Combat in modern RPGs can come in a variety of different flavors, as demonstrated by titles likeThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt,Baldur’s Gate 3, andSkyrim. However, one of the most immersive styles of combat is that of first-person RPGs likeAvowedandKingdom Come: Deliverance 2, where players are put directly in the shoes of the protagonist. Despite bothAvowedandKingdom Come: Deliverance 2utilizing this perspective, their approaches to combat differ wildly, showing that even games of a similar genre can play completely differently from one another.
First-person RPG combat is one of the few similaritiesAvowedandKingdom Come: Deliverance 2share. While Obsidian’s latest title leans heavily into thefantasy world of Eorawith segmented zones for players to explore, Warhorse Studios' illustrious sequel places players within an open world based on real medieval Bohemia. Although both games allow players to immerse themselves in their respective worlds thanks to the first-person perspective, the way combat differences between the two forces players to adopt different mindsets when entering that perspective.
Avowed and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Take Very Different Approaches to First-Person Combat
Avowed Delivers Fast, Arcade-Like RPG Combat
Avowed’s combatfeels less like a traditional first-person fantasy RPG and more like an arcade shooter thanks to the speed of gameplay and streamlining of mechanics. Not having to worry about ammo for projectile weapons and having the ability to quickly dodge enemy attacks ups the pace of combat almost to the level of a game likeDoommore than something likeSkyrim. However,Avowed’s different weapons and skill trees allow for just enough build variety to give the game that RPG feel amid a fast-paced combat environment.
BothAvowedandKingdom Come: Deliverance 2share similar weapon types, like short and long swords, axes, maces, bows, and rudimentary firearms. However,Avowed’s fantasy setting allows the addition of magic, which ends up being a game-changer when it comes to how battles play out. Even if anAvowedplayer isn’t fully investing in theWizard skill tree, there’s still a good chance they will utilize some form of magic in their combat due to the protagonist’s nature as a Godlike. Adding magic to the mix is one huge way to achieve the more arcade-like feel ofAvowed’s first-person gameplay, as it allows players to deal with multiple enemies at a time with ease.
AvowedandKingdom Come: Deliverance 2also share a similar skill-check mechanic for dialogue and roleplaying options, opening the door for players of both games to approach most situations in a variety of ways.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s Combat Requires a Methodical, Precise Approach
With how closeAvowedandKingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s releases were to each other, players who jumped between the two games likely had a hard time adapting to just how differently two seemingly similar games played. Compared to the fast-paced action ofAvowed’s first-person combat,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s combat feels like a drastic slow-down. This slower pace doesn’t makeKCD2’s combat any worse, but it does show how the game goes in the opposite direction asAvowed.
Avowedhas the option to play in third-person as well, a feature thatKingdom Come: Deliverance 2does not have.
At times,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2can feel like a turn-based RPG with how it requires players to strategize and wait for the right moment to strike, moving the direction of their weapon to match the ideal direction compared to their opponent’s. It is much more difficult to recover from mistakes inKingdom Come: Deliverance 2given how quickly foes can overwhelm players during combat. As a result,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2players will need to be much more judicious when it comes to picking their battles compared toAvowedplayers, since even approaching bandits on the side of the road unprepared can lead to defeat withKCD2’s limited options for dealing with groups of enemies.
Avowed and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Establish a Wide Range of Options for First-Person RPG Combat
Neither of these two combat systems is inherently better than the other, but their differences make a very clear distinction between the range first-person combat can afford. While many fans offirst-person RPGs will look towardThe Elder Scrollsseriesas the genre standard,AvowedandKingdom Come: Deliverance 2demonstrate that there is a wide gap between the forms first-person RPG combat can take. With these games acting as polar opposites of each other, the valley between them leaves a lot of room for future first-person RPGs to fill with their own takes on this style of combat.
Avowed
WHERE TO PLAY
Welcome to the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger. Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment.You are the envoy of Aedyr, a distant land, sent to investigate rumors of a spreading plague throughout the Living Lands - an island full of mysteries and secrets, danger and adventure, and choices and consequences, and untamed wilderness. You discover a personal connection to the Living Lands and an ancient secret that threatens to destroy everything. Can you save this unknown frontier and your soul from the forces threatening to tear them asunder?
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is an exhilarating Action RPG, set amidst the chaos of a civil war in 15th Century Bohemia.You are Henry of Skalitz – an ordinary man doing extraordinary things – caught in a gripping tale of revenge, betrayal, and discovery as he embarks on an epic journey, ‘from a humble blacksmith’s forge to the court of Kings’, searching for purpose in this beautiful but brutal medieval world.From bustling city streets to lush forests, explore this open-world Medieval Europe through an unforgettable adventure filled with action, thrills, and wonder.
