Kingdom Come: Deliverance

好游戏

really good game, but the combat is too easy due to masterstrikes being spammable

Henry of Skalitz quickly became one of my all-time favorite video game protagonists. You are given the opportunity to help him grow and develop from an immature village boy into a skilled fighter, negotiator, and adventurer. The game world is stunning; the forests, fields, rivers, castles, and villages all have such beauty and charm as well as feeling real and lived in, with bonus points for general historical accuracy. The combat is challenging and clunky, but with practice and training you can stand your own against any enemy. Unlike many other games, even being a high level and well armored doesn't make you invincible, so there's still a sense of danger, especially when you're outnumbered. The graphics do leave quite a bit to be desired; the cutscenes can be quite ugly depending on the lighting, and the armor system almost always has some clipping or floating bits. Some game mechanics are interesting but ultimately just a hindrance from fully enjoying the game, such as needing potions to save or running into well armored enemies at a low level that will thoroughly destroy you before you've had the opportunity to get a good footing in combat. I also can't write a detailed evaluation of this game without mentioning the later half of the story. The action is still fun and engaging, but there is a section of the game towards the end that kills the momentum for me. It's a TON of backtracking and fetching things that takes away the urgency and excitement that the story had up to that point. It's one of those sections of a game that when I think about doing it again, it puts me off replaying somewhat. All in all, if you can look past a few unpolished game mechanics, some bugs, and overall jank, this is one of the most charming, fun, and immersive games I've ever played and I absolutely recommend it.