Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Is Making Combat Way Less Frustrating, But It Comes At A Cost

Published Jan 27, 2025

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Custom Image by: Tom Wilson

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 aims to be a bigger and bolder sequel, with a script over 2 million words long and a world that far sures the size of the original. It's an impressive endeavor, especially coming from a smaller studio, but one that fans are nevertheless excited about. Of course, as groundbreaking as the original game was, it wasn't without flaws, and many players are hoping that the sequel will address them in significant ways.

Fortunately, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 previews have already brought up some of the ways that it improves upon its predecessor. Importantly, they mention its improved combat, which seeks to make it a far less challenging experience, as many players found it to be too punishing, especially when forced to fight multiple enemies at once. However, while the combat alterations certainly address this , it comes at a cost that is both completely understandable and unfortunate considering the audience KCD2 is targeting.

Enemies Wait Their Turn In Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

They Won't Rush The Player

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has seemingly fixed combat against multiple enemies by reducing just how aggressive opponents are. This was highlighted by YouTuber KCD more historically accurate, this significant change will make it more accessible.

Another alteration made to combat in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is that players no longer get locked into frustratingly long animations. In the original game, when enemies parried the player's attack, they would become staggered and suffer through a lengthy animation. This then opened up an opportunity for another enemy - or often multiple - to strike again, causing the player to be wiped out without repelling the attack. Frankly, this is a huge improvement, one that doesn't really compromise the original experience while making combat feel far more approachable.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance’s Combat Was Clunky

It Was Difficult To Fight Multiple Enemies

Two knights fighting each other outside of a gate in Kingdom Come: Deliverance.

It is no secret that Kingdom Come: Deliverance's combat was clunky. This was partially purposeful, as Henry was meant to feel unprepared, especially in the early game. A blacksmith's son who is obviously unskilled with a sword shouldn't be a match for a group of even relatively well-trained bandits. However, there was a complexity to combat that was challenging to master coupled with the rather ridiculous skill of the enemy AI. It was often the case that any enemy, no matter who they were, could parry every one of Henry's attacks, and were practically impossible to hit in response.

Blood-covered Henry with Kuttenberg and a rider on a horse behind him in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2

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On top of that, players had to deal with fighting multiple enemies at once, something that Kingdom Come: Deliverance's approach to combat couldn't deal with. To parry or block an attack, or even hit an enemy, the player had to aim Henry's blade by selecting one of the five directions. That is nearly impossible to do when Henry is being attacked from all directions. Fortunately, this and a lot of the quirks of Kingdom Come Deliverance's combat have been ironed out in the sequel, allowing players to enjoy KCD2's new weapons with ease.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s Solution Is Less Realistic

It Is A Difficult Compromise To Make

Knights fighting each other in a forest in Kingdom Come Deliverance.

Of course, while the changes are completely understandable, address a large portion of the fanbase's concerns, and make the sequel more approachable than the original game, they also take away from one of Kingdom Come: Deliverance's unique selling points. One of the main tenets of KCD was its focus on realism, and this new approach to combat feels like the antithesis of that. Simply put, it isn't particularly realistic for enemies to wait for their turn to attack someone, even if it does make combat easier.

Henry using a hammer in a forge next to Henry wearing gilded armor in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

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However, the compromise developer Warhorse Studios has made is absolutely the right choice. Many newcomers to the series may be wondering if they need to play KCD first, or if they can just jump into the newer title on launch day. The easier combat will make Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 more accessible for those people while still retaining the challenge that previous fans want. Making Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 more enjoyable for a wider player base is surely a good thing, and the visuals, setting, tone, and characters will help maintain the realism the series is so well-known for.

Source: Strat Gaming Guides/YouTube