Summary
Warhorse Studios’Kingdom Come: Deliverancegame was rather niche for its time, achieving cult-classic status as it offered a level of realism that didn’t quite meet the more balanced standards of today’s RPGs. However, its world was nonetheless beautiful and innovative, as it made every effort to provide players with an incredibly detailed andhistorically accurate depiction of medieval Bohemia. Well,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2has somehow taken that to the next level and then some, with an experience that is not only more accessible than its predecessor, but also more beautiful, much larger, and far more rewarding than ever before.
Like its predecessor,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2takes place in medieval Bohemia. This time, however, things have vastly improved in its open world, as it offers two massive open-world regions that are more alive than the first game’s world, thanks to the sequel’s emphasis on urban areas, more dynamic NPC interactions, and more exciting discoveries to be found around every corner. Effectively,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s map makes the first game’s feel like a tutorial.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s Map Outshines the Original
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s Map Is Nearly Twice as Large and Far More Beautiful Than the Original
Firstly,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s mapis nearly twice as large as the first game’s, and while a change like that across installments has been known to be a negative in open-world games, it’s quite the opposite in Warhorse’s sequel. Open-world games have often shown that bigger doesn’t always mean better, but it’s never the size of an open world that inherently makes a game bad. Instead, it’s how the size of that open world is presented and executed that can lead to shortcomings. Fortunately,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2uses the increased size of its open world in a way that doesn’t make it feel empty, bloated, or both.
This ultimately comes down toKingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s emphasis on player agency. Instead of forcing players to complete a checklist of chores on its map, or even pressuring them to do one thing or another,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s historical open worldgives its players the freedom to do just about anything they want. Unless players unlock the Explorer passive in the Scholarship tree (which requires a lot of effort to do), the map is largely free of icons, allowing players to play unburdened by the increased size of the map.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s map is nearly twice as large as the first game’s, and while a change like that across installments has been known to be a negative in open-world games, it’s quite the opposite in Warhorse’s sequel.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s world is also far more beautiful than the original, showcasing a level of detail that the first game wasn’t able to achieve. Those who played the firstKingdom Come: Deliverancewhen it was released in 2018 might not readily notice how significant thevisual upgrade is inKingdom Come: Deliverance 2, but when the two are put next to one another, the distinctions are abundantly clear. In the end, these visual enhancements makeKingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s world more immersive than before.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s World Is More Rewarding Overall
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s map is also more rewarding than its predecessor’s. While manyopen-world gamesmake exploration more rewarding through collectibles and equipment upgrades, however,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2makes its open world more rewarding by improving the first game’s approach to side quests and NPC interactions.Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s world is far more reactive than its predecessor’s, with NPCs that more dynamically respond to the player’s actions, thereby making the world feel alive.Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s side quests are also more substantial and interconnected with the main narrative, with multiple ways to resolve each one.
Overall,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2is amasterclass in open-world design, taking everything that made its predecessor a cult classic and refining it into a truly immersive medieval experience. By expanding its world without compromising its depth, emphasizing player freedom over restrictive, boxed-in design, and enhancing its visuals and quest design, Warhorse Studios has crafted an open world inKingdom Come: Deliverance 2that not only honors the original but surpasses it in nearly every way.
