Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 had a tough task ahead of it: continuing one of the most in-depth, skill-based, and story-inspired melee combat systems ever to appear in the RPG world. However, it’s no secret that mastering the first game’s elaborate directional shots and precisely timed blocks was an uphill battle. Many players have bounced back from these high skill demands. However, the technical demands of the combat and the feeling of getting better as a player also had a huge impact on what made it great.
So Warhorse’s goal for a sequel was two-fold. They wanted to lower the skill level required to play competently – without having to get your ass handed to you in a canvas bag by some random thug – but also raise the skill ceiling required to take on the most unforgiving optional challenges. Story-wise, it works. Henry was a complete nobody in KCD1, but by the time the sequel began, he had already been an aspiring swordsman for quite some time. It really wouldn’t make sense if he continued to fight poorly trained opponents.
On your left…
First, it is obvious that KCD1’s five attack directions have been reduced to four: up, down, left and right. Swords operate all four, but not every weapon does. For example, polearms usually only have three, which should be taken into account when choosing a fighting style. The KCD1 also had two different attack buttons: slash and thrust. In KCD2, all basic attacks are usually slashing. Stabs still exist as part of multi-hit combos, but only on weapons where they make sense. You will not poke people with the point of a blunt weapon, such as a mace.
Blocking can now protect you from multiple opponents as long as they are all in front of you. Finally, the pairing system is a bit more intuitive and forgiving. Aiming your parries correctly still matters, but it’s more crucial against tougher enemies. And even in this case, you will most often be penalized for blocking in the opposite direction of the attack, not for any direction that is not correct. This means you don’t have to do it perfectly. You just need to avoid getting it completely wrong.
All of this limits the number of possible decisions you can make at any point in the fight. However, managing stamina, observing your opponents and making good decisions is still crucial. There’s also the fact that many of the early game enemies are now geared to Henry’s weaker fighting skills, so you can get by in some fights where you have an advantage before facing tougher opponents – a massive change from is beaten by a drunken townsman in the first hour of KCD1.
Way of the Blade
However, if you’ve mastered the combat from the first game, Warhorse doesn’t want to leave you without recent mountains to climb. The most talented players will find that the ceiling has also been raised. One of the main goals of this change is to focus on Master Strike, a skill that Henry could learn in the behind schedule game that can trivialize most fights if you’re really good at using it.
“In KCD1, excellent blocking and masterful striking were extremely useful and basically, if you wanted to play very defensively, you could overcome anything with this move,” explained lead designer Prokop Jirsa. “It doesn’t work like that in KCD2. There is still a master strike, but it is much more difficult to implement and there is a defense even against a master strike.”
Essentially, top fighters will no longer fall for master strike spam. You’ll also be encouraged to take a more aggressive approach, rather than sitting back and waiting for your opponent to make a mistake. You will also need to focus more on varying your moves and using all the tools available to you. And this range of tools has been expanded.
Armed to the teeth
The most impressive recent items are crossbows and pistols. The year is 1403, so we’re talking about very primitive guns that take forever to reload and are not precise beyond a few steps. However, if they are aimed in the right direction from a sufficient distance, they will cause stern damage. They also have an impact on the psyche. Enemies in KCD2 will decide whether or not it’s still worth fighting based on how the fight goes and how tough they think they are. If you kill the captain with a clamorous bang and a flash of fire, his subordinates may simply head for the hills. Nobody earns enough to deal with this, whatever it is.
And while the sword is still the most versatile weapon, the recent combo system gives you more reasons to operate other melee weapons as well. One example Jirsa gave was that clubs have some unique combos that can target joints or unarmored areas of the target. For example, if you notice that your enemy isn’t wearing any leg armor, you can specifically perform a combo that affects the legs without having to manually target them.
For those with a more sneaky approach, stealth kills have also been improved. In KCD1, it was basically a dice roll comparing your stats to your target’s to see if the kill would be a success, which in such a skill-based game could seem frustratingly random. KCD2 changed everything to be time-based instead. And you don’t necessarily need perfect timing to take out your opponent. However, if you are half a second compact of your target, you may not be able to complete the kill silently, and the dying target’s screams will alert nearby allies.
A row of murderers
Another way Warhorse tries to keep combat engaging even for seasoned swordmasters is by increasing the difficulty of the most challenging optional content. Just following the main story shouldn’t throw anything wildly unfair your way. But if you’re willing to go off the beaten path in search of trouble, you’ll be able to find it.
“Actually in KCD1, once it was really good, the endgame was really easy,” Jirsa said. “This is something we also improved in KCD2. There are big challenges in the end game. There are some that even the people in this office had a hard time dealing with.”
Whether you were scared by the original Kingdom Come: Deliverance the first time you were turned into sashimi by some Cumans, or you’re on your third game and can throw masterful punches with your eyes closed, you should find something to enjoy in the sequel. And when all else fails, you can simply bring your weapon to a sword fight.
For more, stay tuned throughout December as we continue IGN First’s exclusive coverage of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. You should especially check out my detailed hands-on preview to see my impressions of this recent combat system so far !
