So I finally tried KDC2

I am not a huge fan of gaming. Not really. I have a few games I like to play from time to time, but mostly I am unable to find something I would willingly play for more than a few hours. But this time…

This is not a review. It’s more like a showcase of a few moments from my playthrough to convince you to try this one! :-)

#How it caught my attention

I was on the internet, looking for a video manual on how to solve a programming problem. It was taking a while; my AI assistant was desperately hallucinating random solutions in a loop. So, I decided to heal my “soul scars” with my secret healing video: Lakatos repair.

It’s a strictly Czech cultural phenomenon, so it’s hard to explain what’s going on, but long story short: it’s a guy with a strong “redneck” accent repairing an old tractor—a Lakatos. Slovak production, and not a very smart design. Mechanics and programmers can feel him as a lost brother, especially when he blames the entire world for this injustice.

And then it happened: I saw a video from KCD2 where a technician repairs an old astronomical clock and bitches in exactly the same way! SAME WORDS! A brilliant cultural reference. Right then, I decided to try this game out…

#In medias res

You can find many videos online about how this game starts, so I won’t repeat that here. My first thought was that I’m really impressed by the graphics! Some “random” small studio from my country made a game where I just enjoyed the views of the countryside for hours.

But it’s not just about the looks. The narrative and script are excellent—humorous and accurately reflecting the historical context of Bohemia during that era. After escaping bandits and recovering in Old Bozena’s cabin (the classic start of the game), I finally managed to get into the village as the poorest random NPC. After a few scripted situations, the game finally gave me freedom… and I instantly felt it.

#Hardcore is hardcore

…and by “it,” I mean hunger. I decided to try Hardcore mode. I thought, “How bad can it be?” The game answered immediately—with my stomach growling like a dying bear.

After wandering around the village in absolute desperation, I managed to pull off the heist of the century: I stole a sausage from someone’s pocket. A glorious, greasy beacon of hope. I was saved. I could practically taste survival.

And then… instead of pressing “E” to eat it, I pressed “X”.

My character casually tossed the sausage onto the ground. Before I could even process my mistake, a random dog sprinted in from off-screen like a heat-seeking missile and devoured my only meal. Just like that. Gone.

Enraged and starving, I pulled out my bow (also stolen, naturally) and decided justice would be served. Unfortunately, the town guards did not appreciate my stance on canine law enforcement. After failing a dialogue check—because apparently no one trusts a filthy, rag-wearing vagrant—I found myself locked in the stocks.

With my pride shattered but my hunger very much intact, I left the village and marched into a random forest to disappear from society. Still starving. Even more so now. I had two arrows left. The first one completely missed a deer. The second one, miraculously, hit. Victory! I triumphantly butchered the deer… only to discover that I couldn’t eat raw meat. Fantastic.

Then, in the distance, I spotted a human figure. After about twenty minutes of being hopelessly lost in the woods, I nearly cried with joy. Civilization! Directions! Help!

Nope. Bandit.

Somehow, against all odds, I managed to defeat him. Even better—I found his camp. And in that camp… a pot of food. A real, edible, cooked, life-saving pot of food. That’s basically how it went for the next several hours. The story didn’t progress. No epic quests. No grand achievements. I just survived. And honestly? It was hilarious.

#Quests, quests, and more lore!

The main storyline is fantastic—go find out for yourself! I haven’t had this much fun playing a PC game in a long time. The game manages to be epic and grounded at the same time.

For example, check out these moments (minimal spoilers, mostly just the “vibe”):

• SPOILER Free the Dry Devil
• Not a SPOILER, but Zizka becomes The Zizka

The quests are designed to BE INTERESTING. Nothing like “go here and bring”, or “go here and steal that”… From time to time it is starting as a simple kind… but it almost never is. NPC’s are making fun of you, they flirt with you, they are trying to steal from you… The interaction feels like natural. Nobody is trying to pretend you are some kind of “badass bro”.

No culture wars, no indoctrination into the “correct mindset.” Simply — you are in the Middle Ages now, survive and serve your lord.

• While playing, you will finally understand why the Decameron was such an important book of that time.
• If you spend your time reading random books in the game, you can find how people treated illnesses, cooked meals, and much more. The immersion is insane.
• The moment when you finally clean your body and clothes from dirt and blood after a hard fight, and can finally sleep in a REAL BED… it feels like a true reward.
• Going up to market and buy few egs and beacon to make yourself a dinner!

#Would I recommend it?

Well, you know the answer already, right? ;-)

#Some criticism

The game isn’t perfect. You’ll notice that there aren’t many voice actors, so the repetition becomes obvious fairly quickly. Some NPC faces are so similar they could be twins, and you’ll see a lot of recycled “assets” throughout the world. It’s not necessarily irritating, but it is noticeable. I truly believe that with a slightly larger budget, these small immersion-breakers could have been polished into a miracle.

…and it’s so frustrating when you’re starving and see a perfectly good apple on the ground, but you can’t pick it up because it’s just a static prop. :-)

#Some r35p3ct

Despite those minor flaws, this is the kind of game that changes the industry. It’s a benchmark. Just like it’s hard to play Skyrim and enjoy the combat after you’ve played Elden Ring, or hard to settle for a linear story after Baldur’s Gate 3… it is now very hard to enjoy a “living world” in any other RPG after KCD2.