Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Preview (Tokyo Game Show 2024)
During the Tokyo Game Show week at the end of September, Islandgamer team attended an exclusive media preview session for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 in Chiba, Japan. Without a doubt, this could very well be one of the most highly anticipated RPGs coming next year. I must admit, I hadn't played the first game before this, and it's a real pity that Phong, our Editor-in-Chief, couldn't make it to Japan, especially since he had played the original. However, thanks to Phong's assistance in providing background information from Vietnam before my departure, combined with guidance from Tobias, the PR Head at Warhorse Studios, I believe I had a fairly comprehensive two-hour experience. From this, I can confidently say that this game shows tremendous potential to be a high-quality sequel.
The preview event was held at the New Otani Makuhari Hotel in Chiba, Japan, and here we had the chance to directly experience the game in a one-hour gameplay session. Additionally, we were treated to a full and detailed presentation of the game and had the opportunity to directly interview a representative from Warhorse Studios. In the main content of this video, I will focus on reviewing Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. As for the interview content, stay tuned for it in the coming days.
Now, after more than five years since the first installment’s release, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is inching closer to its launch, and as always, this game series takes us back to the medieval region of Bohemia, offering a brand-new RPG adventure. We sat down with Tobias Stolz-Zwilling, the Head of PR at Warhorse Studios. He enthusiastically shared insights about the game, stating that Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is focused on three main aspects. First, staying true to the authenticity of the medieval period. Second, creating a highly detailed action RPG where players can explore everything in any way they wish, without restrictions. Lastly, the game aims to present a historically grounded yet epic storyline.
As mentioned earlier, I hadn't played the first Kingdom Come before, but Phong, our Editor-in-Chief, had told me that the first Kingdom Come: Deliverance was an exceptionally unique game. It stood out because no other medieval RPG had ever taken such a grounded, realistic approach, which made it truly one of a kind in the market. However, this emphasis on realism also made the game notoriously difficult to play. The survival-based RPG mechanics, coupled with a highly intricate first-person sword fighting system, meant that the game was anything but easy and certainly not tailored to the broader gaming audience. Fortunately, Tobias informed me that some of the clunky systems, particularly combat, have been refined in the second installment to be more accessible. For example, players now have more weapon choices, meaning it's easier to find one that suits their preferred combat style. However, the game still retains enough complexity to demand full attention and dedication if players wish to truly master it.
It seems Warhorse Studios has learned from the first game and gained some experience in fine-tuning the learning curve to make it more reasonable for a broader player base in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.
That’s the theory at least, but nothing can really be judged until you’ve had the chance to play the game for yourself—and that’s exactly what I did. During the preview session, I was dropped into the game with a save file that reflected around 50-60 hours of gameplay. At this point in the game, I encountered Meinhard von Frankfurt, a master swordsman. This NPC had been invited to Kuttenberg to open a swordsmanship school at the request of King Wenceslas. However, he was facing opposition from an established swordmaster in the town, as well as resistance from the town council, who seemed determined to defy the king’s wishes.
It didn’t take long for me to test out the combat system in the game. After finishing my conversation with Meinhard about his predicament, I found myself drawn into a swordfight to prove whether I was worthy of his attention. This is where the fluidity of the combat system really shone, and it seems Tobias at Warhorse wasn’t exaggerating. Even though I hadn’t played the first game, I had previously spent time with a similarly realistic first-person medieval combat game, Chivalry 2, alongside my former colleague, Truong. He had guided me through Chivalry 2, so transitioning into Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 felt relatively smooth for me.
The sword combat still relies on changing attack directions, meaning you need to adjust the angle of your sword to the direction you want to strike. At the same time, you'll have to match these directional strikes to block incoming attacks or successfully hit your opponent. However, it was much smoother than I had anticipated. Even without playing the first game, I imagined that the original must have felt quite clunky. Additionally, to streamline and simplify combat, I noticed that all downward strikes had been consolidated into a single directional input, meaning you no longer have to worry about blocking from the bottom left or bottom right—there’s just one downward direction now.
Tobias also mentioned that the blue shield icon from the original game has returned, aiding players in timing their blocks against enemy strikes. Of course, this is still a simulation-heavy RPG, so stamina remains a resource you need to manage. When Henry's stamina runs low, you'll be unable to block attacks or swing your sword effectively. I was also impressed by the visual effects that come into play during combat—such as blood splattering into Henry’s eyes, which causes a blurry, disorienting effect. It felt quite immersive, despite the fact that this isn’t a VR game.
After I was defeated in combat, the swordfight came to an abrupt end as the town guards intervened. Naturally, Meinhard’s rival swordsman, the jealous adversary I had heard about, appeared on the scene. He accused Meinhard of teaching swordsmanship illegally, stating that the town already had an official swordsmanship school and didn’t need another.
At this point, I decided to set aside the combat mechanics and focus on one of the game's most essential elements: the RPG aspect, particularly the dialogue choices. Tobias explained that every dialogue choice Henry makes can affect the overarching story, sometimes in small ways, but they still carry weight and can lead to different outcomes. In the demo I played, for instance, after the swordfight, Meinhard found himself under pressure from the guards, and I had several dialogue options that could have a significant impact. I could choose to have him expelled from the town, help him stay without penalty, or even ensure a happy resolution where he stays and avoids a hefty fine. These various possible outcomes apply not only to major story quests but also to smaller side quests, adding layers of depth to the experience. Of course, this will need to be verified in the final build of the game when our team can properly review it, but based on my hands-on experience, this system looks incredibly promising.
I’m generally not a big fan of sidequests, as most RPGs rarely invest much effort into them. Perhaps the only standout exception that comes to mind is The Witcher 3, which, as Kiên—one of the editors who accompanied me during the demo—pointed out, does a remarkable job in this area. Kiên happens to be a hardcore fan of The Witcher series, so we had a good conversation about this. With Warhorse claiming that they’ve put significant effort into the sidequests for Kingdom Come 2, especially quests like the swordsman task with Meinhard, I’m inclined to believe they aren’t just talking for the sake of it. These sidequests sometimes may revolve around simple dialogue interactions meant to get the player out of a particular problem, but it seems Warhorse has recognized the value this kind of gameplay adds. As Tobias explained, it’s like small tasks within a minor quest, and even changing just one line of dialogue could lead to an entirely new outcome, enticing players to replay the game or reload their save files just to see how things could unfold differently. It adds more depth to the RPG elements and inadvertently increases replayability value.
I chose the ending where I helped Meinhard stay in town without being fined, thanks to a dialogue option where I had Henry fall in love with Meinhard’s daughter. I spun the narrative, saying that the swordfight was simply Meinhard defending his family’s honor. What I appreciated the most about this outcome wasn’t just that I could continue the sidequest without further complications, but the way Meinhard reacted to it. He reluctantly accepted the decision, though visibly irritated. He felt fortunate to stay, but my choice inadvertently embarrassed him, and he couldn’t do anything about it. His reaction was incredibly realistic and helped me feel more immersed in the game’s world.
Next, I was tasked with stealing the Councilor's Sword from the great hall of the rival swordsman’s school. At this point, the gameplay shifted to a new aspect—stealth. I’m not particularly skilled at first-person stealth games, like the Dishonored series, but Kingdom Come seemed less intricate and demanding in that regard, which makes sense given its focus on realism. I didn’t find it difficult to move around stealthily, though one thing worth noting is that the game’s environments are quite expansive. Sneaking around such large areas could present a challenge. I decided to take advantage of the in-game time manipulation mechanic. All I had to do was advance the in-game clock, a feature conveniently built into the system, to 2 AM when most of the town was fast asleep. It wasn’t too hard to sneak in and retrieve the sword using this method. My only remaining task was to hang the sword in the town hall, symbolizing that the rival swordsmanship school was now open to any challengers willing to compete for the title of the best swordsman in town. Meinhard hoped this plan would work, as it would allow him to finally challenge his rival directly and prove himself as the town’s best swordsman, fulfilling his ambition of establishing his own school, as per the king’s wishes.
The next morning, everything had unfolded exactly as Meinhard hoped. The villagers awoke to find the sword mysteriously hung in the town square, with no one knowing who had done it. This led to a proper confrontation between Meinhard, Henry, and the town’s swordsmanship guild. Unfortunately, this is where the demo session ended. Tobias told me that this quest was just a very minor sidequest, and that the game’s full content is much more expansive. This revelation surprised me, as I had already spent over an hour on just this sidequest and wasn’t even finished with it. If what Tobias said is true, it’s hard to imagine just how much more intricate and sprawling the main quest could be.
As for the game's presentation, it's clear that significant care was put into it. There’s a noticeable upgrade compared to the first installment—the graphics look sharper and more realistic. While CryEngine isn’t quite able to compete with the likes of Unreal Engine in recent years, the game still delivers visually impressive graphics that meet today’s standards. However, it's still apparent that this is more of a AA-scale game rather than a full AAA title. The character lip-syncing during dialogues isn’t particularly smooth—it’s not quite robotic, but it’s on par with the quality you’d expect from The Witcher 3, a AAA RPG that’s now nearly a decade old. Even the game’s performance is rather inconsistent, failing to maintain a steady 60 FPS during real-time cutscenes, despite the high-end PC the publisher provided us with for testing.
One more aspect that sits between presentation and gameplay is the UI and HUD design. And, how should I put this? The HUD and UI of this game are truly stunning. It’s rare to find a game with an interface that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also thematically aligned with the atmosphere of the game. Now, I’m not talking about the monumental design artistry you see in games like those from Atlus, where the interface is nearly a showpiece of its own. But Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s HUD and UI are akin to a work of art—almost like a tribute to the classic medieval masterpiece The Ghent Altarpiece by the legendary Jan van Eyck. That said, this design seems more suited for PC players rather than console users, as the interface is quite detailed and small. Console players who sit further away from their TV screens may find it challenging to keep track of in-game information due to the smaller text and intricate design.
Take for instance the status bar displaying your health, items, and weapons located at the bottom of the screen. There were several moments when I struggled to figure out exactly how many arrows I had left to shoot because the numbers were simply too small. If this were enlarged, or perhaps moved next to the health bar for easier visibility, it would be far more efficient. Another example is when you’re looting an NPC, where the loot screen feels somewhat incomplete. You’ll notice that it hovers between being a full, detailed loot interface and a more compact, concise one. Fans of Western RPGs, particularly Bethesda’s titles, are familiar with a streamlined mini-window for looting. Here, however, Warhorse seems unsure of how best to implement this feature, opting for a hybrid that combines elements of both. Unfortunately, this approach backfires. Why? Because it’s neither small enough to function as a convenient mini-loot window, nor large enough to fill the screen and show everything you can loot, like in Bethesda’s games. So while it’s visually appealing, I would argue that it lacks practicality.
Naturally, given this brief preview session, I couldn’t fully grasp everything Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has to offer. It’s likely that the limited scope of what Warhorse showed only heightened my curiosity, leaving me eager to see what more they might reveal in the future. That said, it also means the studio still has considerable work ahead to refine their project, especially since they’ve already announced a delay in the release date, pushing it from the end of this year to February next year. Based on my experience with this demo, I’m optimistic that this game could deliver an engaging and exciting RPG experience, provided Warhorse follows through on their promises. Rest assured, we will continue to cover updates on this title if further opportunities arise.