20 hours in, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a mad, systems-driven sandbox that captures some of the best parts of games like Stalker

GamesRPGKingdom Come: Deliverance 220 hours in, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a mad, systems-driven sandbox that captures some of the best parts of games like StalkerWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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(Image credit: Deep Silver)

Henry chokes out a farmer while wearing absurd spectacles.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is an engine that spits out chaos and regret, but don’t worry, I mean that as some of the highest praise I can offer a game. We’re talking all sorts of consequences for my horrible, horrible decisions and Stalker-with-swords levels of weird, systems-driven mayhem.

(Image credit: Deep Silver)

Henry and an armoured figure fight.

Unforeseen consequences

So I can’t actually tell you much about KCD2’s plot—though no matter, Fraser has all the deets about its Kevin And Perry Go Bohemia narrative in hispreview from last August—but I have such stories to share with you anyway. If you’re the kind of sicko who delights when it all spins out of control, welcome home.

(Image credit: Deep Silver)

A guard grunts in pain.

My frilly pantaloons entailed a serious hit to my capacity for intimidation

So I couldn’t scare him off from starting a fight, leaving a few farmers and me, in a pair of very voguish spectacles and ‘jester’s hose,’ to face off against four heavily armed and armoured Cuman badasses. It went poorly. Worse, I had ditched off what little actual armour I had some time ago: It was in poor nick and put me over my encumbrance limit. I had no time to go and find armour because the Cumans eventually stand up and leave if no one comes to serve them. I did the only thing I could do: I sided with the Cumans instead, who would be more than capable of dealing with the angry farmers themselves. Suck it, peasants.

(Image credit: Deep Silver)

A bloody Henry chooses between various punishments from a guard.

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Which might sound like the worst thing in the world, depending on the kind of player you are. To me and my people, though, watching on in horror as all your decisions come cascading down on you isexactlywhat I come to games for, and all KCD2’s bristling systems deliver it in spades.

(Image credit: Deep Silver)

Henry’s vision turns red as he hits low health while a guard stabs him.

In my time with the game so far, it really can feel like some of the best parts of Stalker. My only question is how well that philosophy translates to the game’s narrative. Will Henry’s tale seem as consequence-driven and personal as the moment-to-moment adventures I’ve had so far? I can’t say just yet. Maybe in another 20 hours I’ll have stopped prodding the game’s systems long enough to find out.

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Unforeseen consequences#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

Unforeseen consequences

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals