Kingdom Come Deliverance – An RPG without Fantasy

Skyrim, Horizon Zero Dawn, The Witcher 3, all were fantastic open-world role-playing games that blew open the expectations of players around the world. However, they all have one thing in common; they are all fantasy. Ever imagine the world with Skyrim without monsters, dragons, and magic? What would that be like? What about other RPGs? Well the folks at Warhorse Studios will soon launch a title that answers that very question, Kingdom Come: Deliverance.

According to a press release, Kingdom Come is an RPG that takes away the fantasy elements in favor of a historically accurate medieval world. Taking place in Bohemia during the times of the Holy Roman Empire, players will avenge the deaths of their parents and tackle quests in a non-linear fashion. Vast fields and massive castles will host historical characters that are strewn throughout the narrative-driven gameplay, seeking to fully put players in that time period.

What’s fascinating about this project is that lack of magic, which is something that’s fairly rare in the world of video games. Judging by the trailer, a more modern English will be spoken as well, giving it that Game of Thrones feel. Well, before the dragons and the zombies came in. Thank goodness characters won’t be speaking Old English, a subject I severely struggled in during college.

As a young lad, I would always look at old medieval books that were lying about the house. Some were grand stories of King Arthur and his knights and I always wondered what it might be like to be an actual knight. They were old books even then with dull colors covering the musty words inside. Usually only a pressed image would adorn the front, typically of a crest or a knight’s helm. With Kingdom Come, I’ll be able to be a knight or a thief or a humble farmer, whatever fits the story I want to follow. Some of these roles might take some out of system role-playing, but there’s a reason playing a Khajiit with a sweet roll addiction can be so fun.

Kingdom Come comes at the conclusion of a Kickstarter in 2015, which saw a massive dedication from those looking to see the project come to life. The release of this much anticipated game is upon us, releasing on February 13th and may be a title to check out for those tired of the elves and dwarves found in so many games. The developers have some excellent pedigree too, as the studio was founded by Daniel Vávra, creator of Mafia and Mafia 2, and Martin Klíma, formerly of ALTAR (Original War, UFO:* trilogy). That and the script is apparently twice as long as the Lord of the Rings saga.

It will be interesting to see how the combat and narrative plays out. If there truly is an open-ended character progression that focuses on choice and expression, this could be one of the stand out titles of the year, especially considering the popularity of open-world RPGs. Kingdom Come: Deliverance certainly has incredible potential.

Now to see if the full game delivers on its promises.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance will launch on February 13th for the MSRP of $59.99 on the PS4, Xbox One, and PC. For more information, check out the official website.