"Games for teenagers": Kingdom Come co-founder criticizes the classic RPG formula

A chosen protagonist who grows increasingly powerful over the course of the story and ultimately saves the world. It's a common RPG formula found in many games. Warhorse co-founder Martin Klíma, however, is tired of this formula. Power fantasies can certainly be fun, but it's the constant repetition that bothers him, as the developer explains to PC Gamer. In his view, many games are still aimed at teenagers even though the audience has grown older. Klíma cites Ubisoft as an example:

“I played the original Assassin's Creed, and the original Far Cry, and the original Watch Dogs, and most of these games in the first iterations, and it was fun. But once you play the same game for the 10th time, it sort of becomes stale.”

Aside from the fact that Far Cry and Watch Dogs aren't strictly role-playing games, the examples certainly fit his point. Klíma praises the craftsmanship of Ubisoft's titles but believes it would shine more if the publisher combined it with more innovative concepts. At the same time, the Warhorse co-founder acknowledges that he can understand why Ubisoft avoids experimentation given the enormous budgets of AAA games – and admits that he doesn't have a quick solution to this dilemma either.

With his own studio, however, Klíma is certainly in a position to take a different approach – and that's exactly what he did with Kingdom Come: Deliverance, whose concept grew out of this very dissatisfaction with common RPG formulas. In Warhorse's medieval RPG, which is currently 85% off on Steam for around $4.50 instead of $30, players don't take on the role of a prophesied savior of the world. Instead, they step into the boots of a blacksmith's son who first has to earn his place in medieval society – and that approach has gone down quite well with players. With a Metascore of 76 and 80% positive Steam reviews, the title may not have outstanding review scores, but it has built up a loyal fan base.

Reddit reacts with mixed opinions

On Reddit, reactions are mixed. Some Redditors would also like to see smaller, more personal stories. They draw a distinction between a character who earns their significance and a hero around whom the entire world revolves from the very beginning. Fallout: New Vegas and Disco Elysium are cited as successful alternatives.

Others consider the characterization of these games as entertainment for teenagers too broad. Adults can enjoy power fantasies too – and a chosen-one plot says little about the maturity of the storytelling. Some also point out that Kingdom Come itself isn't entirely free of such elements: Main protagonist Henry becomes remarkably powerful over the course of the game. Other Reddit users counter that his growing abilities still don't make him the center of everything happening in the world. Ultimately, opinions simply seem to differ considerably on how much power and importance an RPG protagonist should have. Readers are welcome to share their own thoughts on the topic in the comments section.