Warhorse Studios has formally introduced Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, the sequel to its widespread RPG set in medieval Bohemia. Warhorse Studios absolutely unveiled the sequel at a personal occasion final week, confirming amongst different issues that it’ll be twice as giant as the authentic, touting it as a “behemoth” of a recreation.
“What we’re making now’s what it was presupposed to be in the starting, however we weren’t capable of do it as a result of we didn’t have sufficient sources and experiences and all that stuff,” inventive director Daniel Vavra stated in a presentation. “We’ve confirmed the idea works, so now we will take it to a different stage, which is what we all the time needed.”
To that finish, Kingdom Come will be “a lot larger in scope,” with “5 hours of cutscenes as an alternative of three” and a story that’s “way more epic.” It should choose up the story the place the authentic left off with the recreation’s protagonist, Henry, and his touring companion, Sir Hans Capon, however the place the earlier recreation was about “small the Aristocracy,” Kingdom Come II will be about the “issues of kings.”
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II will search to construct on the success of the authentic recreation, which drew consideration for the approach that it combined Elder Scrolls-like first-person exploration with a granular deal with historic element. Whereas it obtained combined opinions from critics, who amongst different points criticized its technical efficiency, it managed to promote round 6 million items by February 2024. Warhorse Studios has grown significantly since then, rising to round 250 staff from a group that numbered simply 11 a little greater than a decade in the past, and is presently one of the studios underneath Plaion – a subsidiary of the Embracer Group.
Like different current RPG success tales, most notably Baldur’s Gate 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II will search to craft a highly-reactive world during which gamers can develop Henry in any approach they see match.
“Henry is a younger man, so he’s not so deeply entrenched in his already, , set character traits,” lead designer Prokop Jirsa explains, “so you may construct your Henry in numerous methods.”
Amongst different particulars revealed by Warhorse, Kingdom Come II will embrace a popularity system during which NPCs will name out Henry if he develops a popularity for consuming or thieving, and he can reply in variety. At a greater stage, Henry will be capable of “save the world” or “punish it for its sins,” implying a multitude of totally different paths for the younger knight.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II will as soon as once more make the most of the CryEngine, which studio spokesperson Tobias Stolz-Zwilling attributed to familiarity and established pipelines, and can function a selection of environments, together with lush forests and different areas. Gamers will be inspired to discover the countryside, which Warhorse Studios hints will be “serene and full of secrets and techniques.” It should additionally be harmful, of course, and the preliminary trailer exhibits loads of interval correct medieval fight, however Warhorse didn’t delve into too many particulars on that entrance. That stated, gamers can count on new missile weapons like crossbows – which had been sorely missed in the authentic recreation – as properly as early firearms.
Kuttenberg could change Kingdom Come in additional methods than one
Past the countryside, Kingdom Come II’s story is principally set in Kuttenberg, additionally recognized as Kutná Hora in Czech – a real-life silver mining metropolis talked about a number of occasions in the authentic recreation however by no means proven. It figures to be one of the recreation’s stars as a giant, explorable medieval city middle.
“Kuttenberg is a big step ahead for us and I’ll say it was the largest problem in the recreation,” artwork director Viktor Höschl stated.
Vavra added, “It’s actually large, it’s even too large for my part.”
Kuttenberg might also be a change for the collection in one other notable approach. When the authentic Kingdom Come: Deliverance was launched in 2018, it got here underneath scrutiny for its determination to kind of omit individuals of coloration, which Vavra attributed to a need for historic accuracy. In a 2015 tweet he wrote, “Would you please clarify to me whats racist about telling the fact? There have been no black individuals in medieval Bohemia. Interval.”
However when requested if Warhorse’s philosophy had modified in any respect for the sequel, or if it might incorporate extra tales like the authentic recreation’s DLC, A Girl’s Lot, Stolz-Zwilling informed IGN, “The story and plot of KCD has developed—it’s darker, deeper, and extra cinematic, but additionally crueler with pivotal choices and plot twists that problem the gamers’s conscience. However, it retains its humor and down-to-earth method. As talked about already, Henry is embarking on a journey from the countryside and native quarrels to a comparatively Cosmopolitan metropolis. that’s besieged and occupied by the invading king. Naturally, in a place like this, individuals can count on a big selection of ethnicities and totally different characters that Henry will meet on his journey.
“Kuttenberg is enjoying a essential position in Henry’s story, so I can’t actually inform you an excessive amount of for spoiler causes, however as I discussed earlier than—in KCD I, Henry grew from a boy to a man, and now in KCD2, he’s rising from a man to a warrior. Nevertheless, he can’t do that by himself, and he wants a robust forged of associates to assist him on his journey.
“We are attempting to depict a real looking, immersive, and plausible medieval world that’s being reconstructed to the greatest of our data. And naturally to attain that we aren’t solely having our personal in-house historian, however we’re very intently working along with universities, historians, museums, reenactors, and a group of consultants from totally different ethnicities or spiritual beliefs that we’re actively incorporating into growth as exterior advisors.”
A technique or one other, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II will be a take a look at of whether or not the collection can take a step ahead as Warhorse Studios seeks to broaden its ambitions. It’s presently concentrating on a 2024 launch date, and can launch on Xbox Sequence X|S, PS5, and PC. For extra, try our full Kingdom Come: Deliverance II interview with Warhorse Studios.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s Information Director as properly as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Ship her a DM at @the_katbot.