Deliverance 2 Is Too Hard

This will no doubt be vindicating for players who struggled to enjoy Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 when it released last year. It can be frustrating to not “click” with a new title that everyone seems to love, especially if you think that you would have liked it otherwise. For instance, I don’t really care when I bounce off a new Call of Duty game, since that’s not my type of game in the first place, but I will be a bit bummed when a game like Mafia: The Old Country, a promising-looking release, turns out to be disappointing. In the case of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and its predecessor for that matter, I can imagine that there are plenty of gamers who feel drawn to its beautiful, massive medieval world, sharp storytelling, or deep RPG mechanics, but are ultimately scared off by Warhorse’s uniquely challenging design philosophy. For those players, there are plenty of worthwhile alternatives.

If You Want Medieval First-Person Adventure

At first glance, The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion may not seem so different from the Kingdom Come: Deliverance games. For instance, Oblivion features the same pastoral landscape, medieval tropes, and first-person perspective as the KCD duology. However, Bethesda’s 2006 fantasy RPG (which was recently refreshed in 2025’s Oblivion Remastered) is considerably more accessible, albeit less complex and mechanically engaging as a result.

A good way to highlight this disparity would be to look at how each game approaches alchemy: in KCD2, players have to engage in a complex and academic mini-game involving boil timing, ingredient mixing, and heat usage, while Oblivion simply prompts the player to combine ingredients in a basic menu screen. Of course, the more involved, granular mini-games are central to KCD2‘s identity, but for those that want a more streamlined experience, one that’s more about high adventure and less about scratching your head over in-game diagrams, Oblivion is a nice alternative, and an all-time classic regardless.

Released

April 22, 2025

ESRB

Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Violence

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

If You Want Tranquil Exploration

I’m no great lover of Assassin’s Creed as a whole, but I cannot deny how stunning Assassin’s Creed Shadows is. Its depiction of the natural world, which changes seasons periodically, on its own in-game schedule, is one of the most compelling and complete that I’ve seen in the medium. And its advanced weather effects are just the cherry on top. Indeed, Assassin’s Creed Shadows‘ open-world is gorgeous, a masterful blend of cutting-edge tech and smart design.

Like Oblivion, the rest of the experience is very approachable, especially compared to Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. KCD2, which is also characterized by its tranquil, relaxed natural beauty, is an intentionally difficult experience, designed to give the player a sense of accomplishment in even the smallest actions. Assassin’s Creed Shadows is basically the opposite of that, a game meant to be as smooth and painless as possible, and I can’t fault anyone for wanting that.

Released

March 20, 2025

ESRB

Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language

Fable 2

If You Want a Blend of Role-Playing and Life Simulation

There’s a new Fable coming out this year, and while I have renewed hope for the reboot after its most recent gameplay showcase, it’ll have a hard time competing against Fable 2 in my heart. Like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, this game blends RPG elements with life simulation, though on a level that’s both far grander and more basic. You don’t need to do things like bathe yourself regularly or hand-make your own weapons, but you can buy property, start a family, sacrifice that family to the Temple of Shadows, and have a real impact on the game world, for better or worse. If you like the idea of this RPG-life-sim combination, but aren’t a fan of realism, then Fable has you covered.

Systems

Released

October 21, 2008

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Language, Sexual Content, Use of Alcohol, Violence

Engine

havok

The Witcher 3

If You Want a Well-Written Medieval Fantasy Narrative

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2‘s ridiculously specific mini-games and unique survival-simulation aspects may get the lion’s share of attention sometimes, but its mechanics ought not to overshadow its narrative. Becoming Henry of Skalitz is a subtle, magical process, resulting in a uniquely empathic gaming experience. If the player can get through the game’s unusual mechanics, that is.

The Witcher 3 offers that same sort of hard-hitting narrative and immersion, but without the potentially frustrating mechanical elements. Like Assassin’s Creed Shadows, this is a game that takes pains to be approachable and accessible, standing in direct contrast to KCD2 in this way, but it’s not quite as frictionless as a typical Ubisoft game. There are still strong RPG mechanics at the heart of The Witcher 3‘s gameplay which, combined with its captivating story and side content, makes it a crowd-pleasing, but still powerful, gaming landmark.

Released

May 19, 2015

ESRB

M for Mature: Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content

Minecraft

If You Want Easier Survival Mechanics

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is by no means a hardcore survival sim, but you do have to eat, sleep, and clean yourself, in addition to master combat, crafting, persuasion, and other miscellaneous mechanics, to succeed. For those that want something a little more laid back, but still centered on those slower survival aspects, a game like Minecraft might be the way to go.

It might seem rather basic, but Minecraft‘s survival and crafting systems run surprisingly deep. At the same time, you can do just fine by just mastering a few fundamentals. And with simplistic combat, no real story, and traditional crafting mechanics, Minecraft provides a considerably more streamlined and focused survival-crafting experience, without the more challenging or obtuse aspects present in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.

Released

February 4, 2025

ESRB

Mature 17+ / Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity

Developer(s)

Warhorse Studios