Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 – bad review upsets lead developer

In Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (KCD2), players once again step into the shoes of protagonist Henry, shaping his fate in medieval Bohemia. The RPG offers a vast, immersive sandbox filled with realistic mechanics – Henry must eat, sleep and maintain his gear, among other things. Building on the strengths of its 2018 predecessor, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, the sequel continues to captivate its dedicated community. The standard edition is available on Steam for $59.99, while the Gold Edition costs $79.99.

Successful release

Just a day after release, KCD2 has already amassed 4,790 reviews on Steam, with 92% being positive. On Metacritic, the RPG holds a Metascore of 88, though a user score was not yet available at the time of research.

By comparison, its predecessor, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, currently holds a Metascore of 76, making KCD2 a significant step forward. However, lead developer Daniel Vávra remains somewhat dissatisfied. Of the 53 Metacritic reviews, four are classified as "Mixed," meaning they scored below 60. One in particular frustrates Vávra: GamesHub author Jam Walker rated the game 50 out of 100, justifying the score as follows:

" Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is a game that unabashedly demands you meet it on its level, which I do find somewhat admirable. I just constantly found it to be a miserable slog to engage with, where everything was ten times more overblown than it had any business being. There’s a fascinating sandbox deep down within it, but digging through the mountain of muck to appreciate it was simply more than I could stand most of the time."

The negative review likely stems from KCD2's commitment to realism, a core aspect of the game that many fans appreciate but one that also demands effort. Every step of activities like weapon forging or alchemy must be performed manually, which can be time-consuming but also enhances immersion.

Why all the hassle?

Metacritic plays a key role in the gaming industry, as a game's Metascore is often seen as a measure of its quality and negative reviews can influence potential buyers. However, the GamesHub review is unlikely to significantly impact KCD2's success, as most reviews fall within the 80 to 100 range.

Daniel Vávra’s frustration comes from KCD2 missing the coveted 90-point mark – a milestone reserved for top-tier games. He expresses his disappointment in a post on X: