Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 offers rich systems, engrossing stories, and a vast world for players to explore.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a masterpiece of an open-world game. Warhorse Studios showed that it knew how to make a good game with its first entry in the series, and now with the sequel, the 14th century version of Bohemia has come alive with meaningful systems, gritty realism, heartfelt storytelling, and a world that demands your attention.
During our deliberations, we discovered the breadth of experiences just among the staff here at Shacknews. We had one player who wound up in the pillory multiple times after stealing clothes, sleeping in the wrong bed, and being a nuisance for the guards. Meanwhile another player managed to get a small job, pay for a bed, and pick up …
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 offers rich systems, engrossing stories, and a vast world for players to explore.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a masterpiece of an open-world game. Warhorse Studios showed that it knew how to make a good game with its first entry in the series, and now with the sequel, the 14th century version of Bohemia has come alive with meaningful systems, gritty realism, heartfelt storytelling, and a world that demands your attention.
During our deliberations, we discovered the breadth of experiences just among the staff here at Shacknews. We had one player who wound up in the pillory multiple times after stealing clothes, sleeping in the wrong bed, and being a nuisance for the guards. Meanwhile another player managed to get a small job, pay for a bed, and pick up a couple of tasks for the villagers. This variety in experiences is possible thanks to the world Warhorse Studios has created.
After a brief introduction, the world of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 opens up. Exploring every inch of the world is deeply rewarding, whether you’re actually walking from village to village or standing over an anvil and grindstone for hours on end. If you do opt to go adventuring, you’ll find a beautiful world to explore. The landscape is full of lush forests, verdant hills, dim castles, and the signs of a brutal war and a tough way of life.
As you bump into people, the variety of quests is sure to excite. It varies from the mundane tasks to missions of utmost importance for castellans. A barmaid might need help moving flour, a knight may offer to help train your sword skills, or you’ll encounter people wanting to find treasure, have an archery competition, or even just play dice. Each one intrigues and helps bring the world to life.
Then there are the little things that breathe a bit of extra zest into the world. Lockpicking is tough but rewarding, guards demand you carry a lit torch at night, mastering the combat makes you feel like a seasoned knight, and picking out a nice set of clothes feels special after trudging around in mud-caked slacks. There is so much attention to detail and it makes each decision feel important.
Each year the open-world genre is treated to something truly special. This year, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has managed to outfox some truly impressive competition. Congratulations to Warhorse Studios for securing the Shackmaps Presents Best Open World Game of 2025 award with Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.
Check out more of the Shacknews Awards in our Year of the Games: 2025 article.
Head of Guides
Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he’s found his new family here at Shacknews as Head of Guides. There’s nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler
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