Overview
Developed and published by Warhorse Studios, with Deep Silver also serving as publisher, Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a video game released on February 13, 2018. It is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC. The genres associated with this entry are action, adventure, historical, RPG, stealth and open world, in an exclusively single-player experience.
The story takes place in 1403 in the Kingdom of Bohemia, within the Holy Roman Empire. The player takes the role of Henry, whose ordinary life is destroyed when his home is attacked by an army of mercenaries and his family is killed. This personal starting point draws him into the political and military conflicts affecting the kingdom.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance builds its identity around a historical medieval RPG without a fantasy setting. The world, equipment, architecture, weapons and some of the characters and events are inspired by early 15th-century Bohemia. Castles, villages, forests, fields and roads therefore form an open environment designed to represent a medieval region rather than an imaginary kingdom populated by supernatural creatures.
The game uses a first-person perspective and allows Henry to move freely through his surroundings, on foot or on horseback. The open world serves not only for travel between important locations, but also for exploration, encounters, quests and activities that accompany his progression.
Quests are designed to offer multiple methods of resolution. A situation may require combat, but can also allow the player to negotiate, persuade, threaten, bribe, infiltrate a location or find another way to reach the objective. The choices made can alter certain reactions and consequences rather than systematically leading the player back to a single solution.
Henry’s progression is based on a skill system without a fixed class. His abilities improve according to what he practices, while new talents and perks become available as he develops. Combat, stealth, dialogue and various non-combat skills therefore contribute to the way the character specializes.
Melee combat seeks to reproduce more of the constraints of an armed confrontation than the mechanics of a conventional action system. Swords, maces, axes and other weapons have different characteristics, while attacks, defenses, combinations and positioning must be adapted to the opponent and their equipment.
Armor also plays a practical role. Different layers of clothing and protection can be combined, while weapon types do not have the same effectiveness against every kind of equipment. Choosing a weapon or piece of protection is therefore not only a matter of general statistics: its usefulness also depends on the type of confrontation encountered.
Ranged combat notably uses the bow, while stealth provides another way to approach certain situations. Lockpicking, pickpocketing and discreet movement allow Henry to access locations or resources differently, but these activities can also attract attention and have consequences when discovered.
Henry’s actions therefore influence his reputation. Residents and different communities can react to his behavior, while reported crimes can lead to intervention by the authorities, fines or imprisonment. Social interactions, theft and violence are therefore integrated into the broader functioning of the world.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance also includes several systems related to daily needs. Henry must notably eat and sleep, food can spoil, and weapons, clothing and equipment wear down over time. Maintaining his gear and managing his condition therefore form part of progression alongside combat and exploration.
Certain activities take the form of more detailed systems. Alchemy, equipment repair, lockpicking and pickpocketing require direct player involvement rather than always being reduced to a menu selection. These mechanics extend the game’s intention of giving practical functions to Henry’s everyday activities.
The horse is also an important part of travel. It allows Henry to cross Bohemia more quickly, carry more equipment and take part in certain combat situations, directly integrating it into exploration and character management.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance uses CryEngine. The engine supports its open world, natural environments, villages and fortifications, as well as the many systems involved in representing life and travel through this medieval Bohemia.
The overall experience therefore combines RPG, history, exploration and simulation around the progression of a character who does not begin as an accomplished warrior. Henry’s skills, reputation, equipment and the solutions chosen during quests gradually evolve through his actions across the world.
Key takeaways
- The story takes place in 1403 in the Kingdom of Bohemia, at the heart of a conflict involving Wenceslas IV and Sigismund.
- Henry is the sole survivor of the massacre of his family and becomes drawn into the events shaking the kingdom.
- The game favors a historical medieval setting without fantasy, with a reconstruction inspired by 15th-century Bohemia.
- Quests can offer multiple solutions, combining combat, dialogue, stealth and other approaches.
- Progression is based on learning and practicing skills, without a fixed character class.
- Combat, reputation, crime, hunger, sleep, equipment maintenance and horseback travel all contribute to the functioning of the world.
Conclusion
Kingdom Come: Deliverance builds its adventure around Henry and his transition from an ordinary life to direct involvement in the conflicts affecting Bohemia in 1403. His personal journey serves as an entry point into a broader historical context shaped by political rivalries, invasions and war.
The open world is not based solely on exploration. It connects quests, travel, communities and different systems that react to the player’s actions, including reputation, crime and the character’s needs.
RPG progression supports this approach by allowing Henry to improve through practice and by offering several possibilities for resolving certain situations. Combat, persuasion, stealth or preparation can therefore take on different levels of importance depending on the choices made.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance ultimately combines open-world design, RPG systems and historical reconstruction in an experience where Henry’s development depends as much on his skills and equipment as on the way he interacts with medieval Bohemia.
Good to know
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance was released on February 13, 2018.
- The game was developed by Warhorse Studios and published by Warhorse Studios and Deep Silver.
- It is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
- The genres listed in this entry are action, adventure, historical, RPG, stealth and open world.
- It features a Single player mode only.
- The game uses CryEngine.
- Its world is inspired by early 15th-century Bohemia and favors a historical approach rather than a fantasy medieval setting.
