Kingdom Come Deliverance is a game that paints a vivid historical picture. This game is something that was clearly worked on with the hopes of teaching about an era. This game doesn’t cut corners in its path to telling a great story while also bringing to light an interesting era in time. The player and its main character Henry are in for quite an adventure and it is something Henry never imagined he’d be in for.
Kingdom Come Deliverance is a game set in the 15th Century and tells the story of Henry. Henry is the son of a blacksmith and wants nothing more than to be someone important. He is unsure if he will ever be great but he has this inner desire to be better than he is. There is something to be said for him as he is a man who goes for things with his all heart. The player will most likely root for this normal guy, as he just wants to take the world by storm.
Kingdom Come Deliverance is an open world game that spans a vast and historic land. There are many places to explore and much for the player to discover along the way. There are quests to be found that really show off the era as well. The opening hours of the game offer a tutorial of sorts to get the player into the game. It rarely happens that in the beginning moments of a game, the character is presented with the option of throwing feces at a house, but this game offers this. There is a sense of morality of course, and the villagers won’t take kindly to this or the fighting that follows.
Henry gets himself into trouble quite readily and soon enough an army approaches. The town of Skalitz which was once peaceful is turned to ruin, and personally, it left me gutted. Soon Henry finds himself working to become a knight, and that is where the game really kicks off. It is a harrowing tale which will take poor Henry on an adventure he could only have dreamt of.
Most of the characters that Henry interacts with existed in the time period, though of course there are exceptions. Warhorse Studios did an excellent job filling the world with excellent characters. It is quite a feat to play a game filled with actual people. There is a sense of true realism that many games simply don’t follow. Personally, I’ve found myself looking into the characters in the game, and it has certainly taught me a thing or two.
The game itself is very unforgiving and has intense systems in place that the player does need to master. Lockpicking in Fallout and Skyrim is quite easy, especially when compared to this game. Even the easy locks take precision and it can be frustrating. Unlike Fallout and Skyrim, especially in the early hours, money is hard to come by. The player isn’t going to have money to spend, and there is also the fact that items are quite expensive as they would be for the time period.
With prices being so high, it is good that there is a bartering system. The bartering system may be a cool system but it takes some getting used to. The player can of course simply buy items outright, but it is better to barter. The player and the shopkeeper take turns adjusting the price until they agree or the shopkeeper ends the discussion. Depending on the rank of the player, bartering will get easier.
The game itself is also voiced spectacularly. The characters all speak in their own dialects and the voice work is excellent. It is interesting to hear languages that one normally doesn’t hear. The voice work adds to the atmosphere of the game and makes it even more exciting. When the player hears these alien voices, there is a sense of foreboding. The voices do their job in adding to the vivid tapestry that this game’s story paints.
It’s also nice that Henry himself is not a quiet protagonist. This is a man who will talk when he needs to. Playing the game, I found that he does get hungry and often it comes quite quickly. Hearing him speak his mind is refreshing as he’ll say if he is hungry or talks about how he can’t swim when he is near water. Henry may know some things, but he also knows there are things he definitely needs help with. This is a character that is fleshed out, and that makes the player consider how things affect him making for a better gaming experience. Though, the player can still run around and kill many people and be terrible if they want.
While the game is quite amazing, it isn’t without its flaws. There are often weird moments in the game where camera angles change, and it can be a little unnerving. The lack of guidance can often be a little off-putting. While making the maps looks stylized is cool in theory, it can often be hard for the player to find out where they are headed. The game might also be a little wordy for those not inclined to read, which is a shame because without reading there is much less of a chance they will truly enjoy the game. The developers are working to fix these issues though and even are planning to add a playable female character which will be interesting.
Kingdom Come Deliverance is a game that is both fun and educational, which is great. The creators have even suggested that this might be the first in a series of games, with this being the prologue. Clearly, there is a sense that this history needs to be seen to be believed. It is also clear that this game is a true passion project for the team as it was quite an undertaking for a first game. If the player has a hankering for a 15th-century quest, Henry really does need all the help he can get.
Disclaimer: Code given for purposes of Review.