The Witcher 3
- Similar: sequel fulfillment The reviewer says the sequel brings ideas to fruition similarly to The Witcher 3.
- Similar: quest design The reviewer says the quest craft rivals The Witcher 3.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Review
Bottom Line
Choose it for a huge, immersive medieval RPG with standout quests, writing, and music. Skip it if harsh saves, slow onboarding, offensive content, or simulator-like friction will ruin the experience.
Best for
Best for patient RPG players who want a huge, reactive medieval simulation with strong quests, historical atmosphere, and meaningful progression. It especially fits fans of systems-driven role-playing and slow-burn immersion.
Not for
Not for players who need frictionless combat, generous saving, quick pacing, or a broadly comfortable tone. Several reviewers warn that profanity, sexism, racism, and mature situations may be too much for some audiences.
Verdict
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II comes through in the reviews as a rare systems-heavy RPG whose strengths are deeply connected: quest design, crime reactions, progression, historical world-building, writing, voice work, and music all reinforce the fantasy of living in medieval Bohemia. The tradeoff is that the same commitment to friction makes the opening hours, save system, stealth, menus, and some scripted missions difficult to love. Most reviewers still found the payoff worth it, especially once Henry’s skills, gear, and reputation improved, but the evidence also shows a game that demands patience and tolerance for occasional bugs, abrasive difficulty, and mature or offensive material.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
Baldur's Gate 3
- Similar: reactivity The reviewer compares its accounted-for choices to Baldur’s Gate 3.
Baldur’s Gate 3
- Worse: script size The reviewer says the script length even beats Baldur’s Gate 3.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
80 reviewed features- Very positive 4.5-5.0 55% 44 features
- Positive 3.5-4.4 23% 18 features
- Neutral 2.5-3.4 19% 15 features
- Negative 1.5-2.4 4% 3 features
- Very negative below 1.5 0% 0 features
Pros
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The soundtrack was one of the most consistently praised elements, with several reviewers calling it orchestral, phenomenal, or legendary.
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Several reviewers found the game highly entertaining, addictive, and rewarding once its demanding systems clicked.
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World-building was repeatedly praised as immersive, historically grounded, and central to the game’s appeal.
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Reviewers described the story as memorable and emotionally powerful, including scenes that brought strong lasting reactions.
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Mission variety was strongly praised, especially for quests that went beyond simple errands or bandit-clearing objectives.
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Reviewers consistently praised the reactive crime, reputation, NPC, and quest systems that made the world feel alive and responsive.
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The open world drew strong praise for its scale, density, historically grounded cities, and lived-in regions across multiple maps.
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Immersion was one of the clearest strengths, with reviewers repeatedly describing the world, systems, and presentation as absorbing.
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Value was praised because the game is both strong and very long, with some reviewers reporting enormous playtime.
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Atmosphere was praised alongside world-building, especially in cities, music, and historically grounded locations.
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Environmental detail was praised for dense, specific objects, puddles, tools, farms, residences, and believable spaces.
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The historical codex and contextual detail were praised for offering extensive background on people, events, and society.
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Cutscene direction and mocap were praised for selling relationships and emotional scenes convincingly.
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Narrative quality was a major strength, with reviewers praising the historical saga, main quest, character arcs, and cinematic ambition.
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Reviewers repeatedly emphasized how unusual and specific the game feels compared with modern RPGs.
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Reviewers generally agreed the sequel stays true to the original while improving its systems, scope, and accessibility.
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Reviewers praised the breadth of activities, quests, and post-launch additions, with many describing a large and varied set of things to do.
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Henry and Hans received strong praise for their evolving relationship and character arcs, with Henry’s trauma and growth adding stakes.
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Writing was described as excellent, engaging, humorous, and consistently strong across main and side content.
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DualSense haptics and adaptive triggers were praised for reflecting stamina, sword clashes, and sharpening interactions.
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AI and NPC behavior were praised for believable reactions, routines, crime responses, and increased sophistication over the first game.
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Reviewers repeatedly framed the systems-heavy design as a major strength, praising how mechanics connect to role-playing, dialogue, world simulation, and player expression.
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Reviewers saw the sequel as much more polished than the first game, with rough edges reduced and systems better realized.
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Replay value looked strong thanks to hardcore mode, major content additions, and reviewers wanting to return for more playthroughs.
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Reviewers liked the depth and usefulness of perks, weapon techniques, and skill trees, especially when they enabled meaningful playstyle specialization.
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Graphics were broadly praised for impressive landscapes, cutscenes, lighting, and major visual improvements over the first game.
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Crash stability was praised by multiple reviewers who reported no crashes, no soft locks, or no hard crashes.
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Quest design was one of the strongest points, with reviewers praising memorable side stories, branching approaches, and strong writing, despite a few disappointing payoffs.
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Performance was generally praised across PC and console contexts, with reviewers noting strong optimization and technical improvements.
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The PS5 Pro version was praised as a graphical treat, with platform-specific technical strengths noted.
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The revised perk and upgrade system was praised for offering meaningful upside-focused choices rather than weak side-grades.
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Voice acting was broadly praised, especially the main cast, though some reviewers noted repeated or uneven minor NPC voices.
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Reviewers admired the freedom to solve problems, exploit systems, and role-play, though the sandbox sometimes clashed with scripted story demands.
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Progression was widely praised for turning early friction into rewarding growth through skills, perks, equipment, and player learning.
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Controls were described as noticeably smoother than the first game, especially in camera feel, aiming, and sword fighting responsiveness.
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Maps were praised for medieval flair and exquisite town art, supporting the game’s historical presentation.
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UI feedback was positive when reviewers discussed improved, adaptable, or visually polished interface presentation.
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The visual style of menus, maps, and medieval presentation received praise for matching the game’s historical tone.
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The cast was praised for memorable personalities, humor, and a strong sense of history.
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The post-launch expansions were credited with adding a large amount of extra content to the package.
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Handheld suitability was supported by one reviewer who described the game as scalable enough for handheld play.
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One reviewer praised the scale of improvement as something other studios rarely achieve.
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One reviewer praised the way locations were recontextualized into memorable set-pieces that rewarded planning and awareness.
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Sound design was praised for supporting immersion and helping players identify attacks or stealth-relevant cues.
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Exploration was praised for beautiful spaces, meaningful discoveries, and a strong adventuring feel, though harsh systems made some travel demanding.
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One reviewer reported a consistent frame rate and treated that as part of the game’s stronger technical state.
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The adaptive HUD was praised for hiding unnecessary elements and improving immersion when information was not relevant.
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Visual set pieces and in-engine scenes were praised for creating striking emotional moments.
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Dialogue was mostly praised for impact, humor, and organic choices, though one reviewer found some repeated dialogue drawn out.
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The dog companion Mutt was praised as useful and worthwhile, especially for tracking and early side-quest benefits.
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Post-launch support was described positively through free updates, fixes, and eagerly awaited features.
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Combat drew broad attention for its realism, skill focus, and improvements, though several reviewers still found it harsh, clunky, or frustrating early on.
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The sequel was credited with giving supporting women and other groups somewhat more agency than before.
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Facial animation feedback was mixed: one reviewer noted lifeless dialogue faces, while another praised key character animations.
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Crafting split reviewers: blacksmithing and alchemy could be charming and rewarding, but several found parts clunky, slow, or repetitive.
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Bugs were present but usually minor; reviewers ranged from calling glitches common to saying issues rarely disrupted play.
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Pacing opinions varied: some praised the sustained momentum, while others complained about indulgent cutscenes or late-game pacing issues.
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Ranged play was viewed as improved by some reviewers, especially archery, but another found ranged combat weightless and weak.
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Onboarding divided reviewers: returning and new-player recaps helped, but some found the opening overloaded or blunt.
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Main mission design was mixed: reviewers praised varied scenarios, but one criticized a required sequence for lacking an alternate path.
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The game was not seen as a pure grind, but reviewers still emphasized the effort and repetition needed to gain traction.
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Difficulty was often called demanding and unforgiving; reviewers generally treated this as part of the appeal, though not always an easy one.
Cons
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Fast travel opinions were mixed: one reviewer praised dynamic events, while another found it cumbersome and interruption-prone.
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Weapon balance was mixed: one reviewer liked weapon choice, while another found some ranged options hard to use effectively.
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One reviewer found the loop rewarding but volatile, with strong highs offset by repeated frustration and setbacks.
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Stealth was useful and sometimes satisfying, yet reviewers also called it finicky, weak, or frustrating in specific forced sections.
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Tutorial quality was mixed, with one reviewer calling it decent while others criticized dense text screens and poor explanations.
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Camera behavior was a noted issue for one reviewer, especially through finicky first-person viewpoint problems.
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Loot was criticized for early encumbrance pressure and the difficulty of carrying everything a player might want.
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The learning curve was repeatedly described as steep, slow, and friction-heavy, rewarding patience but likely turning some players away.
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The save system was one of the most divisive topics, praised by one reviewer but criticized by many as stingy or punishing.
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The early economy was described as restrictive, especially when selling damaged or stolen goods with limited vendor money.
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Load times were criticized by one reviewer as long enough to worsen stealth retries and experimentation.
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A horror-leaning quest was criticized for being too short for its dread to fully develop.
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Menu usability was mixed to negative, with some praise for navigation but others calling the menu system dire or frustrating.
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One reviewer strongly disliked Hans as a long-term companion presence, creating strain on their desire to continue.
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One reviewer felt early traversal was unnecessarily taxing, especially before stronger equipment and better mobility options eased the burden.
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One reviewer warned that excessive profanity and potentially offensive material make the game unsuitable for some audiences.
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Checkpointing was criticized for causing lost progress when autosaves appeared only at limited quest points.
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Family friendliness was limited by repeated profanity, sexual content, and depictions of women that one reviewer found objectifying.
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other Video Games, this product is above average in AI behavior, crash stability, below average in checkpoint system, family friendliness, movement feel.
Summary
8 compared features- Above average 0.4+ pts higher 25% 2 features
- Same as average within 0.3 pts 0% 0 features
- Below average 0.4+ pts lower 75% 6 features
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI behavior | 4.7 | 2.9 | +1.8 |
| checkpoint system | 2.0 | 3.7 | -1.7 |
| family friendliness | 2.0 | 3.6 | -1.6 |
| movement feel | 2.5 | 3.9 | -1.4 |
| load times | 2.8 | 4.2 | -1.4 |
| crash stability | 4.6 | 3.3 | +1.3 |
| horror tension | 2.7 | 4.0 | -1.3 |
| protagonist appeal | 2.6 | 3.9 | -1.3 |
FAQ
Do reviewers think Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is newcomer-friendly?
Several reviewers say the sequel catches new players up well, but others still found the opening hours overloaded, slow, or frustrating. It is playable first, but patience helps.
Is the combat better than the first game?
Most reviewers describe combat as smoother, more readable, or more rewarding than before. The same evidence also shows it remains demanding, realistic, and divisive.
How strong are the quests and story?
Quest and narrative quality are among the strongest review themes. Reviewers praised memorable side quests, emotional main-story moments, strong writing, and meaningful consequences.
Are bugs a major problem?
Bugs appear in the review evidence, including graphical glitches and technical blemishes, but most reviewers said they were minor or rarely disruptive. Crash stability was generally praised.
Is the save system frustrating?
Yes, for many reviewers. Some adapted to it or found it manageable, but several criticized the limited saves and checkpointing for causing lost progress or discouraging experimentation.
Does it offer good value?
Reviewers repeatedly point to the game’s enormous length, dense side content, and post-launch additions as strong value. One review cited well over 100 hours for fuller completion.
Consider This Instead
If you want better checkpoint system
Choose Lego Voyagers. It scores 5.0 vs 2.0 for checkpoint system, with a 3.9 overall score.
If you want better family friendliness
Choose Mario Kart World. It scores 4.7 vs 2.0 for family friendliness, with a 3.9 overall score.
If you want better movement feel
Choose Ghost of Yōtei. It scores 5.0 vs 2.5 for movement feel, with a 4.1 overall score.
If you want better save system reliability
Choose Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake. It scores 5.0 vs 2.8 for save system reliability, with a 4.3 overall score.
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