Kingdom Come: Deliverance Has Everyone Suddenly Excited: But Why?
If you've been following gaming news for the past few days, you've probably noticed an significant uptick in coverage about a game called Kingdom Come: Deliverance. That game launches today, and it's immediately taken its place among Steam's top sellers, while at the same time being the most-viewed game on Twitch at the time of this writing. If you find yourself confused by this seemingly sudden interest in Kingdom Come, you likely aren't alone, because for many, it'll feel like this game came out of nowhere.
Though there were a few trailers that showed off Kingdom Come in the lead up to its release, this game certainly didn't have the massive marketing campaign that many triple-A titles get. In fact, even though it's just launched, advertisements for it are nowhere to be found on the landing page for the Steam store. Kingdom Come, it would seem, it further proof that word of mouth can still be a valuable tool when it comes to creating buzz about your game.
On the surface, Kingdom Come: Deliverance seems to be like any other open-world RPG (it even has its own forgettable name). Indeed, it does share some similarities with games like Skyrim or The Witcher, though it does manage to do a lot of things differently. For starters, Kingdom Come isn't set in some fantasy world, but rather medieval Bohemia.
As a result of this real-world historical setting, you'll encounter or otherwise hear about characters that existed in the real world, such as Kings Sigismund and Wenceslaus. Kingdom Come has also garnered attention for the fact that you don't play anyone particularly important. You aren't a Dragonborn or part of an elite and mysterious monster hunting guild, but rather the average son of a blacksmith who is thrust into conflict when the town you call home is pillaged and razed.
While first person combat with a sword or other melee weapons can sometimes feel a little underwhelming (looking at you, Skyrim), the combat in Kingdom Come has been given some additional care. Success in combat less about spamming attacks and more about identifying and capitalizing on any openings your opponent gives you. There also isn't any magic, so if you aren't looking to fight with a sword and shield or a bow and arrow, this might not be the RPG for you.
For this focus on history and realism, Kingdom Come has been able to build hype among people who have been waiting for a fresh spin on the open-world RPG. We'll see if the game has the staying power to compete with other games in the genre like Skyrim and The Witcher 3 or if it's just a flash in the pan, but for now at least, Kingdom Come seems to be quite popular among RPG fans. Are you playing Kingdom Come this weekend? Head down to the comments section and let us know!