Kingdom Come: Deliverance II preview: An epic, sprawling adventure awaits the brave

Perhaps rather foolishly, I began my Kingdom Come: Deliverance II preview believing I was adequately prepared. While I’ve not played the first game (look, I understand that’s bad), having played many other RPGs, I felt confident in my abilities. Oh, how silly I was.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is a vast experience, one I’ve only just scratched the very surface of. Much like its predecessor – which I’ve researched extensively to help me better settle into this new adventure – Henry’s journey is epic. Both in narrative and its scale.

The opening scene alone feels large, yet I was only in the thick of it for mere minutes. Once I started playing through the events that led to the predicament I found myself in at the beginning, the world felt overwhelming. As this is only a taster of what’s to come, I’m both excited and intimidated by what awaits me.

Please don’t be put off by my words; a game like this needs to instil this quiet unease in you, for Henry is on a quest he started back in the first game. Having experienced tragedy, he once again finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. The path before him is long because of its uncertain conclusion, therefore we need to feel that while exploring this world.

Find out where Henry's journey will take him next in Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

Another string to Kingdom Come: Deliverance II’s bow is the bombastic splendour of its characters. Even the more mundane NPCs who will only grunt and groan if you accidentally nudge them have such character. Being able to bring what are essentially the extras to life, to give them that recognisable touch of realism, is an impressive feat. As is being able to create a protagonist that simultaneously infuriates and amuses. I speak of Hans Capon, of course. Their pompous, spoilt brat antics get old quickly, yet due to the fine craftsmanship of the storytelling, you’re still intrigued by Hans. I believe it’s a sign of exceptional writing when you can weave a tale with such an unlikeable character playing a prominent part, yet still captivate your audience.

I could spend another two hundred words on the character creation and development, but there’s so much more about the game’s other features I want to discuss.

Once you’ve got to know the lay of the land, narratively speaking, there’s a steep learning curve ahead for those who’ve not played the first game. I’m uncertain whether the controls are similar, though I assume by playing Kingdom Come: Deliverance, you stand in better stead adapting to the sequel’s controls. Unfortunately for me, I had no such foundation to build upon.

Just like with any game, there are echoes of mechanics seen from other titles – I was often reminded of Red Dead Redemption whenever I gathered herbs, or when I hunted local wildlife. That being said, the gameplay still felt frustratingly complex, arguably due to the depth of interactivity you’re permitted.

Even though tutorials and guides are accessible should you need a refresher, actually retaining what I learnt and being able to use it when needed didn’t come naturally. Again, I don’t believe this is a design flaw, but rather something to be aware of. Try as you might to avoid it, you’ll feel humbled by this game. Even now, several hours into my experience, I still poorly time my counterattacks, or forget each step when at the alchemy bench.

With a game of this size, however, you have the time to get to grips with everything if you need to. It’s not a non-stop, adrenaline-fuelled ride with no pause button; you can, in fact, stop and smell the flowers in between quests. Naturally, we each play an RPG in our own unique way. That being said, you have the space and time to explore unhindered by time constraints. And thank goodness, because my poor Henry isn’t the skilled individual he became in the first game, not with me at the reins.

My only gripe is performance, though it’s a problem that merely niggles every now and again rather than being a persistent annoyance. The developers are still fine-tuning Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, and so I anticipate rogue elements will be ironed out upon release.

Still, there were times when falling through a rock I attempted to climb proved mentally taxing, to say the least. Especially because you can’t easily save your game. There is autosave, and you can save when you sleep or before exiting the game. However, if you want to save whenever you feel like it, you need a special elixir. Consequently, being stuck somewhere you shouldn’t be because the game had a momentary issue needs addressing.

Still, this rarely happened. Besides, it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the game; I’m still ever curious about Henry, about the fate that’s befallen him, and how the hell he’s going to get out of this mess.

I’ve not quite fallen in love with Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, not yet. But the possibility of that is there. I can feel its tendrils creeping in, my thoughts randomly turning to Henry and what will happen once he gets back on his feet. In preview terms, that’s exactly the kind of reaction to an upcoming game you want. The 4 February, when the sequel is released, can’t come quickly enough.