Does Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Deserve Game of the Year 2025?

The Game Awards 2025 promises to be one of the most contested events in recent gaming history, bringing together titles that marked the year and further raising the bar for the industry. In a landscape with heavyweight productions and highly anticipated sequels, standing out is no easy feat.

However, among all the competitors, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, from Warhorse Studios, emerges as one of the heavyweight contenders for the coveted Game of the Year trophy: the sequel evolves virtually every aspect of the first game, with historical accuracy, delivering a work that combines authenticity and exceptional narrative quality.

To understand why Kingdom Come: Deliverance II could win GOTY, it's necessary to analyze the game's importance, narrative, gameplay, immersion, and relevance to the current industry.

A mature, human, and engaging narrative

The unique aspect of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II lies in its narrative centered on the fragility, strength, flaws, and victories of those who truly existed in a world where fantasy serves not merely as a backdrop. Following the events of the first game, we once again follow the blacksmith Henry, now more experienced but still far from being a "chosen one," an "epic hero," or a legendary figure. Henry is human, flawed, and shaped by the violence and political turmoil of 15th-century Bohemia.

Warhorse opted for narrative continuity. Decisions made in the first game are reflected in the second, relationships evolve naturally, and characters return with reconstructed depth. The focus isn’t on defeating giant monsters or preventing supernatural catastrophes, and that’s precisely what makes the narrative so unique. The game shows real conflicts, social tensions, local wars, political betrayals, discreet romances, and personal dramas that blend with documented historical events.

Historical authenticity

While many RPGs use medieval aesthetics merely as a backdrop, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II takes historical accuracy to an extreme. Warhorse's research for the game was meticulous: costumes, architecture, weapons, dialects, daily routines, and even local agricultural and economic patterns were recreated with impressive precision.

Learning to fight requires technique; navigating the forests without a map demands attention to the environment, and surviving requires food, rest, and tactical decisions. The feeling is of living in that world, and medieval life wasn't easy.

A monumental technical leap

Utilizing the power of next-generation consoles and more powerful PCs, the game showcases extremely detailed environments, with entire villages recreated with precision. Natural systems such as rain, wind, and seasonal changes affect both the visuals and gameplay. Facial animations are more expressive, and the lighting is quite realistic, especially indoors; the game gives us the feeling of truly living in the 15th century.

The level design is another impressive aspect: villages, fields, and cities give the real feeling of being in a medieval society, with routines, events, and dynamics that evolve as the story progresses.

Realistic, brutal, and rewarding combat.

The first-person combat system has always been one of the most discussed elements of the franchise, loved for its authenticity and criticized for its learning curve. Movements are more fluid, remaining faithful to medieval fencing techniques. The player needs to think and calculate before attacking, taking advantage of enemy openings. Although not a pretty or choreographed combat system, the game manages to convey the real tension of a battle where a single mistake is enough to ruin everything.

Furthermore, the game has expanded its arsenal, including new fighting styles and introducing improvements in the use of mounts, bows, and combat in confined spaces; everything there was influenced by historical accuracy.

A world that reacts to the player

Another point where the game stands out is the number of interconnected systems: the AI ​​has been improved, and NPCs react more naturally to the player's decisions. Stealing, killing, helping, engaging in conflicts, negotiating, lying... All of this generates real consequences.

There’s no "morality" here; the feeling we get is of seeing humans reacting realistically. Furthermore, the world has complete daily routines for NPCs, from eating and working to celebrating or taking refuge during storms. The justice systems are impartial and punitive, making the player responsible for their actions. Although the side missions are complex, they’re worth playing, as some have multiple endings based on story progress.

Creative courage in a saturated market

In a market flooded with fantasy RPGs, shooters, futuristic games, and narratives brimming with superpowers, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II bets on reality, history, and human vulnerability, delivering a game as fabulous and immense as any grand fantasy. Warhorse made a big gamble by using human struggles as the core of the game.

Relevance in the community and in the industry

Since its release, the game has garnered high critical acclaim, positive player feedback, discussions about historical realism, analyzes from historians, and an even more loyal fanbase. Warhorse Studios is an example of how mid-sized studios can compete with the big players when they present a clear and objective vision in a game. Kingdom Come II is already influencing new projects that seek historical authenticity and more realistic narratives.

Despite Kingdom Come: Deliverance II being one of the most impressive games of 2025, its victory as Game of the Year at The Game Awards isn’t guaranteed. The competition is extremely fierce, and there are important factors, from audience preferences to jury criteria, that could hurt its chances. Understanding these points is essential for the event, recognizing that even a great game can be overshadowed by other titles.

A Niche Game

One factor that could jeopardize its victory is its niche. Despite the enormous technical and narrative leap, Kingdom Come II remains a realistic medieval RPG, a more restricted subgenre. While more traditional fantasy, action, and adventure games reach larger audiences, the promise of historical authenticity and complex combat may alienate players and even judges who prefer more accessible and less demanding experiences. Its rigid realism, which is its greatest differentiator, can also be interpreted as a barrier.

The Difficulty That Could Affect the Prize

Another point is the difficulty level, especially in combat. Even with improvements over the first game, the first-person fencing system remains very technical, slow, and punishing, unlike other competing RPGs. The "instant fun" factor—games with faster, more fluid, or cinematic combat—usually has greater appeal. The feeling of it being a "game for a select few" can be a drawback.

Another obstacle is the fact that Warhorse Studios, despite being talented, doesn’t have the same market "weight" as Nintendo or Kojima Productions, for example; its marketing scale is smaller, and this influences visibility and even discussions in the specialized media.

Bugs, the Achilles' Heel

There’s also a risk that Kingdom Come II will be hampered by bugs, performance issues, and polish issues. While the game is impressive, open-world RPGs with complex simulations tend to suffer from instability at launch. Other competing titles that are more linear or produced with more polish may have more relevance.

Furthermore, Kingdom Come II may face competition from rivals with stronger emotional appeal. Games with narratives focused on universal themes, charismatic characters, or memorable soundtracks usually dominate the category. Because the Warhorse franchise relies on harsh, stark, and everyday realism, the game may seem less "cinematic" when compared to other games that deliver more memorable moments.

Diversity and Expectations

Finally, the game faces its greatest challenge: even though it's brilliant within its own scope, perhaps other titles will present more evident innovations, greater cultural influence, or an immediate impact on the gaming community, and in that case, the award might end up going to someone else.

Thus, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is a strong contender, but not invincible. The GOTY depends on both quality and appeal, and that's where the competition becomes unpredictable.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II isn’t just a sequel. It's an advancement of an artistic vision. It's a game that expands the boundaries of historical realism, delivering a human and thrilling narrative, perfecting its brutal and intelligent combat, and offering a living world like few RPGs can achieve.

In a year full of strong competitors, the title combines authenticity, ambition, creative courage, cultural impact, and narrative quality. But, in the end, these aren't the only factors that lead a game to receive the highest award in the gaming industry. In an increasingly competitive market, being nominated for GOTY is already a victory.