricky and instead of challenging us, the rickety use of the bow makes us feel drowsy, even after more than 30 hours of playing. You can always improve your skills by practicing or by paying a fee, but even then the peculiar control often makes fighting a whole chore. Fighting against a group of opponents is so challenging that it actually eliminates some of the options in the game.
As Kingdom Come: Deliverance merciless fighting offers in certain situations this is often to direct you towards more diplomatic paths. The Bioware influence is clearly visible here, complete with conversations that show only the heads of characters and multiple dialogue options. There is a nice system around conversations to find and some dialogues are pretty well written, but nothing is really great. Similarly, the voice-acting feels blunt and the person responsible for the casting has done a very bad job. The regional accents flare in all directions and are therefore again a puny distraction that gets you out of the experience (for example, Henry has a slightly southwestern English accent, but his parents sound like they are from Yorkshire). This level of inconsistency can be found everywhere, even among the nobility. Some characters speak with distinguished English accents, while others sound like Americans. In addition, the facial animations (or lack thereof) and the animations of characters during conversations are sometimes of a miserable level, something that also does not contribute to the atmosphere that they are trying to create elsewhere.
Despite our complaints Kingdom Come Deliverance also contains enough positive points. For example, the setting is extremely interesting. Henry's story is intertwined in greatest events, so he interferes with the aristocracy and helps them throughout the kingdom. Although the RPG formula loses some mystery by replacing fantasy with history - you do not encounter dungeons with skeletons here - it is also a path that is rarely walked and therefore fresh and unique. Warhorse has obviously invested a lot of time to make that medieval history work in their game. In many areas, people have succeeded very well and everything feels authentic (but we are not experts in this period). The story is about revenge, but there are plenty of other storylines that come your way and can be discovered to see how life was at the time.
We enjoyed simply exploring the world and the rustic, muddy villages speak to the imagination of the era. In the fields and in the smaller hamlets it feels very authentic, although the more extensive areas are not always as lively as we had hoped. Non-playable characters and characters who give quests are waiting for you until you talk to them. Yet the overall atmosphere, which is aided by the heavy and brutal story, is pretty good. Apart from the technical problems mentioned elsewhere (which we hope will be fixed with a patch), this small part of Central Europe can be very nice to explore and offers enough to do.
As far as the general story is concerned this was compelling, but not very subtle. Some of the explored themes are certainly only suitable for adults, although the characters you meet could have used more nuance and consistency. The main problem was not the story, but rather the pace (the 'pacing') of it. Much of the drama was lost due to the pressure of pressure. That may be a criticism that you can get used to in general, but Kingdom Come: Deliveranceoffers no solution to this problem. The difficulty peaks during the main missions clearly indicate that Warhorse wants you to explore and 'grind' a little before you embark on a major mission. Fortunately, some of the narrative quests are more interesting than collecting vegetables, although there are often similar collection elements. Even better are the range of options that the player eventually gets and even though the battles are sometimes extremely difficult, there are usually more ways to tackle this. Although the framework that allows the player to influence the situation is sometimes rude, we are satisfied that we can make decisive choices and have the freedom to deviate from the script.
Conclusion
It is a very ambitious game, but perhaps that ambition was too much of a good thing. Many systems and options do not work together nicely. Concerning the technical problems: the game has been updated and improved, but is still 'buggy' and unstable in certain places. It still needs a lot of finishing, which makes it feel like a game that is still under development and needs more development time. With that time and patches, Kingdom Come: Deliverance change into a better game and we would very much like to see a full-fledged follow-up in which all major problems are completely resolved. After having played a game for the past week that we were looking forward to, we are left with the feeling that it did not live up to the high expectations. Despite some frustrations, this medieval adventure still has a lot to offer. It is simply not the classic that we had hoped for.
The plus and minus points
✔ Interesting and atmospheric world; a lot to do; many game play systems; some good writing and fun characters; coherent design.
✖ Bugs in abundance and some crashes; clubby voice-acting; group fights are frustrating; messy user interface.
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