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Kingdom Come: Deliverance 1 vs 2, Comparing the Evolution and Appeal of Medieval RPGsThis is an in-depth comparison of two titles from the unique medieval RPG series, Kingdom Come: Deliverance. We analyze the rough charm of the predecessor and the refined improvements of the sequel across various aspects such as combat, world-building, and story, exploring the special experience each game offers.
1. 🎮 Kingdom Come: Deliverance 1's Unique Beginning and Henry's Growth
· Released in 2018, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 1 stood out from other RPGs of its time by featuring Henry, an ordinary peasant, as the protagonist, rather than a monster hunter or Dragonborn.
· Henry is incompetent at the beginning of the game, showing the realistic life of a peasant by throwing cow dung, getting beaten by a drunkard, and failing at swordsmanship in the prologue.
· The game's pace is somewhat slow, but it features a personal story that intensely immerses players from the start.
· Even after the prologue, heroic actions are rare; instead, players often complete errands or resolve quests through dialogue, and armed combat is uncommon.
· Henry is incompetent at the beginning of the game, showing the realistic life of a peasant by throwing cow dung, getting beaten by a drunkard, and failing at swordsmanship in the prologue.
· The game's pace is somewhat slow, but it features a personal story that intensely immerses players from the start.
· Even after the prologue, heroic actions are rare; instead, players often complete errands or resolve quests through dialogue, and armed combat is uncommon.
00:00 - 01:25
1. 🎮 Kingdom Come: Deliverance 1's Unique Beginning and Henry's Growth
· Released in 2018, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 1 stood out from other RPGs of its time by featuring Henry, an ordinary peasant, as the protagonist, rather than a monster hunter or Dragonborn.
· Henry is incompetent at the beginning of the game, showing the realistic life of a peasant by throwing cow dung, getting beaten by a drunkard, and failing at swordsmanship in the prologue.
· The game's pace is somewhat slow, but it features a personal story that intensely immerses players from the start.
· Even after the prologue, heroic actions are rare; instead, players often complete errands or resolve quests through dialogue, and armed combat is uncommon.
· Henry is incompetent at the beginning of the game, showing the realistic life of a peasant by throwing cow dung, getting beaten by a drunkard, and failing at swordsmanship in the prologue.
· The game's pace is somewhat slow, but it features a personal story that intensely immerses players from the start.
· Even after the prologue, heroic actions are rare; instead, players often complete errands or resolve quests through dialogue, and armed combat is uncommon.
01:26 - 07:26
2. ⚔️ Brutal Realistic Combat: KCD1 vs KCD2
· The combat in the Kingdom Come: Deliverance series is extremely brutal and realistic. KCD1, in particular, boasts an even more challenging difficulty.
· Both games feature complex combat systems (attack direction, combos, dodges, parries, master strikes), but KCD1 presents greater challenges.
· Fighting multiple enemies almost certainly means death, and timing, aggression, movement, and distance management are crucial.
· KCD2 has refined and slightly simplified combat to be more approachable for new players, but it remains very difficult.
· KCD2's master strikes apply only to swords, emphasizing weapon differences, and are considered more balanced than KCD1's master strikes.
· Overall, KCD1's combat is more challenging and unpredictable, with enemies intelligently cooperating to pressure the player.
· Both games feature complex combat systems (attack direction, combos, dodges, parries, master strikes), but KCD1 presents greater challenges.
· Fighting multiple enemies almost certainly means death, and timing, aggression, movement, and distance management are crucial.
· KCD2 has refined and slightly simplified combat to be more approachable for new players, but it remains very difficult.
· KCD2's master strikes apply only to swords, emphasizing weapon differences, and are considered more balanced than KCD1's master strikes.
· Overall, KCD1's combat is more challenging and unpredictable, with enemies intelligently cooperating to pressure the player.
| Category | Kingdom Come: Deliverance 1 | Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Difficulty | Very brutal and challenging Survival-focused, requires strategic thinking | Approachable for new players but still difficult Core maintained, accessibility improved |
| Master Strike | Effective without risk, timing-focused No major issues if failed | Applies only to swords, emphasizes weapon differences More balanced and strategic |
| Fighting Multiple Enemies | Almost certain death Enemies are intelligent and cooperative, attack from behind | Still difficult Combat is refined and simplified |
07:27 - 10:45
3. 🗺️ World, Side Quests, and Story Comparison: An Expanded Experience
· KCD1's world is relatively small, with fewer rewards for exploration, leading players to focus on the main path.
· KCD2 offers two massive maps (the Trosky region and the Kuttenberg region), making exploration much more rewarding and enjoyable.
· KCD2's side quests are as excellent as the main quests, with small encounters in taverns sometimes leading to epic quests.
· KCD1's main story is a self-contained, personal, and small-scale narrative focused on Henry's revenge and his quest to find his father's sword.
· KCD2's story involves Henry getting caught up in a broader political backdrop and conflicts between powerful lords, creating a more humorous and less serious atmosphere than its predecessor.
· Henry's character arc across both games shows his growth from a helpless peasant to an increasingly capable individual, and in KCD2, he appears as a young, naive but competent character, almost like a Gen Z protagonist.
· KCD2 offers two massive maps (the Trosky region and the Kuttenberg region), making exploration much more rewarding and enjoyable.
· KCD2's side quests are as excellent as the main quests, with small encounters in taverns sometimes leading to epic quests.
· KCD1's main story is a self-contained, personal, and small-scale narrative focused on Henry's revenge and his quest to find his father's sword.
· KCD2's story involves Henry getting caught up in a broader political backdrop and conflicts between powerful lords, creating a more humorous and less serious atmosphere than its predecessor.
· Henry's character arc across both games shows his growth from a helpless peasant to an increasingly capable individual, and in KCD2, he appears as a young, naive but competent character, almost like a Gen Z protagonist.
| Category | Kingdom Come: Deliverance 1 | Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 |
|---|---|---|
| World Size | Small | Two massive maps (Trosky, Kuttenberg) |
| Exploration Rewards | Few, focus on main path | Very rewarding, side quests are main quest level |
| Side Quests | Typical RPG side quest feel | Very diverse and rich, equal quality to main quests |
| Main Story | Self-contained, personal, small-scale (finding father's sword) | Broader political backdrop, Henry is a pawn in a grand war |
| Story Tone | Serious | More humorous and less serious |
| Protagonist (Henry) | Grows from helpless peasant to capable | Young, naive but capable character, feels like Gen Z |
10:46 - 11:06
4. ✨ Final Verdict: KCD2's Improvements and KCD1's Unique Charm
· Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a more refined and ambitious title than its predecessor, showing significant advancements in visual improvements and optimization.
· KCD2 maintains the core charm of KCD1 while offering a more approachable experience for new players.
· If you can tolerate bugs, it is recommended to play KCD1 first to experience Henry's journey from the beginning before moving on to KCD2.
· KCD2 maintains the core charm of KCD1 while offering a more approachable experience for new players.
· If you can tolerate bugs, it is recommended to play KCD1 first to experience Henry's journey from the beginning before moving on to KCD2.