Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Successfully Dodges Major AAA Sequel Issues

The excitement surrounding Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has set a positive tone for February, especially following its release after a long seven-year wait. Developed by Warhorse Studios, this eagerly awaited sequel expands upon the journey of Henry of Skalitz, immersing players in richly detailed environments of 15th-century Czechia, with expansive cities, potent weaponry, and formidable foes.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 surpasses its predecessor in size and visual fidelity. In contrast to many major sequels that require more robust graphical capabilities, this title stands out with impressive optimization, allowing smooth gameplay for most players without requiring high-end hardware.

Performance of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

Stable Frame Rates and Minimal Glitches

Henry looking apprehensive in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

Early performance assessments for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 have been overwhelmingly favorable, notably regarding its Upscaling features, which remain optional. According to evaluations from PC Gamer, players can achieve an impressive average of 61 frames per second (fps) on High settings at 1440p, utilizing a combination of the Ryzen 5 5600X CPU and the RTX 3060 Ti GPU. Notable enhancements were also observed at 1080p, yielding approximately 15fps more under Medium settings.

The performance boost signifies a remarkable leap from the original game, which struggled with issues at launch. Seven years prior, players utilizing a 6GB GTX 1060 often faced limitations of just 51fps on Very High settings at 1080p. Personally experiencing the launch of the first game, I recall the numerous bugs and freezes that persisted until official patches or community mods offered solutions. Fortunately, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 requires no mods for a refined gaming experience.

Challenges in Recent PC Releases

Consequences of Graphical Upgrades in Other Titles

Spider-Man in his black Symbiote suit in Marvel's Spider-Man 2

The seamless launch of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 arrives as a relief amidst a series of recent AAA titles plagued by subpar PC performance. A prominent recent example is Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, which faced immediate backlash due to performance issues and frequent crashes. Similarly, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth struggled, necessitating fan-made performance mods to enhance its frame rates.

Both titles were originally tailored for the PlayStation 5, a console with advanced graphical capabilities, while their forerunners—Marvel’s Spider-Man and Final Fantasy 7 Remake—were developed for the significantly less powerful PlayStation 4. This discrepancy often appears overlooked during the PC porting process, especially as many players’ setups may not match the PS5’s performance level.Many gamers gradually upgrade their PCs over time, falling behind the rapid advancements seen with new console generations.

This situation highlights an ongoing concern in the industry involving subpar PC ports. Developers often focus testing on the PlayStation 5 and may not allocate sufficient resources for PC performance optimization prior to launch. Warhorse Studios, however, seems to have prioritized this aspect from the outset, aiming for stellar performance in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.

The Impact of Optimization on Gameplay

Finding the Right Settings for Optimal Experience

Players utilizing older GPUs, such as the NVidia 1080 Ti, can still enjoy a rewarding experience with Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, thanks to its remarkable optimization. Although features such as Ray Tracing or DLSS are unavailable, the game presents minimal upscaling options overall.

To enhance their experience, players should avoid the lowest settings, particularly as the transition from low to medium offers significant quality improvements. If performance suffers when upgrading to medium settings, consider lowering Shadow quality—often the largest performance drain—along with adjusting vegetation detail, which is abundant in KCD2.

DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) is a sophisticated upscaling technology employing AI to enhance image quality, frame rates, and overall game performance.

For those equipped with high-performance PCs featuring the latest AMD or NVIDIA graphics cards, the Experimental Settings option unlocks higher visual detail and lush foliage density. While this may reduce fps, adjustments to other graphic settings can help balance the performance levels.

Players using alternative platforms like the ROG Ally or Steam Deck can still experience smooth gameplay at about 30fps using FSR Quality and Medium graphics settings, ensuring a visually appealing experience on smaller screens. Warhorse Studios has demonstrated a commitment to making Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 accessible and visually impressive across a spectrum of hardware configurations.

Source: PC Gamer

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