No magic. No dragons. No problem.
My favorite genre across all entertainment mediums is medieval fantasy, and for years I thought that meant a game like Kingdom Come: Deliverance wasn't actually for me. After all, it's a rather authentic recreation of 1400s Bohemia that involves many real people, places, and events. Of course it's not 100% historically accurate, but there are no wizards, no foul beasts to slay, and no dark magics that need to be overthrown. Instead, the fantasy here is one of blood, sweat, and muck.
You will truly feel like a peasant as you progress the game through the eyes of humble Henry of Skalitz, but it's that same progression from ignorant youth to hardened adventurer that finally hooked me and showed me there is still plenty to love about a hero's journey that is more historical than fantastical.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance starts with a story that's simple enough but very effective. Henry is basically a medieval Luke Skywalker stuck in your dad's favorite historical drama written and directed by Ridley Scott. He's a bit whiney and irresponsible in the beginning, but he doesn't stay that way. Tom McKay is an excellent voice talent and I appreciated his evolving take on Henry's characterization more than I thought I would. It's not too invasive as to ruin the immersion of you acting as the protagonist, but the cinematic feel is retained. As with many things in this game, it threads the needle quite well.
It doesn't take long for gameplay mechanics to be explained and introduced. The town of Skalitz as a tutorial zone is very enjoyable and frames the flood of information in a fun and digestable way. You help your blacksmith father gather various items needed to forge a special sword and with each encounter you'll learn a new facet of the game, like how to persuade someone, survive a street brawl, stealthily prank a grumpy neighbor, or swing your sword in the appropriate direction. Even this early on, the characters and ambiance of Kingdom Come: Deliverance are exceedingly charming. It's enough to make you fall in love with Henry's home, and to miss it as you head out into the world to take on ever increasing challenges.
I have described Kingdom Come: Deliverance as a Bethesda game with the survival mechanics turned on by default and I think that remains a very apt comparison. It doesn't have the same physics as the Creation Engine, but the look and feel of the world is so obviously inspired by The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The serene countryside melodies, the vibrant colors of the forests and fields, the scheduled villagers having oddly timed conversations in the streets, and the first-person combat filled with quippy remarks all together create a strikingly familiar feeling. It was enough to ease me into whatever this game had to offer.
Where this differs from a Bethesda experience is in every way a strength. Smaller scale and more intimate writing gives way to an immediately more believable world, skills and attributes feel like they really matter, and combat has a very involved twist. When you accomplish something as Henry, you really feel like you did something, and it gets easier for you every time. It's not a power fantasy, it's a traditional hero's journey that's expressed through gameplay as equally as it is through the narrative. Henry is a straight up nobody when you take control of him, but you get to transform him into a very big somebody.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is immersive in many respects, but a large part of that is because Warhorse Studios remembers the lost art of building up a character in a role-playing game instead of being good at everything from the start. Sometimes that's a little frustrating (and sometimes it feels like your enemies are better than they should be), but it's always worthwhile and it endeared me to the seemingly meticulous nature of the game.
The gradual shift from running away from most threats to confidently taking on multiple assailants at once feels earned because you actually did the work to make that progress with Henry. It feels sort of like a game within a game. You practice with Captain Bernard to learn new sword skills and recognize enemy movements. It's not just light attack, heavy attack, block, and parry. There's strategy involved, but it's also not as hard or obtuse as I'd heard. I think we're all a little tired of action RPGs treating combat as secondary and this game listened to those complaints loud and clear. Kingdom Come: Deliverance offers an exciting alternative.
The realms of Bohemia are a joy to explore and absolutely beautiful with the next-gen update. I'm glad the game mostly forces you to explore on your own by not having instant menu-based fast travel because there's so much to take in between sights and random encounters, the latter of which works because they're engaging gameplay systems like combat or conversation that are already independently entertaining. This is a great example of an open-world being built for exploration and not just points of interest on a map. Nothing is too far away and I actually wanted to see all the little lived in spaces of the world.
And, what is a lived in world without the people who live in it? Warhorse Studios didn't stop at translating the beautiful Bohemian countrysides and kingdoms to a video game, they followed in the traditon of the great RPG houses that inspired them and filled their world with fun characters and memorable side quests that threaten to outshine the main one. I became a monk, preached a sermon, snuck into a heavily fortified enemy military encampment, easdropped on witches in the woods, and made friends all along the way. Henry's relationship with each person he interacts with feels natural and relatable, especially when Sir Hans Capon enters the equation. That right there will go down as one of the greatest bromances ever in gaming, or perhaps any medium. A pure and heartfelt friendship the likes of which Tolkien himself could admire.
FINAL VERDICT
The Kingdom Come franchise didn't really hit for a lot of people until the sequel came out last year, and if what they say about it is true, it must be a truly special game because it's hard for me to imagine it getting much better than this. The characters and quests are great, the world is vibrant and inviting, and the gameplay systems are engaging from beginning to end. It didn't matter that there were no orcs, goblins, or fireballs, making Henry into a Knight was filled with enough drama and intrigue all on its own.
Some small refinement and balancing issues aside, as well as the relative safety of its main narrative, Kingdom Come: Deliverance feels as perfect a blend of action, immersion, and RPG elements as I could ask for. You would be doing a disservice to yourself if you skipped this first chapter of Henry's story.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance - 9/10 - MUST-BUY