Immersive RPGs are a genre I love, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 delivers that experience very well. During the demo I played at PAX West, which takes place roughly sixty hours into the game, I had the chance to play through a complete mission. The attention to detail, especially in the character design and world building, was nothing short of breathtaking. Each interaction felt incredibly lifelike, pulling me deeper into the world. That is why the game won one of our Best of PAX West awards.
Before jumping into the game, the team shared some key updates. They acknowledged player feedback on the difficulty of the combat system in the original game and assured us that these mechanics have been improved in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. They also stressed their goal of making this sequel even more immersive than the first.
We were given a few guidelines for the mission. The first was not to kill anyone during the mission. While it's possible to kill anyone in the game, doing so would undermine the experience they wanted us to have. Second, when asked questions in-game, we were encouraged to respond rather than choose the stay silent response. Though silence is an option, they told us they would explain the consequences of that choice after the mission.
Then it was my turn to jump in. I immediately encountered a traveler from another country, who told me he had been invited as a guest. He introduced himself as a master swordsman, eager to prove his skills. Naturally, the first thing he wanted to do was challenge me to a duel. I have to say, the combat felt smooth and responsive—no issues at all. And the combat is all in first person perspective, which normally I struggle with. I even managed to defeat the master with surprising ease.
After the duel, a group of noblemen from the town approached and told us that fighting in the streets had been outlawed. To make things worse, the city's swordmaster and guild demanded the expulsion of the foreign nobleman. This was my chance to either defend him, stay silent, or throw him under the bus. I chose to stand up for him—which, of course, landed me in some hot water as well.
After some diplomacy, I managed to smooth things over. However, the foreign noble still felt dishonored and insisted on challenging the town master to a duel. The only way he could initiate that challenge was by stealing the guild’s sword and placing it in the town square as a formal signal. Naturally, I was the one tasked with stealing the sword.
This is where things got a bit tricky. I set out at night to avoid being seen, but I ran into some ruffians who weren’t too pleased about me being in their territory. They picked a fight, and, unfortunately, I died—just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time (and I was told I shouldn't kill anyone). After respawning, I returned, found the sword, and successfully stole it. But I got caught in the act as some guardsmen spotted me. The developers explained that while guards will notice your actions, the warning spreads by word of mouth. So, even if I ran into other guards as I ran off with the spoils, they might not know about my crime right away. This feature added an extra layer of immersion to the game, which I thought was a neat touch.
We took the sword to the town square and issued the challenge. The guild accused me of stealing it, which I denied, but the guardsmen had proof. As punishment, we had to fight the duel without any armor. And yes, I got roped into the duel as well—it ended up being a three-on-three battle, them versus us.
The demo wrapped up here. The developers told me and the other journalists that if we hadn’t been caught—and, unsurprisingly, every journalist in my time slot was caught—it would have been a fair fight. They also mentioned that if we had chosen to stay silent, the quest would have continued, but the foreign nobleman would have been expelled. Tracking him down would have been difficult, especially within the short demo window.
Everything about Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was spot-on. I felt like I had real influence over how things played out, even in solving this situation. The game incorporates real historical events, and while my character can’t change history, the interactions I had still felt impactful. Each character felt authentic, and the attention to detail was a true testament to the care and passion the developers put into this game. I can't wait to play the full game!
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