Kingdom Come Deliverance: Helpless in History

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In 2018, first time developer Warhorse Studios released Kingdom Come: Deliverance shortly before being bought by Deep Silver.

Starting in the hamlet of Skalitz, Henry, the local blacksmith's son, adventures across Bohemia in 1403. The developers designed a game based on historical reality, and it spends a sizable period relating the historical background. The Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV strengthened the throne and invigorated the nation. But his son, Wenceslaus the Idle, wallowed in in pleasure and debauchery, leading to the revolt of his brother Sigismund. While Kingdom Come doesn't feature Wenceslaus, Sigismund briefly appears as rebels surge across the kingdom. The towns and hamlets that the player passes through (Skalitz, Sasau, Rattay, and Talmberg), exist in the modern Czech Republic, and the Lords Henry interacts with ruled the region, even though their names have been changed from Hanus to Hanush, Racek to Radzig, and Divis to Divish. But the protagonist, the villain, and the specific events of the insurrection in the region are entirely fabricated. Still, this historical backing binds the fictional events firmly to the story.

The developers aimed for realism in more than historical detail. The atmosphere of Christianity is pervasive and even stifling at some points. It's livened by hints of Chaucerian and Boccaccioan criticism of religious orders. Realism expresses itself in gameplay as well. Henry eats and sleeps to maintain his health. Resting is frustrating because the protagonist can only sleep in the proper bed. Early in Kingdom Come the Miller of Ratty grants Henry the use of a bed. Latter the protagonist sleeps in the castle of Rattay. Additionally, towns include inns where two gold purchases the use of a bed for a night. Food is easier to find. Hunting supplies raw meat, while grocers sell fresh produce if the player wishes to purchase it. The best method of sustenance is free. Scattered across the towns are fire pits with food pots, which Henry may eat from as he wishes. With these, its possible to go days without paying for food.
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But when Henry first awakes on that fateful day neither food nor sleep is on his mind. Kingdom Come Deliverance introduces Henry as a man child. His mother wakes him when he sleeps in after a night of drinking at the local tavern. His father, the blacksmith of Skalitz, asks Henry to perform his chores and return aid him at the forge. But while he is supposed to be doing his chores, his buddies convince him to throw feces at the house of a man they dislike. Eventually Henry returns to his father where they craft a sword for Radzig the local lord. A catastrophe forces Henry to flee Skalitz and run to Talmberg for aid.

Early on Kingdom Come features an overreliance on in game cut scenes and cinematics. They roll without player control, and some don't even involve the protagonist, as Henry awkwardly observes royalty speak. The decisions of Deliverance are decided during videos. Sometimes Lords decide while Henry watches. Worse are the decisions Henry makes, but the player has no influence over. For example, Henry returns to Skalitz the day after fleeing even though the Lords forbid him. The game doesn't offer the player a choice, but railroads Henry into foolish decisions. The return trip is overly managed, with all routes into town blocked by destroyed buildings. In the ruins of Skalitz Henry sees his last remaining possession, the sword crafted by his father, stolen from him, and is rescued from death by Theresa. After his recovery, Henry begins his dual quest, to avenge his town, and recover the sword for Lord Radzig.
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Further events reinforce the player's powerless state. After settling in at Rattay, Radzig elevates Henry from displaced apprentice blacksmith into his service. Radzig is surprisingly forgiving about the loss of his sword, but advances Henry rapidly from patrol man to his right hand assistant scouring the country side as the unrest intensifies. In his first, and only day patrolling Rattay, Henry is challenged to both a duel and archery contest by the local Lord Hans Capon. The player is unable to decline either choice, because Henry seems eager to accept. Later, while patrolling at night, Henry argues with the same Capon. Henry needs to close the tavern, and Capon refuses to leave. An open world game like the one Kingdom Come purports to be, would either have let the player choose between leaving Capon alone, or be an ass, mouth off to the lord and engage in a fist fight. Instead the game forces the player to do the latter. Throughout the entire game, Henry never makes tactical or strategic decisions for the big battles. Radzig, Hanush, Divish, or Robard always receive the information delivered by Henry, and decide the battle plan. At one point, a Lord even asks Henry if he would rather join an assault on the gate, or over the walls, and instead of the player choosing, Henry makes the choice without a player prompt.

Even six hours into an admittedly long game, Kingdom Come Deliverance is still running a tutorial complete with strong-arming and overlong cut scenes. Deliverance seems like a deep, well thought conceived game, if only the developers would let the player try it. While some of the cut scenes are useful to the player, a significant number feature Henry talking to another character about an event the player already witnessed. Henry explains the events of Skalitz five times alone in his adventures. Quests are completed haphazardly. Sometimes after completing a quest the player travels miles to report its conclusion. Other times the game automatically transports the player to their destination asking permission, leaving loot on the ground, and possible quest requirements unfinished. One cut scene even stole a horse.
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The combination of an overabundance of cut scenes without player involvement, a railroading of decisions and gameplay, and a long tutorial detracts from an otherwise historically grounded open world. It denies the player the agency needed to keep them engaged. And yet Kingdom Come Deliverance has other aspects which elevate it over these faults.

More to follow next week.

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