Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has turned me into a Bohemian Batman who murders bandits in their sleep, and it's all because of some dead sheep
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has forced my hand. After weeks spent playing Henry as a good boy (mostly), I've finally arrived at the city of Kuttenberg and lush surrounding countryside only to be met with a hefty spike in difficulty. Roaming bands of peasant-bandits have become a rarer sight, largely replaced by well-armed deserters who actually know which end of their hammer to swing with. Many of these roadside menaces can even use my beloved Master Strike against me, meaning my standard approach to breezing through combat has been forced to the wayside in favor of something stealthier – and far, far darker.
Where Ghost of Tsushima guilt-tripped me into playing a more honorable game, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has shown me that there's satisfaction in sneaking around and taking out enemies while they're asleep. It's a subtle yet effective change that adds depth to the game without ever feeling like it's cheating.
Since then, I've cleared a number of camps at night (though few have gone as smoothly as the first), and generally feel more comfortable popping over to the dark side when foes have the numbers advantage. Sure, killing someone while they're snoring is easier than clashing with them head-on, but it should be.
The key difference between this and gaming a generic detection meter is that there's an extra layer of believability in what you're doing. It's one of few areas where realism makes a game easier, and I'll take immersion over more exacting tip-toeing any day of the week.
RPG developers, take notes – and sheep-killers, sleep with one eye open. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 dev weighs in on why it's getting harder to survive in RPGs
Developer Insights
"If a game is 150 hours and all of your sessions are the same, you're gonna get bored," says Andy Brown, Features Editor at Gamesradar+. This sentiment rings true for many players, especially those who've invested hundreds of hours into games like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.
Andy Brown's team has been hard at work chasing down a 600-year-old star map for the sake of historical accuracy and immersion. It may seem like a small detail, but it adds depth to the game world and makes the experience feel more authentic.
What's Next?
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