Shape and evolve Henry your way
While the world of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is handcrafted to be a historically accurate and deeply immersive medieval Bohemia, the game’s main character - Henry - is something of a blank canvas for you to complete as his story unfolds. Henry is a young man who has yet to develop deeply entrenched views of the world. As such, you’re free to develop his skills, morality and personality in ways that reflect both your own unique values and the deep gameplay principles of the Kingdom Come: Deliverance universe: that Henry’s skills level up as he uses them.
For example, as you master a weapon in any given class, your basic capability with other weapons within that class also improves, which then gives you access to new combat techniques. Master the darker arts of stealth and you’ll find it easier to distract guards and make effective use of disguises as you complete your deadly work in the shadows. Hone your blacksmithing and alchemy skills and your crafted items become more powerful.
As well as practising these skills (and countless others), additional progress comes from the discoveries you make in the world. You’ll find teachers willing to share a little of their expertise, or quests that reward exceptional knowledge. However you choose to progress through the ranks of each skill, you’ll feel the power and possibilities that come from true mastery of your craft.
In addition to these core skills, you’ll also uncover a host of perks throughout your journey: for example, you might learn how to enter berserk mode when your health is low, or find it easier to distract guard dogs, or prove more effective at charming the opposite sex; once learned, these perks remain active and add further flavour to your unique experience of Henry’s world.
Crucially, that world reacts to how you make use of these skills. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is a proudly traditional RPG that’s driven, first and foremost, by its underlying systems, rather than heavily scripted encounters. In other words, this is a world that remembers your actions and the choices you make and pushes back against you accordingly. Each inhabitant of this sprawling world is a real character, with their own motivations, emotions and experiences of 15th-century life. Present yourself to them bloodied and bruised from battle and they’ll judge you accordingly. Choose to kill an ally of theirs and they’ll shun you.
If you choose to commit crimes under cover of darkness, you may well go unpunished; but the world will nevertheless react to the threat you’ve introduced to their lives. The now-fearful locals will arm themselves, the guards will become more vigilant, and the shopkeepers will increase the price of their goods.
Not every moral issue is a question of law and order and some of the decisions you’ll face weigh temptation against personal corruption. Choose the morally questionable path and you may gain a distinct advantage, but at what cost? It’s your longer-term investment in your own personal Henry that gives these dilemmas their true weight and meaning.
Your Henry is uniquely yours. From the skills you master, to how you choose to flaunt those skills in a complex world, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is built from the ground up to provide a richly immersive experience unlike any other in gaming.
