Disclaimer: I already bought the regular edition on Steam, I bought the Gold Edition here to both support DRM-Free options and get the Expansion Pack. This game succeeds perfectly on its main selling point: to immerse yourself in 15th century Europe. The environments are beautiful to both look at and explore. The forests provide a realistic sense of wonder that I haven't experienced since Oblivion, and the streets of Kuttenburg give that sense of scale and liveliness that KCD1 never quite reached for a populated settlement. And all without killing my RTX 4060. I'm also in love with the writing, the main cast have well-placed humor with deep characterization that pull you through the main narrative. In addition, the side quests are wide, various and provide many opportunities to roleplay the protagonist Henry. The performance capture cutscenes are aplenty and serve as a meaty reward for playing the game and the music score also captures the historical period so well. Tom McKay and Luke Dale in particular deserve their flowers for their portrayal of Henry and Hans respectively. Regarding gameplay, the melee combat will be the biggest sticking point for some people; it works the best in 1v1 duels once you understand how it works but can start breaking down in bigger scale battles. That said, ranged combat is highly satisfying and breaking into houses & pickpocketing unsuspecting merchants remain an addicting grind. Points of critique worth noting: At the time of writing (v1.2), game balance highly prefers swords due to its unique mechanic that makes other melee weapons feel lackluster. If you are a completionist, you may reach a 'power ceiling' by the 2nd half of the game. The main quest while very satisfying is relatively linear with some minor deviations but only one main ending. Finally, regarding this game's unique save mechanic, whilst I understand its intentions should probably be left for hardcore mode only. Overall, it's in the running for my GOTY.
