Kingdom Come 2 Set to Be More 'Dark and Serious.' However, Devs Assure Style Continuity from Original
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 will be better, more serious, and darker than the first installment of the series, but the Warhorse Studio is talking about evolution rather than revolution.
Despite a slight spoiler, fans of Kingdom Come: Deliverance still enthusiastically embraced the official announcement of the sequel to this medieval RPG. Especially since the devs of KCD 2 shared lots of information about the project.
Tobias Stolz-Zwilling of Warhorse Studios spoke with us twice: the first time before the game was officially revealed, and the second time, just after the presentation. During both interviews, the Czech revealed a little more about the second Kingdom Come: Deliverance.
Better and more, but without revolution
As is typical for a sequel, the second installment is meant to be "larger and superior to its predecessor," but the devs don't want to change anything by force.
When it comes to a "twice as big" game world (which will consist of two maps), the matter is simple. However, when it comes to other elements, the developers prefer evolution over revolution. The combat will be made somewhat easier and will include new weapons such as firearms and throwing weapons. However, this won't turn KCD into a shooter, especially since this first category of weapons will be quite primitive and - if handled improperly - dangerous to use. The system will continue to offer a significant level of complexity for those who wish to fully understand it.
The same applies to the story, which is to be more "deep, dark, and more serious," but still not without the humor known from the first part. As the civil war in Bohemia escalates, Henry will once again find himself caught in the midst of the conflict, attempting to balance good intentions with the need to use ethically questionable methods.
However, all of this will be interspersed with funny or less serious situations. Suffice it to say that Henry's allies will include some truly "peculiar" individuals. The well-known and beloved Hans Capon returns in the sequel, just as rebellious as in the first installment.
Sequel for everyone
It's interesting and quite unusual that the events of the sequel unfold just a week after the events of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, making it a direct continuation of the story that ended with a cliffhanger in the first installment. However, this doesn't mean that knowledge of the first installment will be necessary. KCD 2 was designed so that people unfamiliar with the events of the first part could play without problems.
Of course, people familiar with the first chapter of Henry's story will find a lot of tidbits and references to the original. However, it's important to remember that the original KCD was released over 6 years ago and even people who watched it may not remember everything. Not to mention that excessive linking of both parts could discourage new buyers from the second installment.
We also know that Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 won't allow the transfer of save files from the first game. As for Henry's combat potential, the dev didn't reveal anything specific but assured that the creators seriously thought about how to resolve this issue. In our first interview, Czech hinted that Henry's first mission in the sequel won't go as planned. Maybe this failure will be a pretext to weaken him at the beginning of the adventure?
Living world
The creator didn't want to reveal too much about many elements of the game (including available modes and mechanics), but he mentioned an interesting novelty: the quick chat system. During exploration, it may happen that independent characters will make remarks (flattering or biting) toward our protagonist. Instead of forcing a full-fledged dialogue (pulling players out of exploration), the player will be able to briefly respond to these provocations.
The Czech revealed another interesting aspect of the living world, which is the functioning of the crime system. This was partially discussed yesterday, but Stolz-Zwilling mentioned that this solution won't have much in common with the solution known from the GTA series.
- First, the player won't gain "stars" or rewards for their head when someone notices Henry committing a crime. The witness will try to report the crime to the guards (like in RDR 2), or - if he is brave - he will attack Henry himself.
- Second, it looks like NPCs will be more default than typical game characters. Czech gave an example of a situation in which Henryk killed someone and is standing bloodied over the victim's body. If someone sees him, they will immediately assume that our character is the killer.
All this (and many other small and large details) are intended to further increase the realism and immersion of contact with the virtual Czechs in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. The developers are also considering the criticism of the first installment and are preparing various enhancements and new features (including an expanded blacksmithing system).
Warhorse Studios will probably reveal more information on this topic in the coming weeks. Stolz-Zwilling promised that the developer will regularly remind players about the sequel. No wonder, since Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is set to be released at the end of this year.
