Kingdom Come: Deliverance

After around 150 hours spent on this game (and finishing it) it's time to finally write a review. However, it is so hard to write a coherent one for this game and the reason is in the title. It is an extreme case of love/hate. DISCLAIMER - I played the game ONLY in hardcore mode so this review applies only for that game experience. The game starts off really well - the world is beautiful and visibly modelled after IRL Bohemia, the immersion is quite strong, the story starts well, although a bit cliche and the atmosphere is building up nicely. But as you play a bit longer, the game starts to reveal its many flaws. The story unravels in a very bland way and falls pretty flat towards the end. The characters are a mixed bag and voice acting ranges from perfect (courtesy of Brian Blessed) to atrocious. The world which seems realistic and rich at first shows itself as visibly artificial as you play - ambushes are always in the same spots and random travelers always appear in the same place. It all becomes quite predictable and dull. The combat system I won't dwell on because enough has been said about it - in short, it is horrible. There are quite a number of bugs (one DLC can possibly cause a game-breaking one) and a lot of game content seems half-assed, rushed and shoved in at the last moment. It is a shame since it is obvious that many members of the team really put in a lot of effort on their part. However, I did play it for many hours and finished it as well. Why? Because it has that same syndrome that Gothic 1 and 2 have - despite the frustration, despite the jank, you keep pushing on and braving through it and you can't even explain why. It is so difficult to recommend it or advise against it - it is really one of those 'try it and see for yourself'. If you played Gothic, you know what to expect so it's up to you. If not, expect a lot of frustration you have to go through to find fun - and despite all of the above, this game has a lot of it to offer.

Controls feel a bit janky, but that might be due to early game.

first 100 hours of the game you spend as a helpless basically npc with a sword. the controls and ui are over produced. need to jump on a horse in a hurry? no, prepare to view its stats and inventory (for some reason) when you press E. have a sword equipped? make sure to press two buttons before you even pull the sword out. im sure some people think this is relaly fun, but I don't think it is.

There is no in game brightness options and the prologue is horrible.

INTERESTING GAME AND YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT MIDLE AGE A LOT