Kingdom Come - About the Combat

PCGamesN preview the combat system of Kingdom Come: Deliverance.

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Not-so-simple swordplay

Temporarily giving up my life of accidental crime, I decide to progress through the main quest, which eventually sees me in combat training. The fencing-style swordplay of Kingdom Come is one of the key areas Warhorse are working on, differentiating it from competitors, and it is what got a lot of people excited enough to fund it. 

But let me warn you now. Combat is tricky - very tricky. The training session is lengthy, but I was glad for it - the sword-fighting aspect of Kingdom Come is intricate and exceptionally punishing. The general idea is that you have to focus on enemy movements as much as your own, darting in and out of sword range, noting the positioning of their sword so you can get in a quick hit, or parry their blade. The mouse is used to choose sword position and attack type, and all the while you have to keep on your toes, as well as react with parries and dodges.

There is a huge focus on stamina management, too. If you run out your screen goes blue and the sound dims. It gives you a sense of tunnel vision and is a smart way to force you to back off and recover. No stamina means no attacks, no parries, and a dead you. You also cannot heal during battle, and when you get hit your max stamina drops, meaning you are more likely to get hit again.

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