
With Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Czech developer Warhorse Studios demands a seat at the table of role playing masters with a dangerously immersive WRPG that, almost disappointingly, is polished to mirror-brightness, like a dazzling suit of tourney plate.
Armed with a bizarre mixture of mechanics seemingly inspired by Skyrim, Red Dead Redemption 2, and The Witcher 3, and armoured in the eccentricities of Warhorse's own deeply emergent, painstakingly historical world, the developer's relentlessly hardcore medieval knight simulator is one of the most immersive, all-consuming experiences we've faced down in years.
The direct sequel to 2018's Kingdom Come: Deliverance, it's clear Warhorse has been gathering itself for this charge, and the sequel throws down a defiant RPG gauntlet that very few studios (CD Projekt Red, Larian) could ever hope to follow, let alone accede.

Continuing the relatively low-stakes tale of Henry of Skalitz, set in the Kingdom of Bohemia (modern Czech Republic) in 1403 during the high Middle Ages, our unlikely hero is now squire to the ludicrous (but undeniably lovable) Hans Capon, the flamboyant young Lord of Pirkstein. The two are swept up in the violent, endless, Machiavellian political machinations of the Holy Roman Empire (which, in one of history's great ironies, is neither holy, Roman, nor an empire).
Daring to do the seemingly suicidal, Warhorse offers players a Skyrim-like experience but completely mundane. The developer contrives a way (following a string of scene-setting cinematics) to make players feel truly alone, penniless, and underpowered all over again. There are no difficulty settings here; before you get a faithful hound beside you, a noble steed beneath you, and a stable roof over your head, life is hard, eked out by the hour, and you must spend every waking moment moving forward.
Warhorse has valiantly attempted to file away some of the original's rough edges and largely succeeds; there is just no getting around how much the game demands of the player, however, assaulting them with endless mechanics, ticking survival meters, and dozens upon dozens of pages of lovingly illustrated tutorials. We predict many players will bounce off the game entirely, cursing reviews like this one; uncompromising and singular in vision, Warhorse asks a lot, demanding your most valuable and limited resource: attention.

Saving happens when you exit the game, during specific story moments, when sleeping in an owned/rented bed, or upon drinking delicious Saviour Schnapps, giving the monstrous RPG the air of something like XCOM's Ironman Mode. You can load a previous save, but new ones will be made regardless, spurring you forward. None of the above is optional, and that's just for starters (we shudder to imagine what the post-launch Hardcore mode will entail).
Combat is a central tenant, as Henry is a bastard-born noble now retainer to Capon, technically making him a knight in the day's structure. Realistically, even a fair fight, at first, is an incredibly overwhelming affair and likely to result in serious injury or death. The intense nature of the first-person perspective makes any encounter difficult early on, which encourages unchivalrous behaviour.
Still, once you get some decent gear (and seek out a swordsman named Tomcat, who will explain basic, essential mechanics), combat is incredibly compelling and far more profound than it first appears. Directional blocking, along with counters, ripostes, grapples, master strikes, and honest-to-goodness combos, must be unlocked from masters in the world across a meaningful variety of brutal weaponry.

We lived under a hedge for days at first, stealing sleep and food where possible; a stinky, foreign knave claiming to be a knight and, therefore, to be treated with hostile suspicion at best. It was one of the most engrossing and immersive video game experiences we've had in recent memory. The reactive world means peasants, burghers, bandits, and nobles alike just wander about, living lives completely independently of Henry.
NPCs maintain a strict, relentlessly consistent social code of conduct, and you are expected to play by the rules (which, in turn, are made to be broken). You can interact with most people in surprising ways, similar in effect to Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption 2. The absurdly granular, regional, and even social-class-specific reputation system will hold you accountable and simultaneously allow the word of your deeds, good and bad, to spread in a fascinating fashion. There isn't space for it all, but shout out to the game's seemingly simplistic stealth system, which has no business being as involved or rewarding as it is; likewise, considerable immersive sim energy pervades many main and side quests, which will frequently offer multiple methods of resolution, provided you can find, make, or brute-force them. Forget Eurojank; WRPGs of this size and quality are now almost exclusively made in Eastern Europe.

We spent around 20 hours in the game's open world at this point, taking odd jobs, becoming familiar with endless mechanics, and immersing ourselves in the many varied, ludicrously involved (but deeply gratifying) crafting minigames before finally starting the game's surprisingly reactive central quest line. In hindsight, you are encouraged to follow the story and will be richly rewarded for doing so, so we needn't have struggled as much as we did. Still, it took us just that long to wrap our heads around most of the game's basic mechanics.
Past the 40+ hour mark, our jaw hit the floor when, after a particularly climatic sequence and some meaningful plot development (that, in a lesser offering, might have served as some conclusion), we found ourselves adrift in a second, somehow larger, inexplicably even more detailed open world map. We still weren't done with the first, and the revelation came as a welcome and generous-seeming surprise to us (being only halfway to the level cap of 30 should have tipped us off).
It seems silly now; the Kuttenberg region hosts much of the game's content (including the principal city of the same name). This is an enormous video game that is unbelievably generous in terms of meaningful, well-made, worthwhile content. It dwarfs the relative size of the analogously structured Fallout 4, for example, and is several orders of magnitude deeper, mechanically speaking. And it all starts with Henry.

Henry of Skalitz is, if fates be kind, destined to join the ranks of the all-time great open world video game protagonists alongside Arthur Morgan and Geralt of Rivia. Heroically voiced by Tom McKay in English and Richard Wágner in Czech, with over 500 hours logged in the VO booth, the cinematic and even incidental performances are fantastic, of the highest quality, and seemingly without end.
You spend a lot of time in Henry's shoes, and he has a shocking amount to say. Whether bathing with buxom maidens, storming a castle wall, or drunkenly attempting to steal the neighbouring village's beloved maypole on a dare, Henry is hilarious, tragic, reliable, and, best of all, a believable everyman in a vibrant time of gross inequality and misery. As a reasonably mundane protagonist, he's simply incredible; contrary to popular belief, day-to-day medieval life wasn't nearly as bleak as you might think, and the rowdy Bohemian people are an exceptionally resilient and fun-loving bunch.

As with the Yakuza / Like a Dragon, or even the Persona series, at least in our opinion, playing a game so culturally rich, so of a specific time and place, in English, almost feels a shame. This is made more difficult by an excellent English performance, which truly puts in some standout localisation work: doing a lot to differentiate between the various ethnic groups like Czechs, Cumans, Jews, Poles, and the endless variations of Germans, that uneasily co-exist in the region ("Henry" is far and away the most modern, Western-sounding name in the game; Germans will insist on the more proper "Heinrich").
Henry will be called upon to deal with outrageous situations in the grand tradition of open world adventure, and the games boasts many side quests of the first order. Demons, ghosts, dragons, magical objects like the powerful Thunderstone or the mysterious bezoar, artefacts said to have had contact with Jesus Christ himself; from medical emergencies, bandit issues or matters of the heart or soul, nothing is outside of Henry’s purview, and he’s willing to have a go at anything or anyone. Using the historically accurate ignorance of the time, these matters are almost always taken extremely seriously, allowing for some truly ridiculous moments of levity in an otherwise profoundly political, serious game.
Conclusion
Fortune favours the brave, the family motto of the noble Capon line and the creed of developer Warhorse Studios. In daring to deliver its singular vision for a game, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 transports even the most grizzled genre veterans back to a time of truly immersive video game experiences. Challenging, uncompromising, and thoroughly engrossing, it's in a league almost entirely of its own.
Comments 95
Thank you! Was just waiting for a review from Pushsquare before committing to a rare day one purchase. Great to read that the game delivers on all its promises.
wow, I guess my first preorder in 10 years was worth it...
Have not played the first one yet… might just hop in on this one instead.
Dang! did not expect a 10. I was going to wait a while but now I am getting the itch to dive in
The first one is my favorite WRPG ever. I got an early copy of the 2nd one two days ago and I'm already balls deep into it again. Wouldn't surprise me if my final verdict will be the same.
Damn I knew it was going to be good but 10s!!?? Get in there Warhorse! Preordering right now, it’s out tomorrow?
Oh @Khayl I could kiss you 🤣
What a good round number to score it. Will settle down for a good read of this review later.
JCBP!
Warhorse, you've only gone and done it 🍻
Oh wow a 10. I remember a lot of places weren't too hot on the first one, and due to the bugs I wasn't either at first, but once they fixed it I loved it
Oh yeah 😁😁😁 Knew all along it would be fantastic as the first game is fantastic. First GOTY contender it seems and tomorrow can't come soon enough.
Thanks for the review and congratz to Warhorse! Made me want to play part 1!
Warhorse be praised! Also it's Tom McCay, not Ben.
It’s incredible to see a game that received mixed reviews in its first outing, but became a cult classic, and then delivered a sequel with incredible magnitude. I’ve never played the first game, and this series more than likely isn’t for me, but it’s awesome to see a game review so well. Congrats to the developers and I’m excited to see fans play this one.
Excellent. Even if it will be a while before I have time to play.
Do you recommend having played the first game or is it ok to start with the sequel??
Really 10/10? Now I'm thinking I might finally need to try the first one. Is there archery in either of the games or must you lob around a great big sword all the time?
If you're on the fence, I'd suggest reading a few other reviews. They have revealed some elements of the game mechanics that makes me give this a hard pass – sadly. I was quite intrigued, but I know deep down this is way too expansive and fiddly for my meagre attention span.
The first 10 of the year has arrived early!
Still not buying....🤷♂️
Glad this scored so well! Am I right it has pro support also?
A 10 out of 10 wow.im still playing the original kingdom come deliverance.its a excellent video game.word up son
HOLY EFFIN MOLY!!!
I am BEYOND excited now, and I have to admit seeing your evaluation so high boggles my tiny, puny mind😅🎉🤯 A 10/10 let's ***** go!
How's the dualsense implementation? I'm hopeful of some good haptics. Also any word on ps5 pro kuttenburg performance?
Holy cow an 10/10 wasn't expecting that!! I actually can't wait to start playing this tomorrow.
Interesting. I never even heard of this series. But knowing that it's a direct sequel to a game I never played is a pretty big hurdle to overcome. Such is the fate, and risk, of direct sequels I suppose.
I couldn't really get into the first one, but this one is on game pass, so I'll give it a go and hopefully this one clicks with me more
I think I remember trying the first game a few years ago. Glad to see the sequel is being well received.
Sounds good but far too deep for me. I struggled with Civilization and Buldars gate for the same reasons.
It looks awesome. I will definitely get this game later this year, as I don't have much money at the moment to buy it.
I just started the first game, since I got it on a sale on PSN. It's pretty janky, but I'm really liking it so far!
I eventually loved the first game, but I am going to say I'm a little disappointed to read that the combat system remains largely in tact as it was. I think the slog that is the beginning of this game will be its downfall on things like gamepass. People will check out the first few hours and bounce.
I would like to thank Khayl for writing such an interesting review. It is exactly how I felt Kingdom Come II would feel (based on the first game, and the previews out there): how it's almost Skyrim, how immersive and attentive to detail and history the devs are and so on.
As I read your verdict I saw myself preordering as to have it ready as soon as possible. This day amounts to the absolute best day in years, gaming wise for me. I will be reading all the news just waiting to play. I got a day off tomorrow 🥳
Thr Pro upgrades alone have made this very tempting after I finish DWO.
Probably be a pass for me. Never played the first one and from the reviews it's very hardcore and feels like a full time job just to survive in its world. I'm 40 now and my preferred games are now a bit more shorter and action based. Saying that I loved FF7 remake/rebirth and Dragons Dogma. It's going to be a busy year, can't buy them all...
@Batesy125s its not on gamepass though
The Warhorse did not disappoint. KCD1 is my favorite game. The second part is also special for me because I will play it because of its authenticity in the Czech language which I understand perfectly.
I would have considered the first one of the greatest games I’ve played in recent times, were it not for 2 big annoyances. The first being the missable nature of many time sensitive quests (BG3 was ruined for me for the same reason); the other being the inability for the combat system to fairly deal with more than 2 opponents at once (would be perfect in VR though)
Edit: Just thought of a third issue - tying the save system to a drink that gets you drunk, then having a trophy challenge tied to not getting drunk! Infuriating!
If these things are fixed in the sequel then this could well be my favourite RPG outside of the Yakuza series.
This sounds like a good game in theory, but I won't be indulging; I couldn't immerse myself in Henry's rather wooden antics the first time around.
never could i ever imagine push square giving a ps version of a game a 10 score..
My predection comes real. Best rated wrpg of all time.
Re: Feature: 18 PS5 Predictions for 2025
Blauwe_Chimay
48Blauwe_ChimaySat 11th Jan 2025
Deep down and Pragmata get releasedates.
A new Loaded game gets announced.
Remasters of destruction derby 1-3.
Kingdom come 2 Will be the highest rated western RPG ever.
Ghost of Yotei Will be the highest rated game of the year on ps5.
Sega releases Saturn and Dreamcast collections
I hope this gets a trial on PS+ premium. It looks great and am glad it has reviewed well, but just don’t know if I’d have the patience for it tbh (never played the first game).
@Blauwe_Chimay
'My predection comes real. Best rated wrpg of all time.'
It's got a long way to go to even get near BG3. It's metacritic score is currently 87.
@MARl0
You can normally get the complete edition for about £6. I did. You won’t regret it.
@Dodoo yes , it has excellent pro support according to DF
This sounds amazing, huge, immersive as anything.
But I was completely and utterly hopeless in the first game at combat, lock picking and basic things I needed to play the game. And that’s when I could find the time to plow into it, which I don’t really have much of these days.
I fear I may have to sit on this one, unless they have made the combat a little less unwieldy.
lol a 10, I'll wait for other clearly unbiased reviews.
@lazarus11 excellent thanks for confirming!
Apparently around 200 hours to platinum.
@Ravix
@graymamba
I know neither of you are interested in trophies and such but the first comment in PowerPyx’s trophy guide gave a great summation of their time with the game.
@CaptD woah woah woah woah… I ain’t interested in trophies?!?! How very dare you! 😉
I'm so so glad that I gave KCD another try after bouncing off it the first time I played it. Up bright and early tomorrow to get fully stuck into this sequel.
I'm a little confused, I thought this was supposed to be quite a grounded game, that's what every preview I've read has said. Then you casually throw this into the review:
"Demons, ghosts, dragons, magical objects like the powerful Thunderstone or the mysterious bezoar, artefacts said to have had contact with Jesus Christ himself"
I have found countless sites that specifically say there are no dragons, etc. But you say there are dragons, ghosts, etc?
@Titntin
I hope the Saturn and Dreamcast collections Will be released then.
Currently immersed in three titles, so no room for this at the minute, but it's definitely the next cab off the rank as it stands currently. Looks superb.
Roll on 4pm tomorrow!
@Titntin he said 2025
@Dimey medieval times where full of stories of such things ,maybe its grounded in reality though , ill be very disappointed if there isn't a witch or two 😂
@graymamba @CaptD
Wheras I live and breathe for trophies. Sign me up 😂
I will add that both my playthroughs of KCD1 ended up well over 200 hours without trophy hunting, just enjoying. So maybe add another 200 hours to that platinum total 😛
@thefourfoldroot1 It's more a matter of time than money. It could be gifted to me, and I still wouldn't have the time to play through an entire first game in the series just to play the sequel.
@Dimey "Using the historically accurate ignorance of the time, these matters are almost always taken extremely seriously, allowing for some truly ridiculous moments of levity in an otherwise profoundly political, serious game."
Finish reading what the reviewer said 😅. The game is grounded in reality and like in reality people back then were more then happy to believe in that stuff and crazy superstitions.
@MARl0
Fair enough. Although for games like this, with the same characters and locations, i would recommend it. But if you want to skip straight to the sequel it shouldn’t be an issue.
@johnedwin What is this nonsense accusation?
I highly recommend not jumping straight into the sequel. KCD goes on sale for under $5 every other month. I just picked up KCD gold edition for $3.99 in December. There is a HUGE learning curve but luckily the richness of the characters shine from the very start. Great dialogue and awesome story.
Wow I didn't expected that. But already preordered! Looking forward to it so much! First part was very good. If this is much better as it seems, it has to be phenomenal. Good work Warhorse and great comeback Dan Vávra, creator of great Mafia game!
@ThunderFunk it is way more nuanced than that.
1) Do you have 160 hours available to spend on realistic medieval WRPGs and don’t mind jankiness and less refined gameplay systems to get the full story in detail from A to Z? Start with KCD1.
2) Do you have 80 hours available for a realistic medieval WRPG that is a lot more refined/definitive than its predecessor? Start with KCD2.
This got delivered to me early yesterday, and believe the hype. It's real. The game is incredible.
@ThunderFunk <—— this man speaks the truth. I recommend people spend the few quid it costs to buy the original as he suggests.
Yes it’s a PS4 game but it still looks good today.
Only reason not to buy it is because one has FOMO and wants to play the latest shiny.
You aren’t dealing with a Skyrim or Witcher experience here. It’s quite a slow game. You truly live the life of Henry with far less gamification than other titles.
You will either love it or bounce off hard, so hold on to your £70 and treat the original as a £5 demo.
How's the frame rate? the first one's frame rate (played the PS4 version on PS5) was bad. I had to play it on PC to enjoy it for that reason.
@gameloop steady 60fps
Definitely looking forward more reviews from players. My impression from this review is that the game is a chore and not fun at all. So 10/10, meh I don't know if it's for me.
@DennisReynolds I'm now hoping Henry can pick up contracts in some villages to go and hunt monsters that turn out to be all manner of other things 😅
A bit like the Hell Hound in KCD, that strange sound in Ledetchko which was super freaky. What was it? Dog with a sore throat 😂 what did we do? Had a one way chat with it and learned to bark in a similar way to scare some local idiots 😁
People still underestimate how good the games are haha
@IamJT Firat one is excellent but a bit clunky. I'd suggest you just jump into this one after a recap of the first on YouTube.
Is the first one still available in the PS store? I can’t find it anywhere…
10/10 from critics? Yikes, looks like I'll be avoiding this one.
@Blauwe_Chimay Those Destruction Derby games were fun as hell. I’m SO down for this prediction to come true…
@KyushuTrail Its currently on sale on the PS store.
@DennisReynolds Thanks, I found it!! Super cheap! Now the question is do I buy it… 😆
Damn, this gonna be a blast, can't wait!
Christ be praised! The first one was an almost masterpiece too.
Good old Europe is shining at RPGs. After Witcher/Cyberpunk, Baldur's Gate and Stalker, this series is becoming huge.
@QiaraIris
Lol, an unbiased review...Hold out for Polygon🤣
On the fence ..fear it may just be to much of a boring slog for me but very intrigued
Congratulations on making a kick-arse game... and for surviving a crap-tonne of abuse online for ...er.... making games. I actually think - optimistically - this might be the end of Gamergate 2.0... the snake has entirely eaten itself.
I have to admit to only starting KCD (partly because I had hoped they'd release a PS5 update prior to the sequel). However, I totally applaud any developer actually making such a game. Not perfect, but sincere. I also admit that the real-life grind also put me off (especially the combat side of things). However... my heart goes to the developers.
And for all those spouting conspiracty theories... I hope you never get to play the game. Sounds like a win-win to me.
@lazarus11 I think you need to read his post again?
'Best rated wrpg of all time' He repeats this assertion twice - once at the top of the post and then during his full list of previous predictions.
It's quite clearly not going to reach those heights (BD3 is 97% on Metacritic), which is a shame, but if you are going to crow about a prediction, it should at least be right or close?
Not a big deal of course, ultimately a game in the high 80's is obviously worthy of respect! 😊
@khayl Game aside, that headline is worthy of top marks itself. Peerless indeed.
Looks great, but the lack of third-person is an absolute dealbreaker for me. Never enjoyed a first-person game.
Damn. This might just be my next game then! Been waiting for the next thing to play since finishing Alan Wake 2 as nothing has been taking my fancy.
How does it compare to BG3 in terms of the impact of your actions on the development of the story? Is there much replay value?
@Khayl, demanding time of the player when playing is Ok, but what’s not clear to me is that if I left it for a few weeks (or even a few months) and hopped back in, does the game provide the necessary quality of life features for me to pick it up again?
I played 10-15 hours of the first one but found it a bit boring - is there any music as you explore the world? I do struggle in games when it’s just ambient sound all the time.
The soundtrack held Skyrim together for me.
and gave rebirth an 8...
incredible.
this is a very very good game, almost a simulator and i having a great time, but a 10?
c'mon
@bighal well I tried the first one again after a year, and didn't have a clue what was going on 🤣
Dammit. Now I'm tempted to get the game day one and play it. I didn't play the first one but this one I heard a lot of good stuff about it and it's enhanced for PS5 Pro. Do I need to play the first one though?
Thanks Khayl for the review.
@Khayl Is there a nudity filter in the options for this like there is in Cyberpunk or Baldur’s Gate 3?
To all those that have asked, it is NOT necessary to play the first game. You can jump right into this one.
I have been working with a friend that is doing a review and have had the chance to watch him play for about 20 hours.
KCD 2 does a wonderful job of picking up from the first game and there are a number of story overviews that are on line for KCD. But frankly, the story for the first one is quite threadbare, it is the experience that is the real deal.
Warhorse has taken it over the top with KCD2.
You will be able to talk to a dozen people a month from now and their experience and story will be markedly different from each other. Please jump right into this one because the first game is a classic, but it is a little janky and not completely ready for prime time.
This game (from what I have seen so far) is due to be a classic that folks will be playing years from now.
How's the performance in biggest city? I heard about some issues there, similar to BG3 city.
I know there is so much more to a game like this than just combat but looking at footage right now on YouTube, it looks so janky, slow and awkward.
Sounds like a well made and well thought out experience, but I'm not here for that kind of difficulty. Should be a hit for many though.
I'll probably wait for a deep sale because i'm not too big on WRPG's but I'm glad to hear this is a good one.
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