One of the main draws of theKingdom Come: Deliverancegames is its realistic setting in historical Europe. Bohemia, in particular, is a unique setting that isn’t often depicted in video games and includes fictional depictions of real people.Kingdom Come: Deliverance’s depiction of Bohemia and its characters during the time period has been noted, and the historical realism has become one of the main draws of the two games.
Warhorse has the opportunity to take this framework and run with it. Despite the restrictions of setting a game in historical Europe, these limitations mean the game franchise could tap into a niche that’s rarely used.Historical fictionis a popular genre in books, movies, and video games, but is rarely seen in RPGs, which tend to fall instead into fantasy or sci-fi. Europe’s diverse cultures and over 2000 years of history give Warhorse ample space and opportunity to create a series that includes lasting, meaningful stories that allow players to experience historical Europe.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance Has the Opportunity to Fill a Gap
Standing Apart From Other Historical Fiction Games
Assassin’s Creedfound immense success as a franchise that depicted different time periods, but it isn’t an exact parallel because it includes fantasy elements within the story and gameplay framework.Kingdom Come: Deliverance’s cinematic approachdiffers in that it is a closer depiction of reality, and doesn’t include any sci-fi or fantasy features that disrupt the realism. Pure historical medieval games in other genres also exist, but not necessarily as RPGs, being instead strategy or action games.
This givesKingdom Come: Deliverancethe potential to expand into a seriesof spin-offs set within historical Europe. Rather than including fantasy elements, it can be a realistic depiction of different areas in different time periods of European history, especially if each game is contained within a small region. This would allow each game to specialize and develop a distinct identity, while giving the series the flexibility to move between different time periods and regions.
Exploring Different Time Periods
Venturing beyond medieval Europe couldwork inKingdom Come: Deliverance’s favor. Europe is a diverse part of the world, and its cultures, religions, and different forms of warfare developed in interesting ways. Depicting regions like medieval Ireland, Renaissance England, or medieval Italy would all fall within the same basic framework asKingdom Come: Deliverance, but would be different enough for each individual game to be unique.
What Kingdom Come: Deliverance Could Look Like in the Future
Europe’s Long History Gives Warhorse Limitless Options
These different periods in European history spanned centuries and overlapped with each other. The beginning of medieval Italy looked very different from its conclusion, and assuming that Europe was the same throughout the entire medieval period is the same as saying Europe today is the same as it was four hundred years ago. Technology, the role of religion, politics, and philosophy all influence culture, and there were several notable shifts in Europe even during the same time period.
This means that Warhorse could release two different games, both set in medieval Europe, and have them look very different from each other. In practice, this gives virtually limitless potential for immersive, groundbreaking RPGs that take place in a realistic historical setting.
There are very few RPG franchises that do this. One of the main draws togames likeAssassin’s CreedandGhost of Tsushimais their historical setting, but both are action-adventure games. Fantasy and sci-fi RPGs dominate the genre, and there’s a very real need for historically accurate, grounded RPGs that don’t include any fantastical elements. With so many options on offer for Warhorse,Kingdom Come: Deliverancecould become the RPG franchise that fills that gap.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
WHERE TO PLAY
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is an exhilarating Action RPG, set amidst the chaos of a civil war in 15th Century Bohemia.You are Henry of Skalitz – an ordinary man doing extraordinary things – caught in a gripping tale of revenge, betrayal, and discovery as he embarks on an epic journey, ‘from a humble blacksmith’s forge to the court of Kings’, searching for purpose in this beautiful but brutal medieval world.From bustling city streets to lush forests, explore this open-world Medieval Europe through an unforgettable adventure filled with action, thrills, and wonder.
