Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Design Director Responds to Players Who Find the Game Too Hard

by

Some players have found Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 to be difficult, but not in the typical way. The challenge comes from the game’s commitment to realism and historical accuracy, rather than artificial difficulty. Like most games, you and your character, Henry, improve with practice, making the game easier over time. This improvement is based on player skill, not just leveling up or finding better equipment. The issue is that the game is very demanding right from the start, and some players aren’t willing to put in the initial effort. However, making it easier would sacrifice the game’s core authenticity.

Warhorse Studios, the developer behind the game, understands this perfectly. They didn’t aim to make a simple game, but one that players would value for its realism. Because of this focus, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is confident in its design, even if some find it too challenging. In a recent interview with TopMob, design director Viktor Bocan openly admitted that the game isn’t intended to appeal to all players.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s Design Director Knows It’s Not for Everyone

Starting a new game in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 can be challenging. It requires players to unlearn many common gaming habits and adapt to a unique, realistic playstyle. If you try to play it like other games, you might find it frustrating and even want to give up.

In Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, rushing into fights or repeatedly hitting the attack button will likely backfire. Henry isn’t a superhero with special abilities; he’s a regular person, and the game is designed around that. The developers believe a truly great RPG offers a lot of freedom, but to achieve that level of freedom, the main character needs to be someone players can easily project themselves onto. This means Henry is deliberately made very ordinary, which ultimately makes the game more difficult and realistic than many players are used to.

Instead of apologizing for the challenging gameplay in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, design director Bocan defended the game’s approach in a recent interview. He stood by their design choices, which have a steep learning curve for some players, a position that’s unusual given the current wave of player complaints.

It always cracks me up when I see people online complaining about how tough the combat is, and then someone immediately jumps in to tell them they just need to grind and level up! They’ll point to specific NPCs you can train with, like it’s a real-life workout. And then the original person is understandably like, “Wait a minute, this is a game! I want to relax and have fun, not train! I don’t need another thing to learn!” I totally get where they’re coming from – they don’t have the time or desire for that kind of commitment. Honestly, if that’s how you feel, this game – or at least the combat system – probably isn’t for you.

Bocan highlighted a major issue in gaming today: players often want games to be easy and enjoyable without much effort. They expect challenges to be optional and believe ‘fun’ is something a game should automatically deliver. However, games like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 intentionally offer resistance and difficulty, making that struggle a core part of the experience instead of trying to eliminate it.

The game asks players to accept it as it is, rather than trying to change it to fit their preferences. Changing the core experience would alter the message it’s trying to convey. While making a game accessible is important, constantly altering it to please everyone ultimately damages what makes it special. A strong game understands what it’s willing to sacrifice to remain true to its vision, even if that means some players might be frustrated. This preserves its unique identity and the reason it resonates with others.

Unlike many games where overcoming resistance is just part of the journey, titles like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 center the entire experience around the act of fighting back.

Bocan argued that claims Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is too difficult are a misinterpretation of how the game works. He explained that the challenge isn’t a flaw, but rather a result of the game’s emphasis on freedom and realism. Players are meant to start as a novice, Henry, and improve through effort and practice, accepting that learning will involve mistakes and setbacks. Bocan went on to say:

Our game is built around learning and progression – both for you as the player and for your character, Henry. He starts as a novice, and it’s meant to be a core experience to train him and develop his abilities. We’ve heard some feedback saying players expect to be skilled swordsmen right away, and don’t want to spend time learning. However, that misses the point of our design. We wanted to create a game where you can become anyone you choose, but that requires effort and dedication – you need to invest time to see results.

Ultimately, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a game based on give and take. It offers players a lot of freedom, but it asks for something in return – whether it’s patience, a willingness to learn how the game works, or accepting its challenges instead of trying to overcome them with unrealistic feats. This can be incredibly satisfying for some players, who enjoy earning progress through understanding. However, others might find these requirements frustrating. The developers at Warhorse have accepted that this game won’t appeal to everyone, and they’ve prioritized staying true to their vision over trying to please all players.

Read More

2026-01-26 14:05